SADDLE FIT TIP #1 - BALANCE (in a series of 9 short videos)



Have you ever experienced any of these problems which may indicate saddle balance problems?

Are you struggling with your position?

Is your horse lacking in its performance?



...then you may be faced with a Saddle Balance issue. Watch this informative video for some saddle fit tips on Balance that may help…

I have had many clients with saddles that at first glance look like they’re fitting really well, but when I turn them over, I see that the gullet width is awfully narrow. I’m talking maybe 1-2 fingers here! A saddle with a channel or gullet that is too narrow can cause permanent damage to your horse’s back (but also, if…

I have to revisit this topic again because the last time I posted on this back in the early fall, we got so many questions that it became clear that a lot was still unclear! So – take II! (and this time with a video, which will hopefully enlighten a bit more).



Wither clearance is an often misunderstood concept. All of us are concerned that our saddles have adequate wither clearance and do not pinch our horse’s withers. But few of us truly understand…

Here is a question from one of my saddle fitting colleagues that represents a problem some of you may have experienced:

She wrote:

When I have the saddle on the horse, the tree fits, the panels are leveled (flair), the rider is sitting on both his seat bones, the rider is sitting in balance, so statically everything looks ok.

And then the horse start moving. The saddle does what is has to do, it stays in place and at this moment I am satisfied what I see, how the saddle is…

I have had a client who questioned the appearance of blisters after riding, which then disappear again after about 20 minutes. I suggest the following might be happening. The spinal vertebrae have three processes. Between the spinal processes, you will find the spinal dorsal ligament system . There should never be any pressure on the spinal vertebral processes, however, if you have a saddle which has a too narrow chamber and has been lying on the spine itself, probably at least one of the 7…

This blog is in response to Valerie’s question from a few weeks ago:



If the question is relating to the pommel area specifically, I have pretty much already addressed this in a previous blog about withers clearance. There are exceptions to this rule for mutton-withered horses and extremely high withered horses (many saddles have lots of clearance on top of the withers, but not on the side of the withers). On a high withered horse you are lucky if achieve 1-2 fingers clearance all…

The current trend in riding, as in most other things, seems to be “going back to nature”. Riders everywhere are interested in current discussions about whether or not to shoe, whether or not to ride bareback, whether or not to “chemically” supplement your horse’s diet. According to documented statistics, the following life expectancies show the opposite to be true:



• Life expectancy of the wild horse (for example Mustang) is 5-7 years.

• Life expectancy of a horse ridden by…

This blog is in response to a member request to address saddlefitting as regards her sway-backed Arab. She is presently able to use only a western saddle on her horse, which she states is the only one that apparently doesn’t bridge.



As in my other blogs, I am going to retain my level of honesty (and hopefully simplicity!) in addressing some of these issues, so please take what I say in the manner with which I present it – I want to honestly help as many riders and horses as…

One of the biggest misconceptions in saddle fitting is that two-three fingers withers clearance means that the saddle fits. When I check saddle fit there are actually 36 points to consider, and withers clearance is only one of them.



The withers are a very sensitive area of the horse with different interacting muscles and bones. Obviously you do not want the pommel of the saddle pushing down on the wither bone of our horse which would cause sores.



This is the area…

You know your horse better than anyone – instinctively, you know immediately when something is amiss, even if you can’t immediately diagnose where the problem lies or what is causing it. I can put words to what you already know – how do you tell when your horse is happy? What I am going to say may be controversial and provocative to some, but if you are truly honest with yourself, you may realize that perhaps there is a lot of truth in it!



A horse is not able to lie, to ‘act’ like…

My Passion - Helping Horses Worldwide!



In 1984 after qualifying for the European Championships I had to retire my beautiful Hanoverian gelding for lameness, and my riding career came abruptly to an end. I wish I knew then what I have learned in the past 24+ years as a Certified Master Saddler consulting with equine professionals around the world. At very least I know Pirat would have been sound a lot longer, at best my riding career would have gone much farther.



At the…