Lesson 9 – Saddle Savvy & Saddling
This is about saddle savvy, saddling and safety.
Believe it or not, a horse and a horseman can tell how much savvy you have in the way you saddle your horse. This lesson will teach you some points about saddle safety as well as the friendly and savvy way to saddle your partner.
Check your saddle for wear and tear especially where leather and metal come together. Also, check the stitching.
General Saddle Safety
Check your saddle for signs of wear and tear. Main parts to look at are anywhere that leather and metal come together, such as at the cinch/girth and at the stirrups. If the leather is at all split, dried out and worn thin, replace it. Same with broken stitching, repair or replace it, its cheaper than hospital bills! Make sure that the tree is not broken or bent anywhere, there are no sharp tacks coming through both the top side and underside of the saddle. Check that the horn is secure and firm. Always make sure that your cinch is clean of lumps and sticks and that it is not twisted in anyway.
Replacing something worn early is cheaper than treating injuries as a result!
Western Saddle tips
Western saddle off side billets or latigos are much safer than a single strap.
Off-side billets or Latigos are much Safer than a single strap for attaching the cinch. The safety comes from having a double wrap around the rigging and the cinch itself and being able to move the position of the strap so it doesn’t wear in one spot.
English Saddle tips
English saddles can have poor padding or twisted trees.
Check the padding to make sure there are no collapsed or lumpy areas. With the saddle upside down, make sure that the gullet is straight and has no curves or twists in it.
Saddle Fit
Check that your saddle fits the horse. Test it without a pad for wither clearance, good contact with the long muscles and straightness along the spine.
The best way to check this is to put it on you horse without a pad. Place 2 fingers flat on the wither and then push down on the ponies or horn and see if it touches your fingers, it should remain clear. Look from the back and see that the saddle sits straight and evenly on the horse’s back and that its not crooked. From the side, see if the bars of the saddle lie in contact all the way along from the front to the back of the saddle. If there are gaps in the middle this will mean pressure points at the shoulder and at the back of the saddle.
Pressure points can come from uneven pressure of the bars on the back.
When buying a saddle, don’t keep it until you’ve checked the fit without soiling it (you can put a thin sheet underneath). While most of us cannot afford a custom fitted saddle (and it practically restricts the use to one horse!) you should look for a good average fit and then use a excellent pad underneath.
Unless you can afford a custom made saddle, look for a generally good fit and use an excellent pad.
After riding, check for dry spots on the horse’s back where the saddle was. This will tell you about ill-fitting saddles and pressure points where the pressure has blocked the sweat gland orifice.
Dry spots after riding can tell you about ill fitting saddles and pressure points.
Of course there is always the situation where the horse has an awkwardly shaped back. You’ll have to make the best of it then with good pads or seriously consider a custom fitted saddle.
Saddle Pads
A good pad passes the fingernail test.
Give it the fingernail test. If you can feel your fingernail through it, its too thin and it won’t alleviate pressure points. For western saddles, a one inch thickness is ideal. Pat uses a medical felt pad most commonly and if he has a horse with a sensitive back, then he chooses a therapeutic pad, that is well padded and allows air circulation.
Western and English pads differ in thickness and can differ in shape and size.
For English saddles, make sure that weight distribution is helped by the pad as they can have a tendency to press into a horse’s back. Sometimes extra padding at the back with a tapered foam pad can be good. Some companies offer wither pads to help those high-peaked horses and they also have a therapeutic pad made from air pockets that absorb and equalised pressure points.
There are pads that improve weight distribution through the use of air pockets.
Over all, don’t over pad or go too thick. this can make your saddle perch on your horse and it loses stability. Invest in a good, well-made saddle and sensible pads to protect your horse’s back. And then work on your independent seat so you don’t bounce around!
Don’t over pad. This makes a saddle unstable. A good saddle is a wise investment.
Type of saddle
Choose your saddle according to purpose.
English, western, endurance or Australian? Its a matter of preference and practicality. If you have already decided on a costume you like to wear, the saddle choice will be easy. But if you are non-denominational, what should you choose? Choose by function.
Western and Australian stock saddles are designed for long rides, working cattle and for trail rides. Their weight distribution is excellent.
If you want to do long trail rides, casual riding-choose western or Australian. These saddles are designed for riding all day (as per the cowboy and Australian stockman) and have good weight distribution on the horse.
English saddles are designed to be able to jump and for dressage to get very close contact with your horse and enhance your leg position.
If you want to do a lot of jumping-choose English (you’ll enjoy not having a saddle horn or thigh rolls to bump into!). Its a lighter saddle built to allow you to get your weight up and forward.
If you want to work cattle, do roping – choose western, you’ll need that saddle horn.
Within each of these categories there are also specialisations such as dressage, jumping and all purpose in the English categories, and roping, cutting and each work-buckaroo in the western categories. Suffice to say, certain breed categories (mostly for gaited horses) also have their traditional saddle such as the Paso Fino and Saddlebreds. These saddles tend to fit more into the long day’s ride category.
