The Coolest Things I Learned About Saddle Fit

A couple of weeks ago I attended a two-day, 16-hour introduction to saddle-fitting course put on by the U.K.-based Society of Master Saddlers. The timing was impeccable, as I’ve recently begun questioning my own saddle’s fit as my young horse’s body shape changes. During the course I learned not only the basics of determining a good- vs. an ill-fitting saddle, but also what a true science saddle fit is. Here are some of my favorite take-homes and coolest facts from the weekend:

1. Naturally, you don’t want a saddle to sit any further back on a horse’s spine than the T18 vertebrae (T17 in some Arabians)–this is the point of junction for the last rib. If the cantle rests beyond T18, the horse’s kidneys and other internal organs bear the brunt of your weight, and that’s setting your horse up for a host of discomfort. One saddle fitter in attenda

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