Jochen Schleese's Posts - Barnmice Equestrian Social Community2024-03-29T15:17:48ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleesehttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2187943606?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://www.barnmice.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=3hqcbm1uw0tw2&xn_auth=noSaddle Fit Tip # 1 - Saddle Balancetag:www.barnmice.com,2014-12-04:1773158:BlogPost:1857602014-12-04T03:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p><br></br> <br></br> <b><span style="font-size: 14px;">SADDLE FIT TIP #1 - BALANCE (in a series of 9 short videos)</span></b> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></br> <br></br> Have you ever experienced any of these problems which may indicate saddle balance problems?<br></br> Are you struggling with your position?<br></br> Is your horse lacking in its performance?<br></br> <br></br> ...then you may be faced with a Saddle Balance issue. Watch this informative video for some saddle fit tips on Balance that may help…</span></p>
<p><br/> <br/> <b><span style="font-size: 14px;">SADDLE FIT TIP #1 - BALANCE (in a series of 9 short videos)</span></b> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><br/> <br/> Have you ever experienced any of these problems which may indicate saddle balance problems?<br/> Are you struggling with your position?<br/> Is your horse lacking in its performance?<br/> <br/> ...then you may be faced with a Saddle Balance issue. Watch this informative video for some saddle fit tips on Balance that may help you!</span><br/> <br/> <object width="345" height="264" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/U2mKz0uP_K8&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false"></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="345" height="264" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/U2mKz0uP_K8&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed> </object>
<br/> <br/> <b><span style="font-size: 14px;">BALANCE: TOO HIGH IN FRONT</span></b> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><br/> Do you feel you are struggling to get balanced in the saddle and are feeling tipped back? Are you struggling with getting your horse engaged or is it experiencing back issues?</span><br/> <br/> <span style="font-size: 14px;">If your saddle is too high off the horse's withers or too low in the back, this will cause a lot of excess uneven pressure on the horse's loins. It will not only put you in the wrong position, but it will be very difficult for your horse to engage as it will be unable to come through with its back and step underneath itself into a correctly engaged frame.</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <b><span style="font-size: 14px;">BALANCE: TOO LOW IN FRONT</span></b> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><br/> Do you feel tipped forward in the saddle? Is your horse resisting?</span><br/> <br/> <span style="font-size: 14px;">If your saddle is too low in front, it will pinch the horse's shoulder - which is very restrictive for your horse! In this situation, your saddle may be too wide in the front or too high in the back. Not only will this cause discomfort for your horse but you will also be forcing yourself to sit in an unnatural position that may affect your riding or strain the discs in your lower back!</span><br/> <br/> <br/> <b><span style="font-size: 14px;">STEPS TO CHECK SADDLE BALANCE:</span></b></p>
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<li><span style="font-size: 14px;">Remove your saddle pad and irons. Place your saddle over the withers and slide it right back behind the shoulder blade. On a dressage saddle, the cantle should be a little higher than the pommel.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 14px;">Take a small round object (like a pencil) that will roll. Place it on the seat of the saddle and observe. If the saddle is balanced the pencil should rest in the center of the seat. If it rolls too far forward – the pommel is too low (cantle too high). If it rolls too far back, the saddle is too low in the cantle (pommel too high). It will be very difficult in either of these situations for both horse and rider to balance properly!</span></li>
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<p><br/> <span style="font-size: 14px;">The horse will be much more comfortable in a well balanced saddle, because the weight of the rider will be distributed over a larger area. The saddle will not be driven into the shoulder or back on the loin. With correct balance the rider will be able to use the 4 curves in her back as natural ‘shock absorbers’, and she will sit balanced on their seat bones. This good posture means she will be able to lean forward and backward without the lower or upper leg swinging back and forth.<br/> <br/> An experienced saddle fitter will be able to help diagnose suspected saddle balance issues!<br/> <br/> Happy Riding!<br/> Jochen Schleese, CMS</span><br/> <br/> <a href="http://www.schleese.com"><u><span style="color: #000066; font-size: 14px;">www.schleese.com</span></u></a></p>
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<p><u><span style="color: #000066; font-size: 14px;"> </span></u></p>Saddle Fit and Difficult Shoulderstag:www.barnmice.com,2014-11-14:1773158:BlogPost:3767212014-11-14T19:31:08.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
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<p><br></br>One of our certified Saddlefit 4 Life® saddle ergonomists in Europe recently came across this horse – which had a shoulder blade that was higher than the withers. She said that the 'best' fitting saddle for it had a half panel to accommodate this unique conformation, but asked for my advice. Does anyone else recognize seeing a horse like this before?…<br></br></p>
<center><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037493?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037493?profile=original" width="350"></img></a></center>
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<p><br/>One of our certified Saddlefit 4 Life® saddle ergonomists in Europe recently came across this horse – which had a shoulder blade that was higher than the withers. She said that the 'best' fitting saddle for it had a half panel to accommodate this unique conformation, but asked for my advice. Does anyone else recognize seeing a horse like this before?<br/></p>
<center><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037493?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037493?profile=original" width="350"/></a></center>
<p><br/> <br/> Part of the conformational analysis for a 'good' horse is a high withers. Horses with high withers will have more leverage and strength to bring the back up using their dorsal nuchal ligament system. There is an inherent problem with horses that demonstrate such small withers. As we know, when the horse has his head down (for grazing, or riding forwards/downwards), the neck ligaments pull the high withered spinal processes forward , and the back ligaments support the ribcage, muscles, intestines – even the weight of the rider in the saddle. The smaller and shorter the withers, the harder it will be for the horse to use nature’s suspension system, which leads him to necessarily engage more back muscles to support not only himself, but also the rider and the saddle. As you see in this picture, this particular horse has very small withers – it might be broken, or might just be naturally small. This will make the shoulders stick up and out, and appear bigger than they are. This horse will always have difficulty in engaging the back properly due to the lack of sufficient leverage for the suspension system caused by the shorter spinal processes for attachment at the withers.<br/> <br/> With the lack of the withers, you will see a lot of space between pommel and withers, which the horse will need for these large shoulders. It is an optical illusion that the rider is going to sit far away from the horse. This is a common mistake made by saddle fitters either on their own volition, or because the trainer has asked them to make the saddle fit closer to the horse’s back. As a rider you do like to sit close to the horse, but as you know, you don’t actually sit on the pommel, you sit in the centre of the saddle. This is what should be the closest part to the horse, keeping in mind that it is important to hopefully have enough room in the gullet width in the channel for the spine.<br/> <br/> The saddle which needs to be fitted to this horse needs to have a maximum weight bearing surface strictly within the saddle support area. Under no circumstances may it exceed the requirements for this or the rider will risk crippling the horse, since the horse has no chance to support himself or the rider, which will result in a nasty chain reaction. My recommendations would include a saddle with a panel one size smaller than the tree (i.e. perhaps a 17 ½” tree with a 17” panel). The panel would definitely need to be kept pretty thinly flocked, be short, and very straight. Normally, a saddle needs to have sufficient clearance at the pommel for several reasons: a) to ensure wither clearance (not really a problem with this horse) and b) when the horse moves, the shoulder moves upwards and backwards about 4-6 inches, there needs to be a lot of room for such a big shoulder to move through the opening of the pommel. More frequent monitoring of saddle fit to horses with physical challenges is definitely recommended by all equine professionals.<br/> <br/> <br/> Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE<br/> <a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com">www.saddlefit4life.com</a><br/> <a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>
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<p></p>Saddle Fit and Treeless vs. Conventional Saddles: Back Pressure Evaluatedtag:www.barnmice.com,2011-11-28:1773158:BlogPost:5576512011-11-28T20:33:43.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
Saddle Fit and Treeless Saddles<br />
Okay I just had to share this with you because I am really thrilled that someone of Dr. Clayton’s reputation has substantiated what I have been preaching about treeless saddles for the last couple of years. Now you don’t just have to take my word for it! This was a recent article appearing at <a href="http://www.thehorse.com">www.thehorse.com</a> which I am putting in my blog this week to share with you.<br />
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Treeless vs. Conventional Saddles: Back Pressure…
Saddle Fit and Treeless Saddles<br />
Okay I just had to share this with you because I am really thrilled that someone of Dr. Clayton’s reputation has substantiated what I have been preaching about treeless saddles for the last couple of years. Now you don’t just have to take my word for it! This was a recent article appearing at <a href="http://www.thehorse.com">www.thehorse.com</a> which I am putting in my blog this week to share with you.<br />
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Treeless vs. Conventional Saddles: Back Pressure Evaluated<br />
by: Christa Lesté-Lasserre<br />
November 23 2011,<br />
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Treeless saddles are often said to be more "natural," more comfortable for riders and/or horses, or more universally fitting for all equine back shapes and rider seats. But according to a leading equitation scientist, the tree still seems to serve a very important purpose: regulating pressure distribution.<br />
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"What you can see with the treeless saddle is a very definite concentration of pressure right underneath the rider's seat bones," said Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, Dipl. ACVSMR, MRCVS, Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at Michigan State University, during the presentation of her study at the 2011 International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) Conference, held Oct. 26-29 in Hooge Mierde, The Netherlands. However, that's not the case with a well-fitted conventional saddle, which pressure mats reveal applies much more even pressure with lower peak forces across the horse's back, she said.<br />
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"That suggests that the tree is indeed doing what it's supposed to do, in terms of spreading the force over a larger area of the horse's back," she said.<br />
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In her study Clayton fitted eight purebred Arabian horses with pressure mats under their saddles and had them ridden at a slow, sitting trot in a straight line by the same, experienced rider. The rider rode each horse once with a treeless saddle and once with a conventional English saddle custom-fitted to an Arabian horse. The saddles weighed exactly the same, and the rider rode without stirrups.<br />
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What Clayton and her colleagues found was that the conventional saddle was much more effective in spreading out the pressure on the horse's back caused by the rider's weight, Clayton said. Generally the treeless saddles resulted in higher peak pressures, and more sensors detected significant pressure levels (higher than 11 kilopascals--a number that's significant in the appearance of clinical signs of back pain and injury, according to Clayton)--meaning a larger number of high individual pressure points.<br />
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"For the conventional saddle the loading was approximately equal across all thirds (of the saddle from front to back), whereas for the treeless saddle we had a very definite concentration of loading in the middle third (where the rider sits)," Clayton said.<br />
Pressure would be even higher with a heavier rider (the study rider weighed 125 pounds) and at faster gaits, she said.<br />
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Even so, conventional saddles are not necessarily ideal, according to Clayton. "The tree is a somewhat rigid structure, and the fact that it is rigid means there is need for the tree to fit correctly both to the horse and to the rider," she said. "A lot of riders have become very frustrated because it has become difficult to find a tree that does fit comfortably on both the horse and the rider."<br />
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Thus it's important to ensure your saddle fits your horse and isn't causing him back pain, and a qualifed saddle fitter can assist in this task.<br />
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It would be interesting to see in further studies if a treeless saddle might still be an improvement over a poorly fitted conventional saddle, Clayton said. Additional studies should also test different kinds of treeless saddles.<br />
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(and we have an idea for a Saddle Fitting Challenge for the new year through Saddlefit4Life - so stay tuned!)<br />
Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE<br />
<a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a>Saddle Fit and Swellingtag:www.barnmice.com,2011-10-05:1773158:BlogPost:5299962011-10-05T17:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
Saddle Fit and Swelling<br></br>
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One of my associates in Europe recently came across this issue at a client visit. This chestnut gelding was exhibiting blisters and swelling beside the withers on the right side – but apparently there was no saddle pressure to account for this. The saddle was sitting perfectly aligned. (I especially mention the colour since chestnuts often seem to be particularly vulnerable to skin problems).…<br></br>
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Saddle Fit and Swelling<br/>
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One of my associates in Europe recently came across this issue at a client visit. This chestnut gelding was exhibiting blisters and swelling beside the withers on the right side – but apparently there was no saddle pressure to account for this. The saddle was sitting perfectly aligned. (I especially mention the colour since chestnuts often seem to be particularly vulnerable to skin problems).<br/>
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<a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203038824?profile=original"><img width="300" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203038824?profile=RESIZE_320x320" height="175" width="355"/></a><br/>
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The horse had just had a series of two unrelated operations and consequently was off for about 5 months. When the client began riding again, blisters began forming, and then 2 weeks later these swellings appeared. She was using the same pad the whole time, but the more she padded (including a sheepskin), the more swollen the area became (which makes sense, because the saddle fit would become even tighter). The billets had to be crossed to avoid having the saddle slide forward during his movement. The question is, could these swellings be a result of too much saddle movement? Another paradox is the one-sided appearance of sweat – especially since there is no panel here either!<br/>
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My response was that generally, if a horse has blisters like that, ie. fluids under the skin, than there is nothing you can do as a saddle-fitter. The skin has to heal 3-4 months which means no riding. If he absolutely needs to be ridden, then the only thing you can do is to keep the saddle as quiet as possible. I would suggest using two very thin cotton pads so that any friction occurs between the pads instead of between the pad and the skin, and a girth without any elastic. The saddle should also be stuffed very firmly, thinly, and evenly from front to back. It should be girthed up pretty tightly since less movement will help to stop shearing the skin. When the rider rides, less siting in walk, trot, and canter also keeps the saddle more quiet. But even if all of this is taken into consideration, keep in mind the skin will still need to heal for many months.<br/>
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Damage on the skin does not always comes from riding. In the wither area it could also come from play fighting, rolling, insect bites, too many/dirty saddle pads, stable blanket, or any other wither irritation. In this particular example, the saddle does not come close to those spots on the wither, so it is likely that this issue was not caused by saddle fit.<br/>
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Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE<br/>
<a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a>; <a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com">www.saddlefit4life.com</a>Saddle Fit and Problem Backstag:www.barnmice.com,2011-09-13:1773158:BlogPost:5147542011-09-13T13:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
My last blog was a bit ‘ueberlong’ so I will limit myself to a quickie this week.<br></br>
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When I am travelling, I unfortunately often come across horses that have backs that look like the one in this picture. The client maintains that the horse has ‘always looked like that’ but – as I confirmed with my oft-cited good friend Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM – horses are not born like this.<br></br>
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The majority of these horses are ridden in saddles where the gullet channel is simply too tight/narrow.…
My last blog was a bit ‘ueberlong’ so I will limit myself to a quickie this week.<br/>
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When I am travelling, I unfortunately often come across horses that have backs that look like the one in this picture. The client maintains that the horse has ‘always looked like that’ but – as I confirmed with my oft-cited good friend Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM – horses are not born like this.<br/>
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The majority of these horses are ridden in saddles where the gullet channel is simply too tight/narrow. Some manufacturers and saddle fitters (who should know better!) claim that it is just as ‘dangerous’ (let’s say detrimental to horse back health) to have gullet channels that are too wide (as well as too narrow). However the fact is – even if the gullet width is absolutely perfect for a given horse – sometimes other factors are simply forgotten or overlooked. Asymmetry of the horse, unbalanced riding, incorrect fit, etc – all play a role in the balance and ‘twisting’ of the saddle. The saddle which moves around on the horse’s back (twisting – usually – to the right) – will end up damaging the spine of the horse as shown in this picture.<br/>
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<center><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203038737?profile=original"><img width="300" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203038737?profile=RESIZE_320x320" height="271" width="362"/></a></center>
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I sincerely hope that more and more riders are aware of the necessity of the saddle needing to be fitted so that it stays straight, the rider sits balanced, and it doesn’t move to the left or the right. (Check out for yourself how many (even top riders!) are pictured in magazines from behind – and are sitting crooked!) Sometimes the saddle looks crooked when it's off the horse, but this is an accommodation that has been made to fit the horse properly when it's actually on the horse.<br/>
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Dr. Robson qualified the consideration of this picture to state that this symptom – although possibly not even painful to the horse any longer – could at this point be simply developed scar tissue. That’s just sad – the damage has been affected to the point that the build up of scar tissue becomes this obvious (and hopefully no longer causes the horse any discomfort when being ridden). But this is almost like the Chinese women having their feet bound – they adjust to it, it may not cause them any more pain (except when they try to walk any distance!) and they have silently accepted it because ‘that’s the way it’s always been done’.<br/>
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Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE<br/>
<a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com">www.saddlefit4life.com</a>; <a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a>Saddle Fit and Excellent Results in the Ringtag:www.barnmice.com,2011-08-22:1773158:BlogPost:4899092011-08-22T18:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>Although of course it shouldn't be all about the medals and the winning, it absolutely thrills and validates me when one of my clients sends me a picture such as this one. (Christian Hartung riding “Watulele” from the Christiane Noelting Dressage Center in California). This is an absolutely textbook case of a beautiful horse demonstrating "Durchgelassenheit" ('throughness, suppleness, etc.') Of particular note is the fact that he has a beautifully rounded croup, the angle of the hind leg is…</p>
<p>Although of course it shouldn't be all about the medals and the winning, it absolutely thrills and validates me when one of my clients sends me a picture such as this one. (Christian Hartung riding “Watulele” from the Christiane Noelting Dressage Center in California). This is an absolutely textbook case of a beautiful horse demonstrating "Durchgelassenheit" ('throughness, suppleness, etc.') Of particular note is the fact that he has a beautifully rounded croup, the angle of the hind leg is such that it is almost under the girth, and the horse's eyes and ears are alert and forward. The rider is in absolutely classical dressage position with shoulder-hips-heels alignment and the horse looks like he is responsively moving 'uphill'. He takes less than 10 strides to make it down the side of the dressage ring in an extended canter that looks similar to the beginning of a levade.</p>
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<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037607?profile=original"><img width="400" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037607?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400"/></a><br/> Horses that are ridden like this (not on the forehand) will greatly reduce the potential for longterm damage – with a soft hand, a soft seat, a soft mouth, and a soft back – yet absolutely uphill, straight, and through the poll without any pulling or kicking.<br/>
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Pictures like this give me hope that there are still riders who understand the concept of correct riding. This is in direct contrast to an article by David Guy PhD, “Trakehners and Totilas Revolutionize Sport Horse Breeding,” in the January “Warmbloods Today” magazine. The article is an alarming example of the misinformation that is being presented today to excuse the lack of correct training in the “modern” dressage horse, and some of the specific observations made by the author require direct countering. The horse’s general anatomy and means of locomotion has not changed in thousands of years but the lack of education as to what actually improves and protects a horse is on the rise. What we are seeing being rewarded at the dressage shows is one of the main reasons for this descent into harming instead of helping our horses. The rules written by the FEI which follow the classical principles of dressage training and movement are being ignored and replaced by flashy movement, particularly the “show trot” that thrills the uneducated audience who are unaware of the harm being inflicted upon the horses. The author himself recognizes that modern dressage “for historical reasons” is a deviation from classical training two hundred years ago. The horse is no longer a necessary source of food, transportation, and fighting wars – their sole survival depends on our egos and in wanting them around for sport and companionship. As their roles have changed, form is now overshadowing function.<br/>
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The pictures of the horses included in the article speak for themselves. This hollow, flashy “style” of locomotion is nothing new. The over-exaggeration of leg movement is being performed and rewarded in the Saddlebred and Gaited Horse industries. Disconnecting the horse and hollowing its back are exactly what they strive to do as this is the only way a horse can get the front legs moving on a different plane than the hind legs. The acceptance of this “style” is an absolute contradiction of the original foundation of Dressage. What will we see next? Firecrackers and chains around the pasterns?<br/>
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The author is correct that modern warmblood breeding programs are exemplary. The breeding industry is producing amazing athletes with incredible natural movement. Understandably these youngsters will exhibit this “style” of exaggerated movement. They are excited, untrained, and are not carrying the weight of a rider. It is our responsibility as trainers to develop a horse’s ability to carry a rider. The ability to connect through the back and engage the hindquarters is a fundamental requirement for any horse in any discipline. This connection is what preserves, protects, and allows the horse to become a light, harmonious partner. Left to its own natural state, a horse will travel on its forehand, with its center of gravity naturally forward and behind the elbow, and drop its back away from the weight of a rider (or the pain of a poorly fitted saddle). In order to carry the weight of a rider and saddle, and preserve the musculoskeletal and tendon-ligament health of its body, the horse must travel in a correctly engaged frame. The “show-trot” may look fancy, but how many of these horses continue to perform with any longevity without sustaining injuries or without requiring invasive treatments to maintain their performance?<br/>
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The most alarming commentary is that “Breeders will push in this direction in order to satisfy growing customer demand of the ultimate dressage horse by the standards set by Totilas. The extreme high scores given to this horse by dressage judges will reinforce the trend to reproduce, and maybe clone, this type of a mover in future dressage horses.” The push to rapidly breed horses is causing over-population problems and ongoing dilemmas with slaughter and euthanasia. To satisfy market demand, horses are pushed harder and at increasingly younger ages with significant physical (and often emotional) harm that they simply cannot sustain. The judges perpetuate the physical damage and unethical training methods by rewarding the end-results consistently in the arena.<br/>
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Horses are the innocent ones in the human pursuit of ribbons, monetary gain, and personal egos. They have not chosen for us to ride them. We owe it to them to confront and refute this fad of non-training that is receiving high marks by judges that haven’t read, or who choose to ignore (for whatever reason) the rules. If we are going to accept this deviation away from classical dressage then let’s not insult the rest of us who believe in the classical principals and who would never accept or give a good score to this new “modern” movement. Call it what you want but please don’t call it Dressage.<br/>
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The paradox is that it actually means less work for me as a saddlefitter if the horses are actually ridden badly - with a hollow back, without moving the hind legs, and just moving in the front. These horses that are will stay straight in the back will never change their musculature positively or significantly. It's easier and cheaper to maintain saddlefit, just sad that horses will suffer in the long run.<br/>
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(This article was written with kind assistance and input from Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM – author of “Recognizing the Horse in Pain, and What to do about it” <a href="http://www.inspiritusequine.com">www.inspiritusequine.com</a>)<br/>
HIPPOH Foundation <a href="http://www.hippohfoundation.info">www.hippohfoundation.info</a><br/>
Horse Industry Professionals Protecting Our Horses: A non-profit organization created to educate horse owners and provide a united consortium of Equine Professionals whose motto is that the horse always comes first.<br/>
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Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE<br/>
<a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a>; <a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and Tree Pointstag:www.barnmice.com,2011-08-02:1773158:BlogPost:4706132011-08-02T15:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>Although I have in the past discussed tree points in detail especially in regard to tree point angle and tree point width, I want today to address really one additional key issue with tree points – and that is direction.<br></br> <br></br> Tree points can be forward-facing, straight (more or less perpendicular to the ground) or rear-facing. Forward facing tree points have been proven to be extremely detrimental to horse health in that MRIs and fibre optic cameras have shown the chipping of cartilage…</p>
<p>Although I have in the past discussed tree points in detail especially in regard to tree point angle and tree point width, I want today to address really one additional key issue with tree points – and that is direction.<br/> <br/>
Tree points can be forward-facing, straight (more or less perpendicular to the ground) or rear-facing. Forward facing tree points have been proven to be extremely detrimental to horse health in that MRIs and fibre optic cameras have shown the chipping of cartilage that can occur on the scapular bone. Every single extension of the foreleg (during trot, gallop – both at a time when jumping!) will cause contact with these tree points – and can cause eventual damage at the skeletal level. This, to the point that in some countries, the manufacture of saddles using these old traditional trees with the forward facing tree points has been banned.<br/>
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Straight or perpendicular tree points are somewhat better, but will still cause contact at the scapula, especially during extended movement of the leg or during jumping – not so much at only the walk. Best of course is the tree with the rear-facing tree points, which mimics the scapular angle and allows maximum freedom of movement at the shoulder – which will be upwards and backwards.<br/>
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You can demonstrate this yourself by lifting the foreleg and doing a ‘pedalling’ motion to see just how far the shoulder blade will rotate. This motion can cause 4-8” of rotation – which is difficult for the horse to do comfortably if every time it moves it hits an immobile, hard edged object. An analogy might be that every time you walk and lift your knees you bang them against a wooden board (like when you accidentally bump yourself when getting up from the table) – doesn’t really bother you too much at first, but the results will be cumulative and eventually probably completely wreck your knees.</p>
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<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037541?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037541?profile=original" height="189" width="327"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The following video will demonstrate the above principles.<br/> <br/>
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<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ADXLn0NWtJo?hl=en&fs=1&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" height="249" width="325"></iframe>
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My point? Check your points! See what angle they are in the saddle you ride in and make the necessary accommodation to ensure your horse’s shoulders have room to move without hitting the tree points with every step – sometimes this means you might have to sit the saddle a bit further back (which admittedly can cause a whole whack of other problems...) but just be aware of the possible implications of this.<br/>
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Jochen Schleese, CSFT, CMS, CEE<br/>
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<a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">http://www.saddlesforwomen.com</a> ~ <a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com">http://www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and Second Hand Schleese Saddles (actually Used Anythings...)tag:www.barnmice.com,2011-07-25:1773158:BlogPost:4649322011-07-25T13:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>Occasionally people will be fortunate enough to find a good used Schleese saddle on ebay or second hand or hand-me-downs from somewhere else – but the reality of it is that sometimes despite being fitted as closely as possible they may not actually be the best choice for both a specific horse and rider. Over the years we have changed our designs as our knowledge of equine anatomy and biomechanic requirements increases, so that older models may not be as ‘horse-friendly’ as the newer saddles…</p>
<p>Occasionally people will be fortunate enough to find a good used Schleese saddle on ebay or second hand or hand-me-downs from somewhere else – but the reality of it is that sometimes despite being fitted as closely as possible they may not actually be the best choice for both a specific horse and rider. Over the years we have changed our designs as our knowledge of equine anatomy and biomechanic requirements increases, so that older models may not be as ‘horse-friendly’ as the newer saddles that are built today using evidence based scientific research. This answers another question we often hear – ‘why are there so many Schleese saddles available online?’ – because people like to continually upgrade to ride in the newest model!) But I digress...</p>
<p>Recently we had a client who managed to find an older model (about 15 years old) with FLAIR panels and had one of our Saddle Fit Technicians out to work with her and her horse to get it fitted. The horse showed inherent asymmetry and, unfortunately, despite best intentions, the results were less than 100% - for many reasons. As a result, the horse demonstrated a couple of bumps with fluid accumulation (‘blisters’ if you will) and dry spots – which the client attributed to bridging (in fact they were old injuries caused by her treeless saddle). While the saddle was fitted in both the tree and the FLAIR to accommodate for any asymmetry in shoulders and loins, there was still be some shift side to side with the way the horse carried his body, resulting in these irritations.</p>
<p>The response:</p>
<p>Dry spots are not an indication of bridging but in fact the exact opposite (for further reference please read the article on my website under <a href="http://www.schleese.com/saddlepads">www.schleese.com/saddlepads</a>). With the FLAIR system dry spots are quite common under the stirrup bar area, behind the shoulder of the horse. Because a FLAIR saddle fits so closely to the shape of the horse and that is where the weight of the rider is carried and also where the billets attach there is not a lot of movement and therefore not as much air flow and so the horse doesn't sweat there. We see it quite often with FLAIR and is nothing to be alarmed about. A FLAIR saddle is actually quite incapable of bridging because when the girth is fastened the FLAIR panel moulds to the back of the horse</p>
<p>Usually a little swelling like that is caused by a lesion or small fissure in the tissue under the skin and can either be solved by time off to let it heal or using an extra (as in two) thin pads under the saddle to absorb the friction of the saddle. The lesion in the skin could take 3-4 months healing with no riding, or 7-8 month if you ride with 2 thin pads. Close to 90% of horses with high withers that have been ridden with a saddle pad not having enough wither clearance, or have been ridden with treeless saddles show this damage to the skin and as well as a disalignment in the withers. (Sometimes people forget to consider how much possible damage to both human and equine spines can be done by treeless saddles – trees are built in for a reason!) And - if you put rubbing/chafing pressure on your heel you will get a blister - how long does this take to heal if you don’t remove the irritant?<br/><br/>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com/">www.saddlefit4life.com</a>; <a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and The Mother's Lament - "my son doesn't want to ride with me!"tag:www.barnmice.com,2011-07-14:1773158:BlogPost:4575072011-07-14T16:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
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<p>I always said I was really happy to have had only girls, because I would never make a good “boy daddy”. When I grew up in Germany, I was trained in what is generally perceived to be ‘sissy stuff’ here in North America – ballroom dancing, ice dancing, and riding. I would have been lost having to take my male children to early morning hockey tournaments, baseball games, or football camp. (not to mention that I truly enjoy watching sports where every single competitor does something…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I always said I was really happy to have had only girls, because I would never make a good “boy daddy”. When I grew up in Germany, I was trained in what is generally perceived to be ‘sissy stuff’ here in North America – ballroom dancing, ice dancing, and riding. I would have been lost having to take my male children to early morning hockey tournaments, baseball games, or football camp. (not to mention that I truly enjoy watching sports where every single competitor does something different – it was bad enough when the kids were still in competitive swimming and we had to spend every weekend at a hot, noisy, chlorinated pool!) In Germany, especially among my circle of friends, pretty much every guy I knew was a rider. It was considered the ‘de rigueur’ and accepted ‘macho’ sport that I guess hockey is in Canada, but here I think it is still the exception rather than the rule that boys are brought up to ride – or stick with it for very long even if they come from a ‘horsey’ background. Why is that? I went to my good friend Dr. James Warson, MD, Author of “The Rider’s Pain Free Back” for a possible medical reason behind this “cultural phenomenon”… He came up with a pretty insightful reason.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Many an equestrian mother has longed for the day when her son could accompany her riding. Too often the scene has been this – several rides with decreasing son’s interest and an eventual loss of interest altogether. The reason may be purely biological, and possibly correctable. The young male rider has something to worry about between him and the saddle, his scrotum and its contents. The scrotum has three muscular structures within it; the Dartos tunic in the wall of the scrotum, the vas deferens ( the thing they cut when doing a vasectomy), and the cremaster muscle, which retracts the scrotum upwards. In a prepubescent male, the cremaster muscle functions poorly, so the poor lad often finds himself suffering repeated concussion of his testes when riding. This is more pronounced at the trot and canter, and explains young boys’ reluctance to advance above a walk. The whole thing becomes rather embarrassing to a young boy to try to explain to mom, so he just turns his interest elsewhere.</p>
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<p>But - there is hope! Recent advances are being considered in riding pants of young boys to address this problem, and hopefully mother and son will be enjoying rides together soon. Our patented Schleese AdapTree® is another innovation that will accommodate the male physiology much more comfortably – for obvious reasons.</p>
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<p>Have any of you had any experience with young boys initially interested in riding but then giving it up pretty quickly?</p>
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<p>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a>; <a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com/">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>
<p> </p>Saddle Fit and Female Saddles - Riding Shouldn't Hurt! - Parts IV-Vtag:www.barnmice.com,2011-07-05:1773158:BlogPost:4520052011-07-05T15:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>Although I have broached this subject superficially in a past blog, I would like to address the last two key points in more detail, as they are important in determining the proper saddle fit especially for women – which is 85% of Schleese’s market – and makes us the only female saddle specialist in the world!</p>
<p><br></br><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203033154?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203033154?profile=original" width="314"></img></a> <br></br><br></br>Watch this month's informative video. One of…</p>
<p>Although I have broached this subject superficially in a past blog, I would like to address the last two key points in more detail, as they are important in determining the proper saddle fit especially for women – which is 85% of Schleese’s market – and makes us the only female saddle specialist in the world!</p>
<p><br/><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203033154?profile=original"><img width="314" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203033154?profile=original" class="align-full"/></a><br/><br/>Watch this month's informative video. One of our top Certified Saddle Fitters, Kristen Vlietstra, will discuss how female anatomy impacts saddle fit. This month, she will cover the last two (of five) key points of female saddle fit! Do you struggle with any of these issues?<br/><br/><iframe width="425" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-8TGprmjdLs" height="349"></iframe>
<br/><br/><br/><br/>Schleese and associated Saddlefit4Life saddle fitters all have a comprehensive understanding of equine biomechanics and how saddles need to fit to prevent long-term back damage in the horse, but we also have a good understanding of how female anatomy impacts saddle fit. One of my top saddle fitters, Kristen Vlietstra, has been kind enough to discuss these points in this month’s saddle fit video tip. We will go into the last two of the five key points in considering a male or female saddle model.<br/><br/>One of the areas in saddle where the most mistakes occur during measurement is the width of the twist and the width of the seat. The twist is that area of the saddle which is actually located between your thighs (was discussed in a previous Female Saddle Fit Tip), whereas the width of the seat is determined by the space between the seam running along the edge of the seat. In the male pelvis, the seat bones are much closer together and the distance between the two seat bones is much smaller, therefore he fits into the padded part of pretty much most saddles very comfortably.<br/><br/>The female pelvis has the seat bones much further apart, which means that if she is riding in a ‘male’ saddle, she will likely be sitting on the seat seaming, which is generally pretty uncomfortable. Often this seat twist and seat width are mixed up, and she will end up buying a saddle with a wide twist rather than the wide seat she needs to accommodate her pelvic shape. As a result, the knees and hips will angle out instead of being able to hang straight down (remember, the twist is that area between the thighs), and she will not sit comfortably for both reasons – the twist is too wide, and the seat is too narrow. You need to look at the distance between the seams on the seat, which should be wide enough to allow the female seat bones to sit on the padding – if this is too narrow, it feels like you’re sitting on a ridge, or that your seat bones are falling off the edge of the seat.<br/><br/>The last area of consideration is our patented Crotch comfort feature in the AdapTree®. The male pelvis has a relatively higher pubic symphysis (ps) – when he sits in a balanced position with his spine perpendicular to the ground on the saddle, his ps will be tipped upwards and not in contact with anything. In contrast, when the female sits on the saddle with her spine perpendicular to the ground, her ps is much lower and closer to front of saddle – to the point of contact and rubbing. This can result in recurring bladder infections even to the point of bleeding. The pelvic tilt is also affected by the saddle model and the saddle balance.<br/><br/>When a male rider sits on a male saddle, he can balance on his seat bones as on a bipod, whereas the female finds her balance on a male saddle in a tripod position – which means her ps will be in contact with the front of a saddle. We cut out a hole in the front of saddle tree to form a channel to allow space between the ps and saddle. This channel is filled with foam and is very forgiving to the position of the rider in balance.</p>Saddle Fit and Stress Linestag:www.barnmice.com,2011-06-21:1773158:BlogPost:4413032011-06-21T16:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p> This blog is in response to a question raised from one of my recent blogs concerning a comment made in my very first Saddle Fit Tip #1 on Saddle Balance. Geoffrey wanted to know more about the stress lines I mentioned right at the beginning of the video. While I can tell you what to look for, I went to my good friend Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM and author of “Recognizing the Horse in Pain and what to do about it” for the physiology behind this.</p>
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<p>She said that “the stress line that…</p>
<p> This blog is in response to a question raised from one of my recent blogs concerning a comment made in my very first Saddle Fit Tip #1 on Saddle Balance. Geoffrey wanted to know more about the stress lines I mentioned right at the beginning of the video. While I can tell you what to look for, I went to my good friend Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM and author of “Recognizing the Horse in Pain and what to do about it” for the physiology behind this.</p>
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<p>She said that “the stress line that appears across the shoulder can be totally normal in thin skinned or sensitive horses, especially in summer with the flies. However, repeated triggering of the nerves that innervate the "cutaneous trunci" muscle (the muscle that flicks flies) can create this line as a secondary problem related to pinching from an ill-fitting saddle. The abdominal stress line is also formed from repeated triggering of a negative reflex point over the loin. The horse will hyperextend the topline and contract the muscle (also cutaneous trunci) under the skin and along the external abdominal oblique. This does not result in the “nice” abdominal line you may see in a horse that is correctly engaging its topline and its core.”</p>
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<p>I guess this is akin to developing muscle definition in a human as a result of incorrect training, resulting in a look that you don’t want. Apparently there are products available online to counteract the physical appearance of stress lines, but again – here we are treating symptomatically for issues that could be dealt with at their cause. Stress lines can also appear in hooves (just like we have calcium deficiencies that show up in our finger nails), but again – these can be treated at the cause rather than to diminish only the symptom.</p>
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<p>Anyway the point is that it’s not called stress line for nothing – obviously something is causing the horse such pain that it results in a physiological change in its appearance. Maybe it’s the saddle?</p>
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<p>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a>; <a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com/">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and Constant Paintag:www.barnmice.com,2011-06-13:1773158:BlogPost:4325122011-06-13T04:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>I have a client who is having problems that some of you also may have experienced. She has a horse with an old injury at the withers which, with pressure from any saddle over time with repeated contact created immense pain for him, which eventually resulted in him bucking off the rider. He is now pain free, has had Mesotherapy, and has shown that he (at this moment) is not in pain but has now a learned behavior to not tolerate anything on his back, any saddle etc. He is still bucking and…</p>
<p>I have a client who is having problems that some of you also may have experienced. She has a horse with an old injury at the withers which, with pressure from any saddle over time with repeated contact created immense pain for him, which eventually resulted in him bucking off the rider. He is now pain free, has had Mesotherapy, and has shown that he (at this moment) is not in pain but has now a learned behavior to not tolerate anything on his back, any saddle etc. He is still bucking and crow hopping on the lunge.</p>
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<p>I was asked whether we have any strategies for desensitizing and re-learning to tolerate and understand that the saddle is not going to hurt. Conceivably this has been bothering him since he was started under saddle, in other words, a very old injury. Everything is an association to saddle pain, cross ties etc., and everything is an anticipation of pain to come.</p>
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<p>I decided to call in an expert and turned to my friend Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM, author of “Recognizing the Horse in Pain and What to do about it” for her advice. Here’s what she said:</p>
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<p>While glad that the report is the horse is no longer in pain, the question is “is the client sure of that? Has a full veterinary evaluation ensured that the horse is completely sound outside of the back? That the suspensories, etc. and the feet are all good?” Also, she would consider stomach ulcers especially in a horse that was dealing with so much pain for so long. It's possible his back is much better, but there's still an unresolved issue present. Is he bucking on the lunge only with the saddle on his back, or with nothing on his back?</p>
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<p>If the horse is truly sound and pain free throughout, then this can be a very difficult issue to work with according to Randy Leighton, the cowboy that she sent her young horses to. He said this is the hardest issue they deal with - the learned behavior of bucking is unfortunately sometimes never fully resolved. He feels that it can take 6 months to a year of patient, gentle retraining to get them better. You have to get them trusting from the ground again before you get someone on the back, and then it has to be someone that can stick with the horse through the problem.</p>
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<p>Thirdly, it would be important to get the trainer’s input, since the rider's balance and whether or not the horse is being stretched is very important when bringing the horse back into condition.</p>
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<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com/">www.saddlefit4life.com</a>; <a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Saddle Fit and "Banana Panels"tag:www.barnmice.com,2011-05-11:1773158:BlogPost:3913142011-05-11T02:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
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<p>I have often been asked by clients why our saddles aren’t flat on the horse’s back all the way from front to back – which makes them look like they don’t actually fit and will probably rock. Many riders don’t understand that ideally the saddle needs to slightly ‘rock’ at the cantle as the horse’s back engages.</p>
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<p>It is the duty of the saddle fitter to explain to the client that <i>a slightly</i> rocking saddle will never put so much pressure on the horse’s back that muscle…</p>
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<p>I have often been asked by clients why our saddles aren’t flat on the horse’s back all the way from front to back – which makes them look like they don’t actually fit and will probably rock. Many riders don’t understand that ideally the saddle needs to slightly ‘rock’ at the cantle as the horse’s back engages.</p>
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<p>It is the duty of the saddle fitter to explain to the client that <i>a slightly</i> rocking saddle will never put so much pressure on the horse’s back that muscle atrophy occurs – in other words, resulting in actual visual indents under the panel wedge.</p>
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<p>If the horse’s back is showing visual indentations under the panel wedge, this is a clear sign that either the saddle is too long or there is too much pressure on the loins because of the wedge itself. <br/><br/></p>
<p>This is also why it makes no sense to add longer spring steel to the tree to allow a beginner rider sit more balanced (i.e., quietly) and ride a horse that shows a lot of suspension and movement. The horse must be able to move freely under saddle; a saddle that has been fit correctly to the <i>moving</i> horse. <br/><br/>The rider has to be able to ride and use his aids, especially when the saddle is moving somewhat on the horse. The fitter should never make the rider feel like he is glued to the horse’s back, nor should he fit the saddle <i>exactly</i> to the static back, so that the rider can actually ride the horse in suspension, in motion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The trainer teaches the rider to sit the horse lightly and freely. The saddle fitter needs to fit the saddle to the horse so that the horse and the saddle both can adapt themselves to the movement of the rider – only in this way can true harmony between horse and rider be achieved. The question is whether you want to have engaged, supple harmonious riding due to a properly fitted saddle –whether or not it ‘looks’ like it will work when the horse is not in motion. Or if you prefer to have a saddle that <i>looks</i> like it fits absolutely perfectly – when the horse is standing still in the crossties. I guarantee you that this saddle will no longer fit once the horse begins to move – and that this can result not only in discomfort, but potentially also long term damage.</p>
<p>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a>, <a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>
<p><br/> <br/><br/></p>Saddle Fit and Empathy with the Horse in Trainingtag:www.barnmice.com,2011-04-29:1773158:BlogPost:3829202011-04-29T21:51:51.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>Back at WEG there was one stand that was absolutely swamped for most of the two weeks we were there – the one with Jane Savoie and a mechanical horse. For those of you who were there, you might remember waiting in long line ups to experience the amazing new product developed by the geniuses through the partnership with Jane at Equi Sense.</p>
<p>Equi Sense is technology developed in order to help the trainer train better, and the rider ride better. It is truly eye-opening; when you sit on…</p>
<p>Back at WEG there was one stand that was absolutely swamped for most of the two weeks we were there – the one with Jane Savoie and a mechanical horse. For those of you who were there, you might remember waiting in long line ups to experience the amazing new product developed by the geniuses through the partnership with Jane at Equi Sense.</p>
<p>Equi Sense is technology developed in order to help the trainer train better, and the rider ride better. It is truly eye-opening; when you sit on the mechanical horse (“Woody”, they call him), the computer picks up immediately how straight you sit, where and if your pressure is uneven, your balance is off, and the aids you use in order to ride. Even if you think you are sitting perfectly straightly, the computer diagnostics will tell you otherwise pretty quickly. The idea for this is that there are sensors built into both the saddles and the reins, which send back real-time snapshots of how you are riding at any given time, through any given movement. But this is just on the mechanical horse – it gets really interesting once you are actually riding on a live body!</p>
<p>In the ring, the trainer is connected to the rider via headphone. The rider is connected to a little black box that sends information back to the computer that the trainer is watching while you ride. Everything has a 5 second delay, so that the trainer can actually confirm on the read-out the movement he has just seen the rider execute – and immediately correct any unevenness or incorrect pressure. It is really interesting to watch how even subtle movements are picked up and can be corrected.</p>
<p>For us of course, it gets really interesting when you think of the applications for saddle fit. Although there have been computerized saddle pads on the market for nearly two decades now, our experiences with them have been more or less hit-and-miss. They didn’t always work as they should, and the technology back then was still in its early stages. I’m sure they have improved, but somehow it still doesn’t meet the intuition of years of experience. (I have found them to be more of a tool to convince sceptics than any real help in diagnosis, since a properly trained saddle fitter should always be able to use his eyes, ears, and hands to determine the problem). Plus, they’re not cheap and they’re a bit of a pain to cart around. (What is just as interesting to me is another new product called Equi Scan, but that too requires extensive training to use. So – back to Equi Sense!)</p>
<p>I immediately thought of how neat it would be to have these sensors built into the saddle not only on the seat (for the rider) but also into the panel (for the horse). Perhaps there could be auditory reminders that the saddle is sitting too far on the shoulder blade, too close to the spine, too far back, etc. It could really be of help in proper saddle positioning (one of the steps to ensure fit), as well as reminding the owner when it’s time for a tune-up (just like the little gas gauge in the car telling you it’s time to fill up again). The point is that so much of riding is all about feel; this technology allows the trainer to actually feel what the rider is feeling during the lesson. Especially for those riders who haven’t had the luxury of growing up with horses and are just now beginning to enjoy the sport, it can sometimes be difficult to put into words what they are experiencing during a lesson. This could open up a whole new line of communication between student and trainer; between horse and rider!</p>
<p>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com/">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>
<p> </p>Saddle Fit and Equestrian Medicinetag:www.barnmice.com,2011-04-10:1773158:BlogPost:3605052011-04-10T12:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p> </p>
<p>Today’s blog is written (with some judicious editing) by my good friend Dr. James Warson MD, author of “The Rider’s Pain Free Back” and a recent addition to Barnmice as an expert. I wanted to share with you this extraordinary man’s thoughts on his passion, what makes him so absolutely unique in this industry and the role he plays in the team of horse, rider, and saddle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rider health is what I do. It’s the application of medical knowledge, combined with knowledge of…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Today’s blog is written (with some judicious editing) by my good friend Dr. James Warson MD, author of “The Rider’s Pain Free Back” and a recent addition to Barnmice as an expert. I wanted to share with you this extraordinary man’s thoughts on his passion, what makes him so absolutely unique in this industry and the role he plays in the team of horse, rider, and saddle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Rider health is what I do. It’s the application of medical knowledge, combined with knowledge of horses and riding, to promote rider health and safety. As our rider population ages, it will increase in importance as the horse industry seeks to increase and maintain participation. The horse industry is America’s third largest industry, trailing manufacturing and retailing. Growth and stability depend on not only attracting, but maintaining riders in the industry. Riding is a contact sport, and attention must be directed to proper prevention and treatment of both acute and chronic rider health challenges. This is where I come in.</p>
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<p>In the beginning it was just me. Riders who had seen me at various horse events, realized that I had an interest in riders and their health. When they would encounter a health problem requiring a physician, they were universally told that they had to stop riding, especially if they had a back pain problem. They knew that my specialty was spine surgery and spine care, so they then came to me. I realized that I needed more knowledge if I was to care responsibly for these rider patients, so I looked to the medical literature.</p>
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<p>There was none. Horses have been ridden for 3000 years by riders who encountered certain problems, but the medical literature cupboard was bare regarding their care. I was excited. I knew that responsible care of these patients would require a lot of observation, analysis, conclusions and applications regarding riding and its effects on human health. I added watching and thinking, and 30 years later I had a grasp of what it took to get riders back in the saddle. At the end of my surgical career, riders comprised the majority of my patients, thanks to word of mouth “advertising”. Areas such as knee, hip, and hand problems followed because of their prevalence, and I applied the same dedication to addressing them.</p>
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<p>Following publications in magazines the people at Trafalgar Square publishing contacted me about writing a book so that 30 years’ experience would not be lost following my demise. My response was affirmative, but only if the book The Rider’s Pain Free Back could be written for riders, the ones that count, rather than physicians who have too much literature and too little time to digest it. I was subsequently interviewed by a faculty panel of the School of Medicine of the University of New Mexico and was judged to be an expert in the field of equestrian medicine. I am alone in this form of certification.</p>
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<p>My policy is to apply knowledge to the betterment of riders and their health. That’s what I do when I write or speak. Riders are intelligent, responsible people who only seek to enjoy a continuously improving relationship with horses. No physician could ask for better patients. Keep riding!” JSW</p>
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<p>Thanks Jim! You may ask what does any of this have to do with Saddle Fit, but my extrapolated point here is simply that unless the rider is in balance with his horse (and the saddle fits the rider to avoid any of these pain issues),then no matter how well your saddle may fit your horse - if it doesn't work for you as the rider, then the horse will never be comfortable, will never perform to his maximum potential because your discomfort will translate down to him.</p>
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<p>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com/">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and Saddles That Don’t Fit!tag:www.barnmice.com,2011-03-11:1773158:BlogPost:3548452011-03-11T18:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>I am presently still off and on working in Florida until the beginning of April. I recently went out to fit one of our saddles for a client to a horse (like I always do!), but what I experienced there truly troubled me to the point that I had to write about it.<br></br> <br></br> The owner and the trainer were both not present; the groom brought out this lovely, sad, little horse. I have rarely encountered such a pathetic picture of absolute dejection and misuse – probably totally unknowingly – and…</p>
<p>I am presently still off and on working in Florida until the beginning of April. I recently went out to fit one of our saddles for a client to a horse (like I always do!), but what I experienced there truly troubled me to the point that I had to write about it.<br/> <br/> The owner and the trainer were both not present; the groom brought out this lovely, sad, little horse. I have rarely encountered such a pathetic picture of absolute dejection and misuse – probably totally unknowingly – and I was at first completely flabbergasted that our saddles could cause such blatant damage. However, as it turns out, the owner herself wasn’t riding the horse more than twice a month; it was regularly ridden by her male trainer, who was using his own “C….” brand saddle on the horse. (A common situation; he was given this saddle to ride in, it fit him great, but not necessarily the horses he was using it on). So it was actually not this saddle that I was looking at to fit – and immediately it became clear why this poor horse was the picture of abject misery. Firstly, the saddle had a gullet channel that was clearly much too narrow – 2 fingers at most for a spine that clearly needed minimum 4 fingers width all the way down. Result – pinching the spinal processes, nerve damage on the back, and certainly not supported by the saddle support area of this fairly short backed horse. Secondly, the saddle was much too long for this horse (the trainer was a male and built differently than the owner, who was riding in a properly sized saddle – albeit, unfortunately, not very often). The panels went way past the saddle support area, causing all sorts of difficulty for this horse’s back and resulting in the lovely pictures you see below. Notice the way the horse is standing – the hind legs are splayed way behind; where the top of the pelvic bone and the knee bone should be aligned vertically, they are out by at least 6”!<br/></p>
<center><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037723?profile=original"><img width="499" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203037723?profile=original" class="align-full align-center"/></a></center>
<p><br/> <br/> I suspect that if the trainer doesn’t ride with the saddle actually on the shoulder, it will no doubt slide up on the shoulder because this is a common result of being too long for the horse’s back. This can, of course do all manner of damage to the scapula, (especially because the tree points in this particular brand of saddle are also forward-facing), causing cartilage damage at worst, and not allowing the horse to move freely at least.<br/> <br/> Anyway, I could go on and on about what a poor state this animal was in – there was no more life in his eyes -, but what truly made me sad (and angry at the same time) was hearing that the horse was on the market to be sold because it was just ‘too much’ for the owner to handle! Too much?? The horse was likely showing behavioural issues (especially flight!) by simply wanting to escape and avoid the pain of having to be ridden in something that didn’t fit him. So many times – I’ve said it before over and over again – so much of what your horse is trying to tell you (and horses cannot lie) is simply based on a reaction to what they have to deal with on a daily basis. For most of them, they simply become numb to what is happening and perform in spite of us. Others – it becomes unbearable, and then they become a saleable, disposable commodity because the owner can’t deal with it. Maliciousness on the part of the owner/trainer? I like to think not. Ignorance? Perhaps stupidity? Certainly at least.<br/> <br/> This story reassures me that I am on the right track and have to keep educating the trainers and the other equine professionals to see when a horse is truly simply in pain from badly fitting tack, which can result in such deformity.<br/> <br/> Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE<br/> <br/> <a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a>; <a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and Adjusting Your Saddletag:www.barnmice.com,2011-03-01:1773158:BlogPost:3503152011-03-01T17:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
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<p>This is an issue which has arisen time and time again – I hear it all the time. “I bought a custom saddle [note on tangent – there is a lot of misconception of what truly construes ‘custom’ anything – but I digress] and I expect it to fit me and my horse for as long as we live and never need adjusting”. Okay, that’s a bit exaggerated, but I think you may understand where I’m going with this. True, you may be lucky and find a saddle that you feel is comfortable for you and you feel…</p>
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<p>This is an issue which has arisen time and time again – I hear it all the time. “I bought a custom saddle [note on tangent – there is a lot of misconception of what truly construes ‘custom’ anything – but I digress] and I expect it to fit me and my horse for as long as we live and never need adjusting”. Okay, that’s a bit exaggerated, but I think you may understand where I’m going with this. True, you may be lucky and find a saddle that you feel is comfortable for you and you feel is fitting your horse and lets you ride in it without any issue – but (and it’s a big but!) the fact of the matter is that the horse will by nature change his conformation, hopefully grow his musculature, change his three-dimensional back shape as he matures and trains. And isn’t that what you ideally want? A horse that doesn’t change means he’s not improving; he’s not going anywhere!</p>
<p>What you want is a saddle that will allow the horse the freedom to move properly and the freedom to change his musculature as you train him. Unfortunately, this will entail needing to have your saddle adjusted on a pretty regular basis to accommodate these changes. Some saddles can only be adjusted by moving around the flocking somewhat, but growth in the trapezius (wither muscle) also needs to be accommodated, which in most English saddles simply cannot be done – some perhaps in the width but not in the angle, which also will change. Certainly you can ‘quick fix’ some of these changes by shimming, but this is a remedial cure at best and will over the long run inhibit your horse’s change.</p>
<p>The saddle is positioned over the top of the wither where it sits like a ‘tent’ and hangs there with its main point of contact up top on the panel by the trapezius. When the horse changes it will just keep hanging on the spine, withers and shoulder and seem to still fit, but in reality it does not. This will create issues which may be mistaken for behavioural or training challenges, or if your horse is a true stoic (as so many of them are – they function <i>despite</i> of what what we do them - and keeps on going, well - it may cause irreversible long term damage as an end result.</p>
<p> You may have heard me say in the past that a well-fitting saddle shouldn’t even need any padding – except a thin cotton one to protect the leather from the horse’s sweat. I always have to laugh when I see jumper riders who buy pretty expensive French jumping ‘close contact’ saddles and then jam these way up on the horse’s shoulders (which leaves them of course sitting pretty uphill <i>and</i> – what I don’t understand is that they don’t understand that this <i>greatly</i> impedes the horse’s freedom of movement at the shoulder (pretty important for jumping!). Where was I? Oh yes – with an uphill jumping saddle. Okay – and then the jam pad after pad under the panel in order to bring the saddle level and up in the back. Where is the close contact in that?</p>
<p>Sorry – I digress again, a bit. My point is that you should have your saddle evaluated for saddle fit at least every 6 months (more or less, depending on how often you ride, etc) because <i>anything</i> that happens to your horse (new shoes, new diet, health problems, etc.) <i>all</i> will effect saddle fit and, more importantly, saddle balance. This is the one piece of tack which will immediately respond to any changes in the horse occurring from exposure to any of a number of elements (all within the ‘circle of influence’ which is another term you may have heard me use before) But the key one here, the one that most people need to understand, is that your horse <i>will</i> change as he grows, matures, trains. <i>This is a GOOD thing!</i> It is difficult sometimes to reconcile the fact that, yes, you might even need a saddlefitter coming out every three months to adjust the saddle – but be happy! This means you are doing everything right; your horse is responding! And keep in mind that having your saddle adjusted regularly is still a lot cheaper than having to deal with the possible injuries and other issues a badly fitting saddle could result in – veterinarians, chiropractors, osteopaths, etc. will all charge you much much more than your local saddlefitter to come out and diagnose the problem – let alone fix it!</p>
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<p>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.schleese.com">www.schleese.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>
<p> </p>Saddle Fit and Saddle Trees - Treed vs. Treeless Part 2tag:www.barnmice.com,2011-02-17:1773158:BlogPost:3429292011-02-17T16:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>The Controversy continues...</p>
<p>Many current books on equine anatomy will offer back up information to this statement (see specifically references to the supraspinous ligament system). Sometimes veterinarians are at a loss to explain equine 'problems' - often related to using the wrong type of saddle, or a badly fitting saddle. The unfortunate truth is that treeless saddles go against the logic of equine anatomy - they may work for a few years, but as has been reiterated, there is a…</p>
<p>The Controversy continues...</p>
<p>Many current books on equine anatomy will offer back up information to this statement (see specifically references to the supraspinous ligament system). Sometimes veterinarians are at a loss to explain equine 'problems' - often related to using the wrong type of saddle, or a badly fitting saddle. The unfortunate truth is that treeless saddles go against the logic of equine anatomy - they may work for a few years, but as has been reiterated, there is a reason that there so many more treed saddles on the market. Could it be that treeless is simply a fad? </p>
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<p>Not many people today have the luxury of time to learn to ride as well as the native Americans did - with or without saddles. Many people still need to use a saddle to even stay on a horse so you can't really compare the two. Nothing would make us happier as saddle makers and saddle fitters than having bareback pads/treeless saddles universally accepted - they're much faster and much cheaper to make, and little skill is required to sew what is essentially a leather pad. But - if this is truly the best thing for the horse, why have none of the long-established traditional saddle makers jumped on the bandwagon? <br/> <br/> Think of this analogy. Why do you not find high level human athletes pursuing their sports barefoot? For three reasons - support, comfort, and protection that a shoe can give. There are only a handful of riders (from all over the world) at higher levels riding a bareback pad/treeless saddle. Elite (equine) athletes require support, comfort and protection to perform optimally. Without a tree, a bareback pad/treeless saddle cannot protect the horse's spine, support the curvature of the rider's spine, and be comfortable for both horse and rider. The rider needs to sit softly (only achievable with correct posture and support of the four curvatures of the human spine) and the horse needs to keep the longissimus dorsi loose, so the back can rise, the hindquarters can come underneath, and the weight come off the forehand. </p>
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<p>Much has been written about how wonderfully the horse moves in the shoulder with a bareback pad/treeless saddle, yet this 'freedom of movement' in the shoulder is ineffective and long-term damaging if the back is hollow because the back muscle tightens due to the sharp seat bones of the rider. There is no support to the rider's spine and no protection to the horse's spine. The result is that all the weight is on the forehand, which is an undesirable consequence. <br/> <br/> The majority of people riding have horses larger than the Indian pony (which was of course, traditionally ridden bareback), and common knowledge states that the bone density usually only holds up for an 800 lb horse. (most horses weigh much more than this) If the horse is not ridden off the forehand, damage will result to the ligaments, joints, tendons, and musculature. <br/> <br/> In the past at international championships you likely will not see a bareback pad/treeless saddle – even race saddles, although tiny, do contain 1/2 trees to protect the spine. Of course, a saddle fitter will always state his/her opinion, such as the owner of the bareback pad/treeless saddle also has his/her opinion - we live in a free society where everyone is allowed to state his/her opinion - however, for further input to form an <i>educated</i> opinion, please refer to the book "The Horse's Pain Free Back and Saddle Fit" by Dr. Joyce Harmann, DVM. She has made saddlefitting her focus - esp. the chapter on Saddle Construction, p. 37 - Treeless saddles. She mentions how important it is to keep the weight off the horse's spine. <br/> <br/> More and more veterinarians concur and investigate saddle fit, with research and evidence collected with MRI's, fibreoptic or thermographic cameras, and computerized saddle pads</p>
<p><br/> Although some of the bareback pads/ treeless saddles have incorporated a gullet into their design, without the tree you cannot bridge the spinal processes nor the spinal ligament system properly, and therefore end up not providing the protection a properly fitted treed saddle will provide. Flexible, adjustable trees are an alternate choice to traditional wooden spring trees to provide horse and rider with what they need to prevent long term damage. <br/> <br/> There is nothing wrong with going barefoot, (or 'bareback') but to ensure the health of athletes (human or equine) the educated consumer will choose the product which provides the best support, comfort and protection. Obviously no one is going to convince anyone of anything they don't want to believe in - bottom line is you should ride in whatever you are comfortable in, because no matter how well your saddle fits your horse (bareback pad/treeless saddle or treed saddle), your horse will never move optimally if you as the rider are not comfortable as well, because your discomfort will translate down. I don't think anyone would argue that point, but the point is, please consider that the reason treed saddles have been around for so long is because they serve a distinct purpose - to protect, support, and provide comfort to both horse and rider. But use whatever works for you - just be aware that sometimes products appear on the market that seem to be a lot better than they really are, given the logic behind the manufacturing.</p>
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<p>Nonetheless, a properly fitted treed saddle is far superior to a treeless saddle. Sometimes things that appear to be perfect solutions in the short term will prove to have less than satisfactory outcomes in the long term. If you tap the top of your hand, it doesn't hurt much the first couple of minutes, but if you continue tapping for an hour or so, the tendons become very sore. Short term - no problem; long term - pain.</p>
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<p>Emotion should be taken out of this discussion, and it should be based on fact. More and more veterinarians are specializing in saddle fit and research evidence will become more and more apparent and available. Time will tell who is right….</p>
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<p>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.schleese.com/www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.schleese.com/www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and Saddle Trees - Treed vs. Treeles Part Onetag:www.barnmice.com,2011-02-04:1773158:BlogPost:3431332011-02-04T16:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p><b>The ongoing controversy – Treed or Treeless Saddles?? PART ONE</b></p>
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<p>This is a topic I often get asked about, and I feel very strongly about. This is my opinion – based on the facts that I have researched and believe – but of course you are entitled to your opinion as well, and I know that there are many ‘treeless advocates’ riding comfortably and successfully in their saddles. All I ask is that you keep an open mind to the potential damage you could be doing to your…</p>
<p><b>The ongoing controversy – Treed or Treeless Saddles?? PART ONE</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p>This is a topic I often get asked about, and I feel very strongly about. This is my opinion – based on the facts that I have researched and believe – but of course you are entitled to your opinion as well, and I know that there are many ‘treeless advocates’ riding comfortably and successfully in their saddles. All I ask is that you keep an open mind to the potential damage you could be doing to your horse – in the long run!</p>
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<p>Several years ago in Europe a very expensive dressage horse had to be extensively treated because a treeless saddle had been hitting the horse on the spine, resulting in neurological damage. It was proven that it was in fact the saddle that had been the trigger. Only a tree can keep the rider off the horse’s spine. The horse has a horizontal spine, man has a vertical one. You may think that to a horse 180 lb or so of rider is of no consequence, but it is. The horse's centre of balance is directly behind the withers, but because a tree-less saddle sits so close to the horse’s back, the rider cannot get far enough forward and will therefore be behind the movement - not to mention the risk of the ‘saddle’ sitting behind the horse’s last supporting rib (ie., past the saddle support area). In males the seat bones are closer together and tipped on a steeper angle, which means every time he sits on a treeless saddle, those bones are digging into the horses back. (For women, this would be a three-point ‘dig’ since her pubic symphysis is also in play – and usually pretty uncomfortably). How long before that becomes terribly painful? For a rider who goes on a 1/2 hour hack twice a week it wouldn't have a lasting effect, but when we talk about an upper level dressage horse that has a rider 150 lbs or more pounding on its back for upwards of 40 minutes 5 days a week? It just doesn't make any sense! Yes, there will definitely be more freedom in the shoulder through the scapula than with a rigid tree, but there are a lot of other trees out there now that have more flex, shoulder relief panels, and rear-facing tree points.</p>
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<p>Much scapular damage has been done by tree points, which is why a saddle with longer tree points that angle backward is optimum – if it also fits the correct angle for the withers and has the correct width. A tree can be very detrimental if it is not made and fitted correctly, but no tree at all causes pain as well. This has been proven with the use of fibre-optic cameras and thermography scans – showing resulting bone chips and shoulder injuries to the horse – as well as other symptomatic issues.</p>
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<p>There is a reason why the majority of saddles still have trees - the important thing is that the tree fits the horse both along its length and especially over the withers (the 'vise-grip' of the saddle!). This is where the stallion bites the mare during mating to immobilize her. There especially shouldn’t be too much pressure put directly on the spinal processes of the horse, nor on the ligament system that runs along side the spine. Treeless saddles (which are essentially bareback pads) may work for a while, especially if the horse has been ridden in a badly fitting treed saddle, but eventually constant pressure will cause long-term damage.</p>
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<p>It is paradoxical to expect to buy one saddle that is hoped will fit forever without adjustments. In a well-fitting saddle the horse should begin to muscle up and change conformation so that at the very least annual adjustments will be required to accommodate this growth. Continuing to ride a saddle without having it reflocked or refitted is doing both horse and rider a disservice (at the very least) and possibly causing longterm irreversible damage (at the very worst). Using different types of pads to 'fix' the fit is a bandaid solution at best. A pad should be used on well-fitting saddle simply to protect the leather from sweat, and should be no more than a thin cotton layer.</p>
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<p>More next time.</p>
<p>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com/">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.schleese.com/">www.schleese.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and Subluxationstag:www.barnmice.com,2011-01-20:1773158:BlogPost:3220012011-01-20T17:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p> </p>
<p>I got this question from one of the osteopaths I work with in Germany, and asked my friend Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM (author of Recognizing the Horse in Pain) to give me her wisdom so I could respond on behalf of the client this was concerning. Apparently the Osteopath seemed to think that there were subluxations occurring on the horse’s spine due to the centre of balance of the saddle being too far back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Joanna writes:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My understanding is that the…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I got this question from one of the osteopaths I work with in Germany, and asked my friend Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM (author of Recognizing the Horse in Pain) to give me her wisdom so I could respond on behalf of the client this was concerning. Apparently the Osteopath seemed to think that there were subluxations occurring on the horse’s spine due to the centre of balance of the saddle being too far back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Joanna writes:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My understanding is that the question is whether a saddle can push down three vertebrae if the deepest part of the saddle is too far back - I'm interpreting that you mean the seat and where the rider sits, rather than the panels. The ONLY way this would be possible is if the rider is riding bareback with direct seat pressure on the spine, or if the seat of the saddle literally sits on the spine due to ill-flocked panels/poor fit. And then it depends on which region of the back we are talking about.</p>
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<p>In my experience, the most affected vertebrae are T17-T18-L1-L2 which are often affected by a saddle that is too long and the panels of which twist or fall to the side and shove the vertebral spinous processes to the left or the right, NOT anterior. The pain also causes the horse to protectively tighten the back muscles which further pulls the vertebrae out of alignment. So direct trauma or secondary muscle traction are to blame.</p>
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<p>If correctly fitted and centered, the channel of the saddle protects the dorsal spinous processes so that even if the rider is sitting in the deepest part of the saddle too far back, it would necessitate DIRECT pressure to cause anterior vertebrae, or would result from the rider's tilted and incorrectly driving pelvis. Rather, when the deepest part is too far back or the panels are too long, the horse may experience tremendous pain over the lumbar transverse processes, which are not designed to carry the weight of a rider and saddle. The horse then hollows its back, hyperextends and has resultant SI, Hock, and Stifle problems.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thanks Joanna! Well the good news is that generally a saddle (with a tree that is not broken and fits the horse) cannot cause this – but by inference, this <i>could</i> sometimes be caused by a rider riding bareback or in a treeless saddle, which <i>could</i> result in this happening. I know – treed vs. Treeless is a <i>very</i> controversial topic – one which I will address and give you my opinion on in a future blog. Until then – happy riding! I am in WPB for most of the winter season now and looking forward to some good weather! Drop by and see us at the shows – we’ll be exhibiting most every weekend and it’s really nice to see familiar faces in unfamiliar surroundings!</p>
<p><br/> Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.schleese.com/">www.schleese.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlefit4life.com/">www.saddlefit4life.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and Female Paintag:www.barnmice.com,2010-12-11:1773158:BlogPost:3115972010-12-11T16:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>For this blog I’m going to try something a little different – I have invited my wife Sabine to take the floor – and be warned; this is going to be a pretty blatant pitch for the difference a female saddle can make to your comfort and riding!</p>
<p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Hi – this is Sabine Schleese writing to you; this guest appearance is actually due to a conversation I have recently had with someone who just a while ago became a complete convert to what…</span></p>
<p>For this blog I’m going to try something a little different – I have invited my wife Sabine to take the floor – and be warned; this is going to be a pretty blatant pitch for the difference a female saddle can make to your comfort and riding!</p>
<p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Hi – this is Sabine Schleese writing to you; this guest appearance is actually due to a conversation I have recently had with someone who just a while ago became a complete convert to what Jochen has been writing about all these months – and therefore I decided to tell you about my personal experience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Schleese began actually manufacturing saddles about 18 years ago, after many many of our female clients began confiding in my husband that they were having ‘female problems’ while they were riding. Anything from bladder infections, back aches, kidney problems, and being rubbed bloody. Why?? Well the light bulb moment kind of came when I finally came clean myself – Jochen always asked me (and whoever else female was around in the office at the time; and back then there weren’t too many of us!) – to come and sit in whatever saddle was coming out of Quality Control. I have to be honest – I usually found every single saddle that I sat in to be relatively uncomfortable! (Thank goodness they were usually right for whomever they had been made for, but I had to lie through my teeth and tell him I thought they were wonderful). I took my heart pill after many months of this and finally decided to tell him the truth – which prompted him to take a plaster cast of my butt just to find out why this was an apparently ongoing issue with me.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Long story short, for me personally (because I really have no ‘booty’ to speak of) the Wave is IT. It’s the first saddle that I really felt “aaaahhh” in when I sat in it. This is coincidentally the same saddle that the above-mentioned ‘convert’ also likes (we’re built pretty similarly), but the point of the conversation with her then became “well, why did it take you so long?” She replied that a certain inertia had taken over, everything was ‘fine’ with her old saddle, but - for her the saddle sold itself when she sat in it (and no, she didn’t buy it from us, although it is a Schleese Wave). So we discussed this phenomenon a bit, and it became clear that this is perhaps the message that needs to be put out there – when is enough, enough? How much pain do you need to be in before it leads you to try something else? How many husbands/boyfriends/significant others out there have heard “not tonight dear, I’ve been riding!” What is your basis for rationalization? Write me and tell me YOUR experiences with your saddles and why ‘fine’ is acceptable to you when ‘excellent’ is an option? How much pain is too much pain? Perhaps this should be a topic for discussion in one of the forums. I’m sure many of you have stories to tell!</span></p>
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<p>Sabine Schleese</p>
<p><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>
<p>sschleese@schleese.com</p>Saddle Fit and Horse Straightnesstag:www.barnmice.com,2010-12-04:1773158:BlogPost:3097072010-12-04T18:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">One of the most common questions I am asked has to deal with both saddle ‘straightness’ and horse ‘straightness’ and whether the correct thing is to try and force the horse into ‘straightness’ with exercise or to accommodate their basic ‘non-straightness’ with a crooked saddle.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">One of the most common questions I am asked has to deal with both saddle ‘straightness’ and horse ‘straightness’ and whether the correct thing is to try and force the horse into ‘straightness’ with exercise or to accommodate their basic ‘non-straightness’ with a crooked saddle.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">As is pretty obvious, most horses are inherently not 100% straight; in fact most are dominant in the musculature on the left. While one school of thought is that the horse needs to be ridden straight and forced into straightness (ie., ‘equalness’), we feel strongly that the natural conformation of the horse should instead be accommodated by using, for example, saddles which are adjusted properly so that the rider doesn’t feel the need to compensate by collapsing on one side, or have the stirrups hang differently on both sides, or whatever. Unfortunately, most of the inherent crookedness comes from the bone structure rather than the musculature; the muscle development is actually more often a result of the underlying bone structure.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">A very controversial and fairly new idea coming from an equine osteopath in Germany whom I work closely with goes so far as to maintain that colic can even potentially be caused by this ‘forcing’ into straightness – makes sense when you consider that the appendix is on the right (which is usually the non-dominant side); when you try and straighten the horse out so that the right becomes equal to the left, it follows that internally all sorts of shifts and changes take place – which can definitely impact the digestive tract (and appendix!) possibly leading to colic. This is a topic which still needs some research to back up the hypothesis, but it certainly could seem to make sense...and it is food for consideration!</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">You are right when you say that it is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">function</i> that must be straight, because frustration will arise when you try to straighten <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">position</i> – especially without the correctly fitted ‘tools’. But just as forcing a left-handed child to write with the right may cause psychological and possibly physiological issues later on, it bears thinking about whether this is necessarily a good thing or even the right thing to do with horses as well! This definitely allows room for individual interpretation, which also underlines the conclusion that we don’t train straightness for position’s sake; we train horses to be straight to improve function and performance!</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">www.saddlesforwomen.com</font></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"> </p>Saddle Fit and Educational Referencestag:www.barnmice.com,2010-11-22:1773158:BlogPost:3050142010-11-22T18:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">I am often asked for reference material and what I recommend for anyone wishing to educate themselves in a little more detail after they have a saddle fit evaluation with one of our saddlefitters, so I have come up with a list of books that I use as part of my ‘saddlefitting bible’. If any of you have come across a book that would be a great…</font></font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">I am often asked for reference material and what I recommend for anyone wishing to educate themselves in a little more detail after they have a saddle fit evaluation with one of our saddlefitters, so I have come up with a list of books that I use as part of my ‘saddlefitting bible’. If any of you have come across a book that would be a great addition to my list, please let me know! I am always looking to expand my library. Happy Reading and Happy Riding!!</font></font></font></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">How to Recognize the Horse in Pain and What to do about it – Dr. Joanna Robson, DVM</font></font></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">Dr. Robson discusses basic anatomy, recognizing training and behavioral issues as signs of pain, saddle-fitting and how to fit your own saddle, hoof basics, alternative medicine, oral and injectable supplements; also includes stretching exercises, effects of training equipment, and full chiropractic and acupuncture cases.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The Rider’s Pain Free Back – Dr. James Warson, MD</font></font></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">Over 90 percent of the US population seeks help for back pain at one point or another during the course of their life. If you’re a horseperson, back pain is of particular concern as it not only robs you of the joys of riding—it threatens your livelihood, as well. Dr. Jim Warson—a neurosurgeon who also happens to be a lifelong horseman—provides all the practical information you need to understand the diagnosis and treatment of back pain.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The Horse’s Pain Free Back and Saddle Fitting Book – Dr. Joyce Harman, DVM</font></font></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">In this highly illustrated, comprehensive book, Dr. Harman reveals that 75 percent of horses that are chronically stiff, crooked, resistant, or disagreeable are reacting to back pain caused by an ill-fitting saddle. It is made astoundingly clear that the results of conscientious saddle fitting are a horse that performs eagerly and moves freely, and a rider who finds it easy to correct her position, communicate her aids, and sit on her horse in a relaxed and balanced manner.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The Rider Forms the Horse – Udo Buerger</font></font></font></b></p>
<table width="1224" cellspacing="0" border="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 734.5pt; mso-cellspacing: 0cm; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;">
<tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td width="2" valign="top" style="background-color: transparent; width: 1pt; border: #f0f0f0; padding: 0cm;"></td>
<td width="1223" valign="top" style="background-color: transparent; width: 733.5pt; border: #f0f0f0; padding: 0cm;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><font face="Calibri">One of the best books ever written on training of the horse from biomechanical/anatomical point of view. Every equestrian should understand both human and equine anatomy. Following what this book says will enable your horse to remain sound and healthy and at the same time serve your needs – highly recommended for every equestrian.</font></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Tug of War – Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, DVM</font></font></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">German rider and equine veterinarian Dr. Gerd Heuschmann is well-known in dressage circles—admired for his plain speaking regarding what he deems the incorrect and damaging training methods commonly employed by riders and trainers involved in competition today.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">An Anatomy of Riding – Volker and Heinrich Schusdziarra, MDs</font></font></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">This very clinically descriptive book is about the anatomy of the human being as it affects riding. It will take concentrated focus to understand the concepts described in the book, and is written at a highly technical level.</font></font></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#0000FF">www.saddlesforwomen.com</font></a></p>Saddle Fit Tip #9 - Tree Widthtag:www.barnmice.com,2010-10-20:1773158:BlogPost:2913622010-10-20T21:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>The timing of this topic is very à propos – I was just at the National Championships of the IALHA (International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association) in Dallas Texas. These horses especially need to have saddles to accommodate freedom over the withers to allow their huge moving shoulders to really work. Whereas in Thoroughbreds you often have the paradox of ‘narrow wide trees’ (to accommodate narrow shoulders but big withers) with these Iberian horses you have usually no or small…</p>
<p>The timing of this topic is very à propos – I was just at the National Championships of the IALHA (International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association) in Dallas Texas. These horses especially need to have saddles to accommodate freedom over the withers to allow their huge moving shoulders to really work. Whereas in Thoroughbreds you often have the paradox of ‘narrow wide trees’ (to accommodate narrow shoulders but big withers) with these Iberian horses you have usually no or small withers and really wide shoulders.<br/><br/>Virtually everyone knows that trees come in narrow, medium, and wide widths. But what do these terms actually mean? Every saddlemaker seems to have their own definition of what constitutes these measurements. And what will a saddle do to your horse when your horse is in motion if the tree has the incorrect width?<br/><br/>The tree width must be wide enough for the horse’s shoulders to rotate freely under the tree. But too often we see a saddle with a tree width that is too narrow for a particular horse. Not only can your horse’s shoulders not move freely under such a saddle, but the saddle can be driven forward on top of his shoulders as he is being ridden. This will result in all of the problems we’ve already discussed in previous saddle fit tips. Trying to make a saddle fit where the tree is too narrow by adding more padding is akin to wearing another pair of socks to make your shoes fit if they’re already too tight – it doesn’t work! (But unfortunately I often see riders doing this in an effort to make a particular saddle fit!)<br/><br/>If the tree width is too wide, the entire saddle may rock or slip from side to side when it’s being ridden, or the back half of the saddle may twist to one side or the other. (But this may also happen when one side – usually the left – is more heavily muscled than the other, forcing the saddle then over to the other side in compensation)<br/><br/>Why should saddle makers and saddle fitters consider both tree width and tree angle when fitting a saddle to a particular horse? Tree width and tree angle need to be adjusted together. If the width of your saddle’s tree is correct for your horse, but the angle is incorrect, the saddle will not fit your horse. Conversely, if the angle is alright, but the width is not, the same will happen. Adding flocking to or removing flocking from the vertical panels of the saddle will not solve the problem – it is the gullet plate that needs to be adjusted. Some of the self-adjustable gullet plates will accommodate angle adjustment, but will not allow width adjustment (over the wither area). At times both the width and angle of the saddle’s tree are incorrect for a particular horse. As we discussed in Saddle Fit Tip 8 – Tree Angle, this can cause permanent, long-term damage to your horse.<br/><br/>A properly fitted saddle will have a tree that is wide enough and an angle that is correctly adjusted so as to avoid hitting the spinalis muscle. This is also a reflex point that inhibits or completely stops forward movement. Remember - when a stallion breeds a mare, he bites her on this reflex point so that she stands still, hollows her back, and rotates her pelvis open. In order to locate your horse’s spinalis muscle, draw a line 4” down from the base of your horse’s withers, and then draw a horizontal line back. The saddle must stay off of that triangle - we call this the ‘triangle of doom’ if you want to get really dramatic about it – but the thought is valid; if you pinch the horse in this triangle, you doom him to pain and you will not move forward (at least not very well or very willingly).<br/><br/>Please watch the following video to demonstrate the importance of "Tree Width" when properly fitting a saddle.<br/><br/><object width="480" height="385" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pQe4h5tUyWs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="480" height="385" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pQe4h5tUyWs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed> </object>
<br/><br/>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE<br/><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a><br/><a href="http://www.schleese.com">www.schleese.com</a></p>Saddle Fit and WEGtag:www.barnmice.com,2010-10-10:1773158:BlogPost:2831172010-10-10T16:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">I just got back from the WEG in Kentucky and must say that on the whole it was quite amazing to see so many riders, so many disciplines, so many visitors all in one area! In general it was quite a different atmosphere than the WEG in Aachen I have experienced – not better, not worse, just different – but the venue was SO huge that the whole…</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">I just got back from the WEG in Kentucky and must say that on the whole it was quite amazing to see so many riders, so many disciplines, so many visitors all in one area! In general it was quite a different atmosphere than the WEG in Aachen I have experienced – not better, not worse, just different – but the venue was SO huge that the whole thing tended to feel somewhat disjointed at times. The volunteers and staff were all extremely friendly and helpful, but things were not well ‘signed’ – on the maps, the little circle showing ‘you are here’ was missing, so that if you didn’t know where you were, you certainly couldn’t figure out where you were going! There were also comments about prices (for food, tickets, and accommodations) being raised to the point where it was unaffordable to attend for many people, and my wife was surprised as she drove down that there was absolutely no advertising on the roads in Kentucky. It will be interesting to read the reports after the fact – and especially how they do financially!</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">I presented twice a day for the five days I was there, working closely with my two associates Dr. Joanna Robson DVM (author of “Recognizing the Horse in Pain and What to do about it”) and Dr. James Warson MD (author of “The Rider’s Pain Free Back”). Every time I present with these two knowledgeable and passionate experts I learn something new. And here I’m going to give you a headsup that it’s going to get graphic...</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">For instance, from Jim I learned <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why</i> women actually often get bladder infections from their saddles – I knew from personal experience (well not personal – from second hand experience being told by my clients) that this could happen, but I never really understood why. It seems that if the urethra (along with the pubic bone) constantly is being rubbed because you are trying to sit straight in a male saddle to achieve your classic ‘shoulder-hip-heel’ straight line for dressage, this can cause an inflammation. This inflammation can lead to difficulty when urinating. This in turn can lead to urine remaining in the bladder, which will cause an infection due to bacterial growth. Make sense? The solution is to ride in a saddle where you are not being forced into an unnatural position, and where your urethra is not being constantly irritated.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">What I learned from Joanna this time leads to two more interesting topics that I will expand on in future blogs – one has to do with the dip some horses develop in front of their withers and the reasons behind that, and the other has to do with the strange phenomenon that I have often seen in H/J riders – using close contact saddles (for close contact, I would think!) but with 2 or more foam riser pads! Stay tuned...</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/"><font face="Calibri" size="3">www.saddlesforwomen.com</font></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="http://www.schleese.com/"><font face="Calibri" size="3">www.schleese.com</font></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> </p>Saddle Fit and Perceptionstag:www.barnmice.com,2010-09-30:1773158:BlogPost:2801262010-09-30T11:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">If you have ever witnessed horses in a pasture or in a group standing at ease, how do they stand? A horse with its head up is alert and keeping track of its surroundings because it has seen or heard something that concerned it.…</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">If you have ever witnessed horses in a pasture or in a group standing at ease, how do they stand? A horse with its head up is alert and keeping track of its surroundings because it has seen or heard something that concerned it. Horses are flight animals, and are ready to run in an instant. A horse which is grazing or simply standing without fear or stress stands with its head down (and usually one leg – the left! – but that’s another story) forward. It is in a relaxed ‘state of mind’.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">When we talk about people being depressed and hanging our heads when we are sad, this cannot be anthropomorphically translated to equine behaviour. But for people who may not know much about horse behaviour, this may be perceived as ‘horses being depressed’. Anyone who spends much time riding or being with horses understands that if you give the horse enough confidence in training to be ridden with its head down, this is the best sign that the horse trusts you.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">My point? Simply that this perception is one of many that underlines how what is seen is not necessarily representative of the truth. Why some of what I do as a saddle fitter is often misunderstood – not only by the general public, but what is more of an issue – also by the general <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">riding</i> public! For example, one of the things I have trained our saddle fitters to do is to be able to fit a saddle ‘dynamically’ – so that it works with the horse when it is in motion, not just when it’s standing still and in the crossties. However, since many saddle fitters out there a) don’t understand the logic and reasoning behind what they may find when the open up our saddles (for example, asymmetrically bent gullet plates) and b) often are not able to fit along these lines – they instead simply parlay their ‘not-knowing’ into incorrect comments and perpetuate the misperception of what was done and why it was done. I will address this in a future blog in which I discuss Dynamic vs. Static fit in more detail.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">If you have questions about something your saddle fitter is doing with your saddle, don’t be afraid to ask. Sometimes things are not what they seem; just as a horse with its head down is not depressed (although humans may be!) – saddles that seem ‘bent out of shape’ may not really be – or may be that way for a reason!</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="http://www.schleese.com/"><font face="Calibri" size="3">www.schleese.com</font></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/"><font face="Calibri" size="3">www.saddlesforwomen.com</font></a></p>Saddle Fit Tip #8 - Tree Angletag:www.barnmice.com,2010-09-20:1773158:BlogPost:2743412010-09-20T16:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000">Pretty much everyone riding is aware that trees come in narrow, medium, or wide, but did you know that those designations can refer both to the width of the tree (more about that in Saddle Fit Tip #9) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> to the angle of the tree? If a saddle fitter tells you that your saddle is a…</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000">Pretty much everyone riding is aware that trees come in narrow, medium, or wide, but did you know that those designations can refer both to the width of the tree (more about that in Saddle Fit Tip #9) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> to the angle of the tree? If a saddle fitter tells you that your saddle is a “wide narrow,” this means that you have a saddle with a wide tree width and a narrow tree angle.</font></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000">In previous Saddle Fit Tips, I discussed why it is so important that the saddle stay behind the horse’s shoulder. If it does not, and constantly moves forward, the tree points of the saddle will drive into the horse’s shoulders, first producing a buildup of scar tissue on his scapula, and then chipping away cartilage and bone. This is irreversible long-term damage, and can lead to persistent unsoundness and the premature retirement of the horse.</font></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000">What does the tree angle have to do with all of this? In order to avoid this kind of damage, it is crucial that the angle of the tree be adjusted to match the angle of the horse’s shoulder. Think of two sliding doors. If they are properly aligned, one will slide freely past the other. But if they are not, one will jam into the other. It is the same with your horse’s shoulders and the angle of his saddle’s tree. As the horse moves, his shoulder rotates upward and backwards, as was discussed in Saddle Fit Tip #2. If your saddle’s tree angle does not match the angle of your horse’s shoulder, his shoulders will be unable to rotate freely under the saddle, compromising his movement, sometimes severely. At the very least, a saddle with a tree angle that is not correctly adjusted is extremely uncomfortable for your horse. At worst, it can lead to irreversible long-term damage.</font></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000">How do saddle fitters determine if the tree angle of your horse’s saddle matches the angle of his shoulder? They can use the Sprenger gauge to measure the horse’s shoulder angle. They put the Sprenger behind the shoulder blade, and set it so that the upper arm of the device is parallel to the angle of the horse’s scapula. Then they adjust the tree of the saddle so that the tree angle matches that of the horse’s shoulder. (however, in its most basic form, most saddle fitters use the flexible ruler to determine shape over the withers, which is somewhat remedial if you really want to get the angle degree right).</font></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000">How can you tell if the tree angle on your saddle is correct for your horse? Put the saddle on your horse without a saddle pad. Then check if the angle of the piping on the saddle matches the angle of your horse’s shoulder. If it does, the angle of your saddle’s tree is correctly adjusted for your horse.</font></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000">If you’re still uncertain if the angle of your saddle’s tree is correct for your horse, observe his behavior under saddle. If the tree angle is too wide, there may be clearance on the top of your horse’s withers, but the saddle will pinch the sides of his withers. It will also hit the reflex point (cranial nerve 11) that restricts movement in his shoulders and makes him unwilling or unable to move freely forward. The horse will raise his head or hollow his back, or exhibit other forms of resistance until the reflex point/ nerve becomes numb. If your horse behaves in this manner, it may be because the tree angle of your saddle is incorrect for him. It is important to understand that your horse doesn’t want to be bad, but if the saddle keeps hitting that reflex point, he almost has no choice: he cannot engage the muscles you’re asking him to engage. He cannot do what you’re asking him to do, and this can lead to unnecessary fights between horse and rider.</font></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span xml:lang="EN-US" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000">One of the most common ‘excuses’ I hear is that “I have to ride him for a while and warm him up before he’ll listen”. What is really happening here is unfortunately that the horse is being ridden until he becomes numb to the pain! So maybe here is the reason why – and even though a saddle may look like it fits while the horse is standing still, the angle may actually change when he begins to move! (which is something I’ll go into in a future Saddle Fit Tip in more detail as well – dynamic fit!)</font></span></p>Saddle Fit and Saddle Modelstag:www.barnmice.com,2010-09-10:1773158:BlogPost:2707692010-09-10T16:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">I have decided that since it has now been a year since I started posting my blogs on Barnmice, I need to up the ante and increase the frequency to three times a month! So I will now be posting stuff on the 10th, the 20th, and the 30th of each month - especially since I keep adding stuff to my 'blog fodder' file. I keep finding stuff to write about and share with you!…</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">I have decided that since it has now been a year since I started posting my blogs on Barnmice, I need to up the ante and increase the frequency to three times a month! So I will now be posting stuff on the 10th, the 20th, and the 30th of each month - especially since I keep adding stuff to my 'blog fodder' file. I keep finding stuff to write about and share with you!</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">I often am asked why Schleese has so many models in our lineup. I have even heard that people have said things like “I guess they still haven’t figured out how to get it right!” (lol). Sometimes the perception is that if a saddle company has one or two models that should pretty much do it for most horses (and riders) – like if you have an Arabian model, it should fit 99% of Arabs. But let me ask you this then (to carry this thought further): Does that mean that all women who are 5’5” should wear size 8 shoes and size 6 pants? Of course not – that would be simply silly!</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">So why then would one saddle model work for every "type" of horse? The answer is, it cannot! That’s why we keep developing new models incorporating new technology. As scientific evidence becomes more available, and the unfortunate reality that poorly fit saddles can create long term damage is readily accepted by the end consumer, we need to continue to innovate to stay ahead of the game. (someone wise once said that the only sustainable competitive advantage is constant innovation!) This is why we have developed various models to ensure we are able to fit ALL horse and rider combinations. Dressage horses, for example, seem to be bred more and more with shorter saddle support areas (ramifications of this was discussed in Saddle Fit Tip # 6 – Saddle Length). This is why we have advanced our technology in panel configurations for short backed horses. Out of the 6000+ horses we service each year, we consistently see these differences even among horses belonging to the same breeds. One needs to be very aware when buying a saddle that every horse is different.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">As we develop new models, we simply have to retire some of the older ones, and they then become special orders as they are no longer part of the ‘stock’ line up of the year. We are trying to still offer customization, but in the interest of efficiency, we needed to come up with standardized stock models. Just like in the auto industry, options are available or changes to the base model are doable, but then it results in a problem when “Mary Sue wants a saddle just like we made for Betty Jean” – and Betty Jean has a Wave that has been fitted with a different panel than the standard Wave, and the seat foam has been formed to fit Betty Jean’s rear end (which is a whole lot bigger than Mary Sue’s!) You also have to remember that saddles are still ‘hand-made’ so that even the very same model with all the same features and options can still feel different. Saddlery is a real combination of art and science, and just the slightest difference in how the seat foam is shaped or how the panel is stuffed can result in a whole ‘nother feel.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">Anyway, the point I am trying to make is just that one size/one model/one saddle does not necessarily fit all – and you need to be able to at least somewhat accommodate the many many different horse sizes/conformations/breeds and the many many different riders out there.</font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#000000">Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="http://www.schleese.com/"><font face="Calibri" size="3">www.schleese.com</font></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com/"><font face="Calibri" size="3" color="#0000FF">www.saddlesforwomen.com</font></a></p>Saddle Fit Tip #6 - Saddle Lengthtag:www.barnmice.com,2010-08-15:1773158:BlogPost:2645722010-08-15T17:00:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>First of all my apologies – my staff tells me I messed up the order of the tips, which is why, although last month we did #7 (Saddle Straightness) this month we’re back to #6 (Saddle Length). I guess it doesn’t really matter in what order you check your saddle, since all of the points are important when ensuring correct saddle fit. Saddle length is an issue I have been noticing more and more in the past few years, as breeding seems to have really concentrated on making somewhat more…</p>
<p>First of all my apologies – my staff tells me I messed up the order of the tips, which is why, although last month we did #7 (Saddle Straightness) this month we’re back to #6 (Saddle Length). I guess it doesn’t really matter in what order you check your saddle, since all of the points are important when ensuring correct saddle fit. Saddle length is an issue I have been noticing more and more in the past few years, as breeding seems to have really concentrated on making somewhat more ‘compact’ (i.e., ‘shorter’) horses.<br/>So – other than the obvious visual “short-backedness” of a horse, ask yourself...<br/>Does your horse have a "4-beat" canter?<br/><br/>Does your horse have tense back muscles which impair movement?<br/><br/>If you answered "yes" to either of the above questions, you may be faced with a saddle length issue. The first is more of a visually obvious result; the second more of a ‘feeling’.(This month’s video has some saddle fit tips on "Saddle Length" and learning how improper saddle length may be the cause of these issues.)<br/><br/></p>
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<p><br/>Many of us are familiar with the term “short-backed” to describe a horse, but few of us are aware that even a horse with a back that appears to be of normal length may actually have a very short saddle support area. The length of the saddle support area (the area where the saddle must sit) is what saddle makers and saddle fitters are concerned with, since this will determine how long the panels of this particular horse’s saddle must be.<br/><br/>Breeds that commonly have a short saddle-support area are Friesians; Baroque horses such as Andalusians, Lusitanos, PREs, and Lippizaners; Arabians; and more and more frequently, “modern-type” Warmbloods. One common saddle fitting issue faced by these breeds is that the panels on dressage saddles often are too long for their backs. In order that these horses may develop to their fullest potential, and work willingly, happily and without pain, it is crucial that they have a saddle with panels that are the correct length for their backs, without impinging on the ovaries or the kidneys.<br/><br/>In order to identify your horse’s saddle-support area – the area where the saddle must sit – do the following:<br/><br/>1 - With a piece of chalk, outline the edge of your horse’s shoulder blade (pictures #4 and #5)<br/>2 - Locate your horse’s last floating rib (picture #3). To do this, find where his hairlines come together in the area of his flank and draw a line straight up to his spine.<br/><br/><br/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203031975?profile=original"/><br/><br/>The above pictures help demonstrate some of the important aspects of saddle length:<br/>1 - A skeletal diagram showing the proper saddle support area with respect to a horse's rib cage.<br/>2 – I am pointing to the last supporting rib on a horse with a saddle that fits properly within the boundaries of the saddle support area for this particular horse.<br/>3 - The red lines represent the changing directional pattern of hair on the horse's body relative to the last supportive vertebra (notice the panel of the saddle does not extend past this point).<br/>4 - The first chalk line represents the front of the scapula (shoulder blade) whereas the second chalk line again represents the last supportive vertebra.<br/>5 - My left hand it pointing to just behind the shoulder blade where the saddle ideally should be placed and not extend past the last vertebra outlined.<br/>6 – I am drawing "pain lines" from pinched nerves that appear on some horses when they have an ill fitting saddle.<br/>First, the saddle must sit behind the shoulder. But, and particularly at the canter, a saddle that is too long often will get driven forward into the shoulder. As we learned in Tip 5 – Billet Alignment, this can produce a buildup of scar tissue on the scapula, and over time, the scapula may actually be chipped away by the tree points of the saddle.<br/><br/>Second, the saddle cannot extend past the last floating rib. If a saddle is too long for a particular horse, the rear of the panels will extend past the horse’s saddle support area. This is extremely uncomfortable for the horse, as it puts pressure on his lumbar region. A horse ridden in a saddle that is too long will often tighten his lower back muscles; in some cases, you can actually see the horse hollow and drop his back in an attempt to get away from the pressure of the saddle. (For an example of this, watch the video “How to Tell if Your Saddle Hurts Your Horse” on the Schleese Saddlery Service Educational YouTube Channel at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/mjpschleese">http://www.youtube.com/mjpschleese</a>). He may even buck in extreme cases, in an effort to get the weight off his lumbar area. Finally, he may have difficulty moving forward into the canter, or may simply be persistently “off” for no readily apparent reason.<br/>If these are issues you have been facing, and have been unable to actually attribute them to anything ‘real’ (like illness of some sort for example) then perhaps you might consider that it could simply be that the saddle is too long for your horse’s back and is making him extremely uncomfortable – which is why this ‘acting out’ occurs. Think about how you would feel if you had something constantly pounding into your kidneys. That is why we at Schleese actually can make our saddles with two distinct customizations: for example, an 18” seat for the rider who needs a little more room, with a 17 ½” panel to accommodate the horse’s back. This issue has become so prevalent that a couple of our models actually incorporate this ‘option’ as standard!<br/>Sometimes you have to look past the obvious symptoms to find the cause....<br/><br/>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE<br/><br/><a href="http://www.schleese.com">www.schleese.com</a><br/><a href="http://www.saddlesforwomen.com">www.saddlesforwomen.com</a></p>Saddle Fit Tip #7 - Saddle Straightnesstag:www.barnmice.com,2010-07-15:1773158:BlogPost:2547252010-07-15T16:30:00.000ZJochen Schleesehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JochenSchleese
<p>One of the things I see often – even in professional pictures in various magazines – is that the rider is not sitting straight on the horse. (this is especially obvious when you see the rider from behind!)<br></br><br></br>Do you often have to step into one stirrup while riding to center your saddle on your horse’s back? This could mean that your saddle does not sit straight on your horse’s back, for whatever reason.<br></br><br></br>Once you have determined that your saddle has a gullet/ channel that is…</p>
<p>One of the things I see often – even in professional pictures in various magazines – is that the rider is not sitting straight on the horse. (this is especially obvious when you see the rider from behind!)<br/><br/>Do you often have to step into one stirrup while riding to center your saddle on your horse’s back? This could mean that your saddle does not sit straight on your horse’s back, for whatever reason.<br/><br/>Once you have determined that your saddle has a gullet/ channel that is the appropriate width for your horse, its billets are properly aligned, and it is the correct length for your horse, you need to make sure that it sits straight on your horse’s back. Straightness means that the center of the saddle is in alignment with your horse’s spine. Sometimes, a saddle that appears straight when the horse is standing in the crossties will shift to the right or left when the horse is being ridden. A saddle that falls or twists to one side can lead to problems with your horse’s SI (sacroiliac) joint; if the saddle shifts to such a degree that the panels rest on the horse’s spine, this can lead to the kind of irreversible long-term damage I discussed in Saddle Fit Tip # 3 – Gullet/ Channel Width.<br/><br/>The best way to determine if your saddle falls or twists to one side while your horse is being ridden is to do a dust pattern ride and analysis. Without brushing your horse’s back, tack him up and ride him on a 20-meter circle in each direction at the walk, trot, and canter. Then, carefully lift the saddle off of his back, so as to not disturb the telltale outline left by the saddle’s panels. Put your horse in crossties if available; if not, have a friend hold your horse on even ground. Square up your horse. Put a mounting block or something on which you can safely stand behind your horse; the goal is to have a clear view of the top of his back. Stand on the mounting block and look at the dust pattern. Was your saddle sitting nice and straight on your horse’s back? Or did it fall to the right or to the left? If you are uncertain, take a tape measure and measure the distance from the center of your horse’s spine to the outside of the rear panel on each side. If the saddle falls to the right, which is most common due to the usual somewhat greater musculature on the left, the measurement from the center of your horse’s spine to the outside of the right-hand panel will be bigger than the measurement from the center of his spine to the outside of the left-hand panel.<br/><br/>What causes a saddle to fall to one side of a horse’s back? Horses are by nature uneven. The overwhelming majority of horses are not built symmetrically through their shoulders. Most horses have a left shoulder that is larger and more developed than their right shoulder; some have a right shoulder that is larger and more developed than their left shoulder; and a small minority are even through the shoulders. (approx 70-20-10%) Whether a horse is left- or right-side dominant can result from the way it was positioned in utero, and/or from which leg is forward when the horse grazes, and/or from the way the horse has been trained. Sometimes a saddle falls to one side because the gullet/ channel is too narrow and/ or the tree width or tree angle (to be discussed in upcoming Saddle Fit Tips) is not correctly adjusted for the horse. So the larger shoulder kicks the saddle over to the other side.<br/><br/>Alternatively, a rider who sits unevenly can compress the stuffing more on one side of the saddle, and drag it over to that side. Perhaps the rider has an imbalance such as is caused by scoliosis, or one hip is lower than the other, or s/he weights one stirrup more than the other. If you have determined that your saddle does not sit straight on your horse’s back, it is important to determine the cause and resolve the issue in order to avoid causing long-term damage to your horse. Please watch the video below demonstrating the importance of saddle straightness.<br/><br/><object width="445" height="364" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_W2p_j_s3jY&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false"></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_W2p_j_s3jY&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed> </object>
<br/><br/>Next blog (end of the month) – some reflections on the World Cup in South Africa (of course with inferences to riding and saddle fit!)<br/>Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE<br/><a href="http://www.schleese.com">www.schleese.com</a> – The Premier Female Saddle Specialist</p>