Whole Horse Saddle Fit

Chad Harrison (678-924-2916), who built my fences and my run-in shed, came back to rescue me when my deck started to fail! Anybody need work around the house or farm, he's your guy. Shows up when he says he will, does the work on the schedule and for the price he quotes you. Tore out the old deck and did all this plus steps in a day.

Powder Springs July 24th with one afternoon appointment available. Tentative Newnan/ Fayetteville July 26th.

July 16 one appt. available between Ball Ground and Dahlonega. 404-590-1064

The area behind the saddle tells you so much about the horse’s body.

One area I think is really important to learn to look at is the section from the back of the saddle through to the croup.

It’s an area that can get overlooked, because often people are drawn to the more obvious things. The neck, the shoulders, the hind legs, whether the horse looks downhill, whether the horse is stepping under, whether the horse is moving freely. But that area behind the saddle gives us a huge amount of information about what is happening through the spine, how well the hind end is connecting to the front end, and how much ability the horse currently has to carry itself — and ultimately to carry the rider.

For me, this area is one of those places that tells you about the long-term picture. Not in a dramatic, doom-and-gloom way, and not because we can look at one photo and decide everything about a horse. But because the shape and function of that area gives us a really good clue as to whether the body is working as one connected system, or whether it is already living in a level of compensation.

A common thing we see is quite a steep slope down from the croup towards the back of the saddle. So instead of that area looking connected and supported, it drops away. It can almost look like a ski slope running down into the back of the saddle area.

When I see that, I am not just looking at the shape itself. I am thinking about what that shape suggests about the function underneath it.

Often, that kind of shape tells us that the spine is sitting more in extension. The pelvis is not really able to organise itself well underneath the body, the back is not functioning as a strong, adaptable bridge, and the horse is having to find another way to move and carry itself. Very often, that means the horse ends up dropping forwards and loading the front end more than it should.

That can show up in lots of different ways. Some horses feel heavy in the hand. Some feel downhill. Some push from behind, but without actually carrying. Some brace through the base of the neck. Some look like they are moving well because there is plenty of activity, but when you look more closely, the back is not really part of the conversation. The hind end is doing something, the front end is doing something, but the connection through the middle is not really there.

And this is where I think we have to be careful, because a horse can carry on like that for a long time.

They can still be ridden. They can still go out hacking. They can still do schooling sessions. They can still look relatively “normal” to a lot of people. But if the body is repeatedly working from that disconnected, extended, dropped pattern, then over time that has consequences.

The spine is not meant to be stuck in one position. It needs the ability to move between flexion and extension. It needs adaptability. The pelvis needs to be able to contribute to the movement. The back needs to be able to transmit force and support the rider. The abdominal system, thoracic sling, hindquarters, shoulders and neck all need to be part of the same functional system.

When that bridge through the body is not working, other areas have to take over.

That might mean the front end takes too much load. It might mean the neck braces to hold the body together. It might mean the hind end pushes without truly supporting. It might mean the back becomes tight, weak, sore, or restricted. Over time, that sort of function can leave the horse more vulnerable to issues through the spine, soft tissue, muscles, ligaments, hind end, front end, or neck.

So no, I am not saying that every horse with a slope behind the saddle has a specific problem.

But I am saying it is worth paying attention to.

Because that area is telling you something.

What I would like to see, ideally, is a more connected area from the croup to the back of the saddle. Not rigid. Not braced. Not artificially held. But supported. A back that looks like it has the potential to lift. A spine that looks like it has the ability to move. A pelvis that looks like it can be involved in the movement, rather than sitting behind the horse while the rest of the body carries on without it.

When that area is more connected, the horse has far more options. The hind end can contribute more effectively. The back can participate. The front end does not have to carry quite so much of the load. The neck does not have to become the place where everything is held together. The horse has a better chance of developing strength that is actually useful, rather than just adding more power on top of poor function.

And this is really the point.

We are not just trying to make horses do exercises.

We are trying to improve the way the body is functioning.

Because a horse can do all the “right” exercises and still do them in a form that reinforces the same compensations. But when the body begins to connect better, the same exercises can suddenly become much more valuable, because the horse is using them in a way that supports comfort, strength and long-term soundness.

So I think this area behind the saddle is something we should all get better at looking at.

Look at it when the horse is stood still. Look at it in the field. Look at it before you ride. Look at it during training. Look at how it changes over time. Is the area becoming more connected, more supported, more functional? Or is the horse staying in that same dropped, extended pattern?

Because the line from the croup to the back of the saddle tells you more than just what the back looks like.

It tells you about the health of the spine.

It tells you about the connection between the hind end and the front end.

It tells you how the horse is currently organising itself.

And it gives you a really valuable insight into how sustainable that body is likely to be if nothing changes.

One of my long-time clients wanted to have a little snuggle when I showed up to his barn. ❤️😍

Planning trips to Bogart/Social Circle (7/19), Fairburn, Powder Springs (latter 2 TBD). Need saddle fitting? Reach out! 404-590-1064

Taking 3 days off for the holiday. Hope everybody has a memorable one!

I'm so glad I don't live with anybody who can take pictures of me while I sleep!