The battle for the soul of the saddle fitter

Sunday, October 12th, 2008 | saddle fitting | 2 Comments

It is my impression that virtually every saddle fitter I have ever met has a genuine concern for the comfort of the horse.  It is thus fantastically frustrating that we are lacking a science-based, unified theory of correct saddle fitting.  Most of the time we don’t really know what is optimal for a particular horse and we have to rely on personal experience to make that judgment.  To some extent — for me at least – judgment derives from years of digesting the kind of “learning experience” that I might have preferred to avoid if possible.

These photos are clear examples of conflicting philosophies of saddle design:    

I find it extraordinary that there can be such divergence of opinion about some of the most fundamental aspects of correct saddle fitting.  On several occasions, I have had the opportunity to hear presentations by well-known luminaries in the field who have developed their own brands based on particular design concepts.  I have tried to be as objective as possible in evaluating what I understand their approach to be, and to be open-minded to new concepts that might help me to be a better saddle fitter. › Continue reading

Tags: pliance testing, saddle design, saddle fitters, saddle fitting, saddle panels, saddle technology