Ken Lyndon-Dykes’ Column
The Experiences and Thoughts of a Saddle Fitter.
This month: total symmetry is an impossibility!
Following a recent article about the way the rider's position influences the positioning - and thereby the fit - of the saddle I was asked by a riding club to take a clinic discussing some of the problems. Nine ladies - and just one young man - offered to be guinea pigs. Most readers will know that, although I am not a qualified instructor, I spent time in the States and this country helping riders on the event circuit. In many ways the clinic took me back to those very enjoyable days.
There is no such thing as a rider with a totally perfect position. For a start, none of us is completely symmetrical - and some of us are decidedly one-sided. Most sports involve balance and poise, none more so than riding. It stands to reason that perfect balance is only a possibility if both sides of our body are totally symmetrical - and ergo - we know that is never so. We are all 'crooked' to some extent. Truly gifted riders may start with the advantage of being decidedly more symmetrical than the rest of us - or possibly they work harder to 'even up' - but that's not easy. We all favour a particular foot to kick a ball. Most right-handed people have difficulty developing even a reasonable level of ambidextrous ability so why is it assumed that mounting a horse automatically makes both sides of our body equally dextrous?
I had great fun at the clinic. I think most of the audience had expected a very serious demonstration of saddlers flip-flopping about (there was a bit of that, too!) because the rider was sitting on one side, falling minimally behind or in front of the movement - and so on. I elected to ask the riders to dismount to carry out a series of exercises that would indicate the more common inability to use our bodies equally. Audience and guinea pigs were surprised - even more so with some of the results. Blindfolded and asked to pick up two equal weights with each hand, no-one succeeded in balancing them entirely equally. Asked to kick balls through a 'goal post', every single guinea pig did better with one leg than the other. Requested to sit squarely on two sets of scales, no-one's weight was distributed totally equally. I didn't devise these exercises to prove how inadequate the riders were - indeed, had I been asked to help them school their horses, I would have been impressed with the ability of most of them - and the obvious dedication of all of them. I wanted to demonstrate how difficult it is to be entirely balanced - entirely symmetrical. Following what were undoubtedly revelations, it wasn't hard to convince audience and guinea pigs alike that sitting 'balanced' and 'centrally' is not that easy!
The problem is that an even slightly lop-sided horse makes a lop-sided rider makes for an asymmetrically sitting saddle. A saddle that is not flocked equally both sides will result in the rider sitting somewhat one-sided. A rider who is deficient in balance - or who is developed even slightly asymmetrically - will influence the equanimity of both horse and saddle - or, expressed another way, saddle and horse.
I suggest that 'balance' when related to riding - and thus to every equestrian discipline and sport - is far more complicated and inextricably linked via the rider-saddle-horse and horse-saddle-rider than generally accepted. I would like this to be accepted on a no-blame basis. Let Society of Master Saddlers' Saddle Fitters, riders, trainers, instructors all take this on board. Let us all attempt to be realistic about 'problems' and agree to find solutions that benefit horses, their riders, saddle-makers and saddle-fitters.
Moving on: at the Clinic a member of the audience suggested that riding without a saddle would remove one element from the rider-saddle-horse scenario! Intended as a joke comment, I actually couldn't agree more (at the expense of destroying my business!). Take as examples the 'Red Indians' …circus riders…small children having fun 'bareback'. Of course, the answer lies in the fact riders involved in modern equestrian disciplines and sports rely on their saddles for help. A saddle is a tool that, well fitted - and correctly used by a conscientious rider - is invaluable. I really don't need to reiterate the reasons why it can go slightly - even worse, very badly - wrong!
KEN LYNDON DYKES specialises in fitting competition horses and those with 'difficult' conformation. Obtain Ken on 01622 844444 (head office) or 07973 502873 (mobile).
FOOTNOTE. Ken's book 'Practical Saddle Fitting' is an excellent buy for anyone making a career in the equestrian industry as well as all horse owners. Published by J. A. Allen, it costs £19. 99 and is available at leading saddleries and bookshops. Anyone having difficulty in obtaining a copy should contact SADDLEWORLD: 01622 844440 (If you would like an autographed copy, contact Ken as indicated.)
