Don`t Saddle Your Horse with a Burden

Feature Article
Don’t Saddle Your Horse with a Burden
by Carol Brett and Lesley Ann Taylor
T
he fact that you are reading this publication suggests that you are someone who
is interested in having, or developing, mutually beneficial relationships with the animals
in your life - relationships in which all parties
provide support, learning opportunities, personal growth opportunities, protection and fun
for each other. When we bring horses into this
equation, it usually means that riding forms
part of this partner-ship.
Of course, we can be pretty sure that it was
man who invented riding. I think it unlikely
that a horse woke up one morning on the prairie and thought it might be fun to carry a human around. Yet the ridden horse can enjoy
being ridden if we do so conscientiously.
Riding - A Benefit to the Horse?
One could argue that the horse has been paying a high price for his willingness to participate in this practice of riding him, because the
problems that arise when we subject the horse
to the unnatural stresses created by carrying
humans are evident all around us. However,
the very best examples of horse/ rider partnerships demonstrate some actual benefit to
the horse in respect to his health, athleticism
and adaptability. In order to carry a rider in
a way that does no harm, the horse has had
to increase the quality of his strength, balance,
co-ordination, agility and thinking processes
to far higher levels than ever needed in his
natural home.
Here is an example of ‘Defensive Saddling’ on a horse who already has massive muscle atrophy
in the saddle area. This horse is neither healthy nor strong enough to be ridden at all and needs
a period of recovery, and then help from a remedial saddling approach. (Remedial saddling
expects, encourages and supports improvement and positive change in the horse’s shape, width,
posture, movement and attitude to work.)
However, the saddle fitter has not recognised this and instead has found a saddle that is narrow
enough in the tree to still provide a lot of clearance over the withers. This means that the rider is
not inconvenienced and is able to continue riding the poor unfortunate horse, and that the horse
is condemned to remain in this terrible condition or worse.
Help for Ridden Horses
Sadly, the examples of ridden horses who are getting more benefits
than problems through their relationships with humans are in a
minority. Concern about this is one of the driving forces behind
our work, through which we strive to help people to help horses get
more from the riding partnership than is the norm.
We who have an influence on the health, soundness, training and
welfare of ridden horses need to understand the impacts that 1)
riding and 2) saddling have on the horse’s body and mind.
We need to use the structures and bio-mechanics of the horse as the
most reliable reference point when evaluating what is appropriate
and what is not appropriate in terms of 1) what we ask, train or coerce horses to do, and 2) saddle design, fitting and use.
We riders, trainers, farriers, hoof trimmers, veterinarians and
therapists, etc., need to understand the difference in, and recognise
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| NATURAL HORSE Magazine - VOLUME 11 ISSUE 6
the symptoms created by, 1) the way the untrained or badly trained
horse manages the unnatural burden of a rider versus the way a
well trained horse manages the weight of a rider, and 2) defensive
versus constructive saddle design, fitting and use.
Food for Thought about Saddles and Saddling
It would be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the best way
to get around the fact that the whole idea and practice of riding is
unnatural is to learn how to ride the horse in a very passive way and
to use as little equipment as possible - in other words, to keep the
whole thing looking as close as possible to the way a horse would
conduct his life in his natural setting. In line with this aim, the saddle is seen as an unnecessary burden and restriction that has no
place in the ‘Natural School of Riding’. In much the same way, bits,
shoes and training tools like spurs, whips etc., are seen as undesirable.
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His pelvis is rotated back into a disengaged posture, which makes
him very weak in terms of carrying weight. It also makes him
look ‘croup high’. The joints in the hind legs are overly extended,
which makes them look too straight, and much of their power is
lost. His balance is compromised even at halt, so he is going to be
really struggling when his rider climbs on board.
There is no doubt that many trainers, hoof trimmers, therapists
and riders will look at this picture and think that they could
change this picture through the work they do, but we have to remember that this picture shows the physical evidence of the way
this horse has compensated and adapted to the restrictions and
discomforts of his saddle. To remove his coping mechanisms (albeit with the best of intention) without removing the offending
saddle, will only increase his problems. For example, for a hoof
trimmer to make a drastic change to the angles in the front feet
while he is still forced to wear a saddle that makes it impossible
for him to drop his weight down into the heels would leave him
even worse off than he is now.
The BALANCE approach supports an ‘Whole-istic’ recovery from
past saddle damage, which can be far reaching and complex. The
more horses who start their ridden lives in saddles fitted Constructively, the fewer will need to go through remedial saddling
and remedial training.
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What we see here is a horse who is already seriously compromised in his posture and muscle development - an injury waiting
to happen - and a horse who, without doubt, finds the experience
of being ridden to be unpleasant, if not downright painful. Conventional saddling (Defensive) has affected the way the horse
uses his body to the extent that his back is pulled down and his
shoulders are rotated forwards, which has brought his front legs
too far back under his body. This, in turn, has affected the way
his weight is loaded into his front feet and has helped his heels to
get too high and long relative to the toes. His chest is also pushed
forward and down, which can impact breathing.
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NATURAL HORSE Magazine - VOLUME 11 ISSUE 6
| 33
In reality, the notion that saddles are usually restrictive and uncomfortable for horses is something we would support, in so far as
the majority of horses and riders have only ever seen and experienced what we call Defensive Saddling - saddling that addresses the
rider’s wants and needs without understanding the ramifications
on the horse.
However, just as a well trained horse (trained in sympathy with
correct and efficient bio-mechanics and structure) is able to raise
his ‘game’ to such a level that carrying a rider is no problem and can
even improve his quality of life, a well-designed and intelligentlyused saddle system (that incorporates an appropriate shape and
width of rigid structure, the tree) is able to provide levels of comfort, protection and support for both horse and rider that are far superior to riding without a saddle or even riding in an unstructured
(tree-less) saddle. In other words, some saddles do make it easier
for the horse to carry a rider than no saddle. One’s job as a rider
and horse owner is to identify this kind of saddle. (See the chart,
Identifying ‘Defensive Saddling’ vs ‘Constructive Saddling’.)
This chart could be considerably longer, but it presents several important things to consider about the way your horse is saddled as
well as other options and opportunities for improving things.
We have looked at bareback riding and the many ‘new’ saddle innovations that have come about, such as tree-less saddles, flexible
trees, air in panels and pads, and high-tech, low-tech methods
of trying to match the contours of a saddle to the contours of the
horse. We have heard many different theories about saddles and
saddle fitting and in each case, we have done two things.
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Constructive saddling enables the back muscle to redevelop.
1) Considered the new design, material or method, in terms of
whether it has a negative, neutral or positive effect on the biomechanics and structures of healthy horses, both in the short term and
long term and;
2) Offered the new design, material or method to some horses to
get their ‘opinion’. It is interesting to see how often a human being’s
idea of what a horse wants is not backed up by horses when they are
given the opportunity to provide feedback! If in doubt, we tend to
trust the horse. (No matter how convincing an argument made by
a human being on behalf of the horse may be, it is only when the
horse is given an opportunity to demonstrate the validity of that
argument that one really gets to the truth.)
Making the Right Choice
The saddling approach that you will be attracted to and will work
for you will depend on many different factors.
• If you want a saddle that you can just strap onto your horse with
little to no thought of whether it is or is not helping him to carry
you;.
• If you know that you do not ride particularly well, or don’t think
you need to help your horse to carry you safely, through the use of
correct, systematic training and strengthening; or
• If you like to ride in a backwards leaning position, a loose and unstable fashion, or ride at the other end of the spectrum....with much
force and manipulation...
then the good news for you (if if not for the horse) is that there are
countless numbers of saddle fitters and makers who offer the De-
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| NATURAL HORSE Magazine - VOLUME 11 ISSUE 6
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Defensive Saddling
Constructive Saddling
Main focus is to provide a saddle that will make the rider feel secure,
no matter how well or badly they ride, and cause the saddle fitter/seller
little need to provide after-care service beyond re-flocking!
Main focus is to provide a saddle that supports the healthy, well muscled
posture and body shape of the horse. Allows the horse with underdeveloped/
atrophied muscle and compromised posture to recover.
Little to no attention is paid to the way that different riding and training
methods impact on the way a horse and rider will be using their bodies
and therefore the way the saddle works between them.
Much attention is paid to the way the horse is currently ridden and trained
and the horse owner is given guidance as to the most appropriate saddling
options that are sympathetic and supportive to the preferred way of riding.
The saddle is fitted to match the static contours of the horse’s body.
Little to no allowance is made for the difference between the static
shape of the horse and the moving (dynamic) shape of the horse.
Saddle width and shape is chosen to respect the width and shape of the
horse’s body when he is moving in the correct (engaged) form necessary to
support the weight of the rider, without risk to his own health and comfort.
Full appreciation of the difference between the static shape/ posture and
dynamic shape/posture of the horse.
Main focus is on having 3 fingers of clearance over the wither before
any pads are used, no matter what shape/condition the horse is in on
day the saddle is fitted. Saddle fitting is usually done without pads,
through the belief that if the saddle fits it needs no pad. Adjustability in
the way the saddle fits is reliant on the amount of stuffing that is put into
the panels. Western saddle fitting usually incorporates a pad or blanket,
but these are often hard and unyielding.
Main focus is on providing a saddle that has a safe amount of clearance
when it is combined with an adaptable padding system that can be
adjusted as the horse changes shape. Saddle always fitted wide enough to
accommodate the depth of a layered/adjustable padding arrangement that
provides comfort and protection for the horse and a level of adjustability in
the way the saddle sits on the horse.
Horse owner/rider encouraged to see the saddle fitter as best qualified
to assess the suitability of the saddle for the horse.
Horse owner/rider encouraged to be self reliant and to pay attention to the
feedback provided by the horse, with the encouragement and support if
needed from the saddle ‘fitter’.
Much emphasis is placed on trying to minimize the feel of the true
width of a healthy horse to the rider, through the use of narrow waisted
saddles, narrow treed saddles. A narrow-waisted saddle will often
create a narrow, wasted horse!
Much emphasis is placed on the respect for the healthy, well muscled
contours of a horse and the rider is encouraged to improve their riding skills
and mobility in order to make use of saddles that accommodate the horse’s
healthy dynamic shape.
Conflicts between the movement of horse and rider that result in saddle
displacement are usually dealt with through the use of compression
(tighter saddle, tighter girth, point straps, fore-girth etc.) to anchor the
saddle into the soft tissues of the horse.
Much emphasis is placed on trying to minimize saddle movement by
identifying and addressing conflicts between the horse and rider. In helping
the rider to be effective and stable in a saddle that is not locked into the soft
tissues of the horse, improvement to riding skills, balance, co-ordination
results. A Win-Win situation.
Horses expected to develop narrower body shape, ‘higher withers’
and saggy backs as they get older and consequently, saddles fitted to
match these increasingly damaged shapes.
Horses expected to get more muscular and wider with increased ridden
work, and any reduction in muscle mass or deterioration in posture is
investigated no matter what the horse’s age.
Horses who show muscle mass reduction caused by previous saddle
compression and/or bad riding are fitted the same way as a young
horse with no riding history.
Horses who show muscle mass reduction caused by previous saddle
compression and/or bad riding are helped to recover with the use of a
Remedial Programme of training, riding and saddle use.
Saddles that are made in such a way as to either: make it easy for, and
even encourage riders to sit in a slumped/ disengaged/ unbalanced
position that is too far back in the seat (a lot of Western saddles do
this) or, are so constructed as to dictate the rider’s position (very deep
seats and high cantles, big thigh and knee blocks for example) and
thus absolve them of all responsibility for their own balance and coordination. Saddles like this also make it easy for the rider to brace
against the horse, which encourages insensitive and heavy handed
riding.
Saddles that are designed to allow the rider to easily sit in a balanced
position with their pelvis in a neutral alignment, relative to their upper torso
and legs. In other words … in the middle. Seat profiles that are simple and
maintain their deepest point in the centre when the saddle is balanced
correctly for the horse. Lack of paraphernalia that is designed to hold the
rider into the saddle if they fight with the horse, or if they have no core
stability of their own.
Saddles and pads that are designed to allow the rider to ride in a very
unstructured and unstable (sometimes referred to as soft or fluid) way
without the saddle moving around too much on the horse’s back.
Saddles and pads that are designed to encourage the rider to develop their
own core stability and flexibility by exposing poor riding skills.
The horse will usually measure narrower in the saddle area after 20
minutes of ridden work when compared to his width before the saddle
is put on.
The horse will usually measure wider in the saddle area after 20 minutes of
ridden work when compared to his width before the saddle goes on.
Saddle fitter who does not encourage any aftercare beyond that of
adding flocking to a new saddle after a few weeks of use.
Saddle ‘fitter’ who encourages feedback and offers support in the future.
Essential if embarking on a Remedial Programme with a muscle wasted and
damaged horse, which is likely to change shape once in a better saddle.
Identifying ‘Defensive Saddling’ vs ‘Constructive Saddling’
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fensive approach to saddles and fitting that
will help you to continue to ride the way you
like to ride. This is because Defensive Saddling is still the most common way of saddling at the moment.
However,
• If you want a saddle that supports and encourages good movement in the horse and
good riding skills from yourself;
• If you like the idea of using the response
and opinion of your horse to assess how
well the saddle and pads are working for
both of you;
• If you want your
saddle ‘fitter’ to use
an a more holistic
model of reference
when determining
what kind of saddle
will best suit your
needs; and
• If you want to ride
your horse, with
confidence that you
are doing your best
to protect his health,
soundness,
safety
and right to comfort
with the saddle you
use....
....then you need to seek out, and work with,
people who can offer you a Constructive approach to saddling.
Unfortunately, your choice in these saddle
‘fitters’ and saddles is going to be far more
limited. You are going to have to want the
best for your horse quite badly to find what
you want.
There are glimmers of hope as more people
understand the responsibility we have to
the horse in return for the pleasure we get
from riding him. More saddle fitters are
wanting to do more than just ‘fit and run’,
and we urge you to seek them out and work
with them, even if to do so is less convenient than using the local tack store or the
mail order catalogue that arrives on your
doorstep.
About the authors:
Lesley Taylor and Carol Brett are the co-founders of the BALANCE organisation. They are both
passionately committed to improving the lives
of ridden horses, both by sharing the knowledge
and experience they have amassed, and through
the design, development and distribution of
horse friendly saddles. Their ‘BALANCE Saddling System’ with its ‘Constructive’ approach
to saddling continues to stimulate interest and
improvement in saddle design and saddle fitting
methods around the world.
For more information:
www.BALANCEinternational.com
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