Dynamic Balance Saddle Fitting & Equine Therapy

Hands listening, heart healing—one gentle touch at a time.
Nothing feels more right. 🐴🤍

This image captures everything I love about the principles of equine osteopathy: deep listening through my hands, honoring the horse’s energy and anatomy, building trust in stillness. Grateful every day to be exactly where I’m meant to be, doing work that fills my soul.
If you’ve ever felt that quiet magic with a horse, you know. 💫

Jen

I’ve had this conversation many times, and it still surprises me how common this misconception is, even among experienced riders.

People often assume that once they buy a saddle, it will last for their horse forever. And when that saddle no longer fits, the frustration and disappointment can be huge.

I want to start by saying: this is completely normal. It is something that isn’t often taught or spoken about properly.

But here’s the reality: most saddles are what we call “disposable saddles.” That doesn’t mean low quality materials, it means that horses change constantly and most saddle have a limit to how much they can change (be adjusted).

Horse’s bodies grow and develop, their posture shifts, and as a result, a saddle that fits perfectly today may not fit in a year or two. Even saddles with some adjustability like a gullet plate are very limited in what they can do. An adjustable gullet does help, but they don’t solve every problem in its entirety. In fact, it is such a minor adjustment and only valuable if all other aspects on the saddle fit is good. Having a saddle with an adjustable gullet is better than having a saddle that can not adjust at all, but it is not the be-all and end-all in saddle fit.

There are two simple, but hard ways to address this.

First: Fully adjustable saddles. Those saddles that can adapt not just in gullet angle, but in width, panel width, rider fit, billets, everything. These saddles are more advanced and come at a higher cost, because of the technology and research involved. Even then, there’s no guarantee it will fit your horse for its entire life as your horse may change substantially with age. Horses change, and so do their needs.

Second: Accept that multiple saddles over a horse’s lifetime are normal. Just like humans grow, change sizes, and need different clothes or shoes over time, horses grow and change too. Expecting one saddle to last forever is unrealistic. It’s like buying a good leather shoe when you reach physical maturity at age 20 and expecting to still be wearing those same shoes at the age of 30, 50 or 70.

Now to be clear, I ride in a saddle that is machine adjustable and it does fit really well. I love the brand and I am very happy with my saddle! But it also is my 5th saddle in 10 years and by no means do I imagine that this will be the saddle I will still be riding in in 10 years or even 5 years. This is not a post about adjustable saddles not being good enough, but it is a post about buying once and imagining that that saddle will be a ‘forever’ saddle.

Providing proper tack is an ongoing process. It’s not about spending recklessly or constantly chasing expensive gear. It’s about acknowledging your horse’s ever-changing needs and adapting to them. It’s about making changes to tack a part of the long-term commitment to your horse’s ever-changing shape, needs and well-being.

Saddles are not a one-time purchase. They are part of the journey, and while the thought of embracing the idea of buying and saddles often makes us all twitch, it is unfortunately one of the heavier realities to face in the journey of horse ownership and riding.

So, as you consciously choose a saddle for your horse, or make that next tack purchase, remember this: the saddle that fits perfectly today may not fit as well in the future.

Being mentally prepared and financially planning for when your wonderful saddle does not fit anymore, is likely the least traumatic way to navigate this scenario.

Much like planning the dentist and the farrier - not a once off.

Days like this remind me why I love what I do.

I was going to say something about this on here, but I think you should just watch this and the words will come to you on its own

Lara

The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain: Shifting the Paradigm of How We See Lameness The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain is a film that dares to challenge the way we look at "badly behaving" horses, and promotes the notion that lamen...

🟡 Yellow Flag: Subtle Syntax in Saddle Fitting

Not every horse reacts to saddle discomfort with obvious signs like biting, bucking, or ear-pinning.

Some go quiet.
Some turn their head to the wall.
Some stand still and stare through you.
Some seem calm, but they’ve actually shut down.

This stillness can be misread as acceptance or even good behavior, but for many horses, it's a sign they've given up trying to communicate their discomfort.

💛 This is a yellow flag. A subtle syntax.
It’s not loud, but it matters.

If your horse seems strangely still or has a sudden change in demeanor from being interactive to becoming robotic or if your horse seems TOO flat or TOO detached while being tacked up, don’t ignore it.
They might not be fighting. But they’re definitely not fine.

✅ This is a green flag.

It tells us the saddle may be fitting well.
That your horse isn’t anticipating discomfort the momemt you put weight in the saddle.
You may still experience issues when in motion, but a quiet horse at the mounting block is a solid start.
It shows that their mind and body are in a calm, cooperative place.

Of course, one green flag doesn’t tell the whole story, but it’s a sign you’re on the right path.
Celebrate it. Build on it. Your horse is telling you something good.

🟥 Red Flag: Reacting to the Saddle

Some horses grind their teeth or bite.
Some stomp.
Some lift their head sharply the moment the saddle is placed on their back, or even before it touches them.

And yet, too often, we brush this off: “He’s just dramatic.”
“That’s just her personality.”

But it’s not drama.
It’s clear communication.

⚠️ When a horse shows tension before or as the saddle even touches their back, it’s not about attitude. It is the anticipation of discomfort.

If your horse resists the saddle, it’s worth asking why.

We need to stop labeling pain as personality.

Let’s rather receive this behavior with curiosity and not just dismiss it.