KEN'S COLUMN
WHEN IT COMES TO UNDER THE SADDLE
LESS IS USUALLY MORE!
It’s a fact that a lot of owners interfere with the fit of their horse’s saddle! They have the best of intentions but the sad thing is that, all too often, they create problems. The balance of the saddle is crucial to its fit. Adversely affect the balance and the fit will be seriously impaired – in some cases substantially. I am referring, of course, to the use of numnahs, gel pads, riser pads and the like. Used with discretion, they can be excellent tools. Used for the wrong reasons, they can be the root cause of what amounts to abuse.
The insertion of anything under a saddle will not solve poor fitting. Pieces of foam or a folded up blanket will not cure problems –in fact, they are far more likely to create additional pressure points that could seriously exacerbate the situation. Likewise, a fair percentage of the time riser pads, numnahs, gel pads and similar tools are used to correct fitting problems. All of them have important functions to fulfil – but only very, very, very rarely can they improve the fit of a saddle. On the other hand, their use can very, very, very often destroy the fit!
All saddles, both new and second-hand, should be fitted by a qualified saddle fitter. Thereafter the fitting should be checked commensurate to changes in the horse’s shape - and then the necessary alterations to the saddle carried out by a Master or Qualified Saddler. Generally it is possible to adjust the panels or carry out other minor adjustments in order to accommodate the horse’s changed shape. Occasionally this isn’t possible, and then the only option is to change the saddle.
Before inserting anything under the saddle it is advisable to take advice from a qualified saddle fitter – with the exception of a light saddlecloth of the type used for dressage. A saddlecloth should always be made of natural not manmade materials. Those made from manmade materials don’t absorb sweat and they also tend to crease and create nasty rubs. When a saddle cloth is used, it is important to make certain the loops or other retainers will hold it in the correct place – occasionally it is necessary to alter the positioning.
In some yards, predominantly those involved in dressage, the use of rear riser pads has become ‘fashionable’. I have no idea why this should be so – I certainly do know, however, that this type of indiscriminate use is the cause of big problems! Inserted unnecessarily, the chances are the balance of the saddle will be badly affected which in turn will adversely influence the fit of the saddle. On several occasions I have been called in as a consultant in the case of horses that have apparently developed tension and lost freedom and fluency. In some cases the inexpedient use of a back riser has unbalanced the saddle causing the horse’s shoulders to be restricted with a consequent deterioration in the paces. More sensibly used, a back riser may help to correct the fit of a saddle that sits too low at the back – but this method of correction should only be tried as a last resort when it is impossible to add further flocking to the rear panels.
A front riser is often used on a horse with predominant withers or in the case of one that is very thin or has wasted muscle in the trapezius area. When it is impossible to adjust the saddle itself to accommodate the horse’s idiosyncratic shape, a front riser can be an effective tool. However, used without due discretion, the balance of the saddle will be adversely affected and the rider will be thrown back causing pressure points to develop under the back of the saddle.
The range of numnahs and saddle pads available is huge. Some are excellent - well designed and incorporate good quality materials and high manufacturing standards. Others have inherent design faults and/or the materials are unsuitable and/or manufacture is shoddy. It is imperative that any numnah or saddle pad is the correct shape and size for the saddle concerned. One of the most common fitting errors I see relates to the pad that is too small or too short for the saddle concerned. The shape of the numnah/pad must correspond to that of the saddle and it should be slightly larger than the saddle. Retaining tapes must be located to ensure the numnah remains in the correct position when the horse is moving in all paces – not just when he is standing still!
Air filled saddlecloths that can be adjusted are now available. Theoretically, they should be the complete answer. In practical terms they are not that easy to adjust and, wrongly inflated, the saddle can be severely unbalanced. Then, what was intended to cure one problem can be the inadvertent cause of several new ones!
The best advice has to be - using anything under the saddle should be undertaken with great discretion - and only on the advice of a saddle fitter – one who holds the Society of Master Saddlers’ saddle fitting qualification.
KEN LNDON DYKES is a Society of Master Saddlers’ qualified saddle fitter who specialises in fitting competition horses. He is also available to give talks and demonstrations for any type of equestrian group. KEN can be contacted on 07973 501873 (mobile) or at SADDLEWORLD’S head office – 01622 844440.
