MM Equine Enterprises LLC

Practical test for the stubben_ca fitters last week.

The fitters are required to know the origin, insertion, function, relevance to saddle design and back/body health, and whether the structure is healthy or unhealthy for every structure listed below, plus biomechanics and tack design.

This is incredibly important, because if your saddle fitter doesn’t know anatomy and how it relates to saddle and tack design, they won’t know how to protect the horse’s back from injury, identify problems, or come up with solutions.

Spine, including spinous and transverse processes
Scapula, including all landmarks
Scapular cartilage, including cranial angle, dorsal border, and caudal angle
Humerus
Ribs, including true and false ribs
Sternum, including Xiphoid Cartilage
Nerves, including Lateral Thoracic Nerve, Long Thoracic Nerve, Axillary, Suprascapular
The Nuchal and Supraspinous Ligaments
All the joints and junctions
All the muscles of the Thoracic Sling
Serratus Dorsalis Cranialis and Caudalis
All back muscles, including intrinsic and erector spinae
The Stay Apparatus and the Dorso-scapular Ligament
Spine Movement
Shoulder Movement
Center of Gravity
Center of Motion
Rider position on both the back and the tree
Riding Styles and Pressure Distribution Systems
Issues like asymmetry, saddle slip, ECVM, resistance
Conflict behaviors
Girths and girthing
Half pad design
Breastplate design
The purpose of the tree, the pommel, tree points (length, width, and angle), stirrup bar length, the twist, the rails, the cantle, the seat, sweat flap, billet position and length, gullet channel, panels, and flocking.

If that sounds like a lot, just remember that the saddle is the number one cause of injury in the ridden horse. You — and your wallet — deserve a saddle fitter who prioritizes knowledge to keep your horse safe. Never settle for less.

I’m back from a great trip to visit some Stübben friends and do more continuing education!
✨September schedule is almost full✨
with routes to Clarksville, Triune, Franklin, Knoxville, TN and more!
PLUS Bowling Green, KY!!
and another North Carolina trip!!!!
If you are in any of these areas or want an appointment before October- now is the time to get on the schedule!

Got to meet with the owner of Fleeceworks yesterday before the presentation with Amanda Anderson at Mary's Tack & Feed - fleeceworks has some really cool stuff coming out!
Presentation at Mary’s was great- stay tuned for snippets! We’re off to the LA Equestrian Center in Burbank, CA now for another presentation tomorrow 💕

Prepping scapulas for the Saddle Fitting Met Gala with the infamous Amanda Anderson
Get your tickets, it’s going to be awesome!!!

I hit a deadhang PR today (2:26) and went up in weight on the … kettlebells are getting too big so I switched to plates so I can carry them closer to my body.

70lbs for 3.5minutes today at the end of my workout

This started as a friendly funny competition with saddlefitting.us to carry 20% of body weight because that’s what’s *generally* accepted as ok for horses to carry… but I think I’ve somehow turned it into ego lifting.
Join us anyways!!!
Start with a weight that’s reasonable- even if it’s 5-10lbs. I started with 9lbs.

This is why you can’t be asking AI anything important… and also why you should question your fitter on where they learned anatomy…

Holy cow 🤦🏻‍♀️🫣😭

✨I can’t even✨

Please call/text me with any questions! There may be a delay in my response time if I’m with a client but I would much rather answer the same question 75 times than have you out here confused

-your friendly fitter who cares for you too much to leave you to find “answers” just out there on the internet