Curse My Luck! I have two bratty ponies. One is chubby, short and bratty! The other one has one difference. He’s taller! (He’s actually a horse with a pony brain). Here are some Thelwell  cartoons that I used as a guide to horses.
Hamster was perfect going on the trailer compared with mom’s Sean. I think Sean thinks, “Oh heck no! Don’t even think about getting me in that fool trailer! You crazy! Ya Hear?” (He’s better now, or so she says).

Punky was very bratty in the beginning. Examples of this are when he ate apples during a cross country phase, one of my very first, a long time ago,  causing me to fall off TWICE.  Now he is umm… err less bratty…sure. This picture shows what he was initially like when it came to jumping. Of course, I have been told that I have a “velcro” seat as a result.

Hamster once did this exact thing to me at camp. You may say that he did it by accident but I think it was on purpose. It seems like something he would do.

Punky  would refuse to go forward  sometimes while I was on him. Then I would get off and he would walk on then I would stop him and I would get back on and he would refuse to go again. He still does this to this day. It gets annoying.

I could go on and on…they sure keep me, and I hope you, entertained. I hope to be riding and ski racing again soon!

Sean had been going quite well at home but I recently moved him to winter board and the indoor definitely influences his way of going. He has winter shoes with snowball pads. The walls of the indoor, (which is actually fairly spacious), and the sound of the footfalls on the rubber footing have indicated that we have some rhythm problems! (You can hear the footfalls, hence the noticeable problem). Sean has been a bit tense, understandably, in the changed environment and I have worked on trying to soften to establish a nice connection and gain rhythm. He has been overly enthusiastic in his effort to dissipate energy, i.e., broncing and so on. He seems to thrive on adrenalin and that doesn’t lend itself to a rhythmic ride. Sue, who happened to be working with someone else at the time, kept saying to me, “Think rhythm”.

Ah ha! I do think about timing and often count out my rhythm,  but I was so focused on my contact as I described in my last article,  that I wasn’t focusing on my cadence and rhythm. I have learned that counting my rhythm when jumping really helps me. All of a sudden I realized that I shouldn’t try to soften to get a good rhythm. Instead, I should get a good rhythm so that I can soften. Guess what…funny how that helps. Sue reminded me about what the first thing on the training scale is! Clearly, there must be a reason for that. Establishing a rhythm really seems to settle Sean as well. It is just another one of those things that I have heard over and over but maybe now I am ready to apply. And, as I review the actual training scale, I see that relaxation does indeed follow rhythm. I guess that is why I’m the student and Sue is the trainer!

It is so easy to get caught up in the drama when your horse is challenging you. I’m so much softer than I used to be and we have improved greatly and have far to go but the challenge of change and environment can be distracting. It is nice to ground oneself with, “One two, one two, or one, two, three, one, two, three”, and so on. It really is so helpful.

I am very lucky to have an outdoor riding ring at home and the ability to truck weekly to take lessons, but it is so nice to have constructive feedback available on a more regular basis. I’m very excited for this winter. Paige, who is a working student for Sue and a very talented rider, rode Sean for me the other day. Because Sean is boarded so far away and the shop is in the complete other direction I can’t get over to Sue’s as much as if I were riding at home. She had never ridden him and she said he that was the best ride of the week! I guess that means we have improved some and must be doing something right!

I’m not sure we are ready for “Dancing with the Stars”, but we are on our way! I will picture the mirror ball trophy spinning from the indoor’s ceiling! That ought to make for a settled ride…not!

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“It’s saddle fitting, not rocket science.”  – Edie Tschorn

When it comes to saddle fitting, there are quite a few different theories and schools of thought.  While most fitters will eventually arrive at the same conclusion, there are a number of ways to get there.  Some fitters are pretty straightforward, and some try to turn saddle fitting into a cross between brain surgery and alchemy, known only to the anointed few who have learned the secret handshake and gotten the deluxe decoder ring and spy-vision saddle fitting glasses.  There are methods that involve shims, specialized pads, air bladders, pumps, modular saddles and pretty much everything except hydraulics and the kitchen sink.  So it’s not surprising that I run into a good number of people who tend to over-think the whole issue.  They’re concerned with twist widths and sweat patterns, steepness of rise and optimal cantle lift, and have themselves so wrought-up and so buried in the minutiae that they’ve missed the whole point of the exercise … which is simply to find a saddle that works for them and for their horse.

When it comes to saddle fitting, I invoke the rule of Occam’s Razor: the simplest explanation is usually the most plausible.   This means involving as little “stuff” as possible.  Ideally, I want a saddle to fit the horse with only a thin quilt pad under it.  Yes, there are times when a shim pad is necessary – sometimes for the long term, but more often as a “band aid” – and sometimes a horse needs modifications in the panel or a certain type of tree; sometimes a rider will need a modified block or flap.  However, it’s rare for either individual in the equation to actually require the ergonomically-engineered gender-specific Ischial Support System or the antimicrobial colloidal silver-lined panel.  Or the optional cup holder.

When you distill saddle fitting to its most basic essence, it’s actually fairly simple.  Here are the basic criteria for saddle fit for both the horse and rider.

HORSE:

1)      The saddle must sit level, with the deepest part of the seat being the lowest point.

2)      The saddle must not make contact with the withers or spine.

3)      The tree points should lie parallel to the surface of the horse’s back.

4)      The saddle should not rock longitudinally, or slip laterally.

5)      The entire bearing surface of the panels should make contact with the horse’s back without extending past T18.

6)      The channel between the panels must be wide enough to accommodate the spine.

7)      When in motion, the saddle should remain stable and not restrict or otherwise negatively affect the horse’s gaits and movement.

RIDER:

1)      The rider must be comfortable and balanced in the saddle, not falling forward or back, not slipping and sliding and not feeling jammed fore or aft.  (NOTE:  The old “one hand between the butt and the edge of the cantle” doesn’t really apply any more, given the myriad seat depths and configurations available nowadays.)

2)      The rider’s leg must “snug up” comfortably to the thigh or knee block.  The knee should not ride up over the block or stick past the front edge of the flap, and the leg shouldn’t float behind or below the blocks.

3)      When in motion, the rider should able to ride and apply the aids effectively.  S/he should not have to fight for the correct position or “learn to live with” the saddle.

Seriously, that’s all there is to it.  If these basic requirements are met, call it good.  In the end, my (or ANY saddle fitter’s) opinion – no matter how well-educated, considered or expensive – is just that:  an opinion.  I’ve seen saddles that were given the Official Seal of Approval make the horse and rider miserable, and I’ve seen “meh” saddles that put a smile on both individuals.  If you and your horse are happy, that’s what it’s all about.

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There are cases when I have to be very honest with the customer and say, No, there is no way in the world with any amount of padding that one saddle will fit both of your horses. If one horse has a dippy back and also needs a extra wide tree like this horse. and the other is a relatively flat backed horse who needs a medium tree

one saddle just won’t work.  If we chose a tree with some curve  (banana shape) it would rock on the flat backed horse and a flat tree would bridge on a dippy back. Also, the tree widths are too dissimilar for a front shim to work.

 Then there are the few times when I can happily say, yes I think we can make one saddle work!! When I see pictures like this…

both horses, to my eye, need a similar shaped tree. When I looked at their tracings they were about a half size off in width.  Low and behold the saddle I sent them looked great on both horses with just a thin front shim in the Skito pad for the narrower horse.

Usually, when I take the time to explain saddle fit 101, most rider’s get the concept. It’s like asking your son and daughter to share the same running shoes! I know some of you are thinking…….so then get a treeless saddle……but we’ll save that concept for another article.

Ride happy and stay warm,

Nancy

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Sue, my riding trainer, has incorporated various skiing techniques or parallels into my riding lessons, (after incessant prodding from my mom). For example, when you go over a jump in either sport, you can’t land with a stiff leg. You need to absorb with your knees and ankles. You also have to look in the direction you are going. Another way they are similar is that you need to be able to separate different parts of your body. You have to have each part of part of your body work independently. In skiing, you have to stand in an athletic stance. That means there is equilibrium in both sports over the middle of the feet. If you lean too far forward or backward on a horse or on a ski, you are not going to get the best out of either one. You have to stand or sit so that everything lines up with your hips, knees and ankles in a bent or flexed position. On a horse, if someone pulled the horse away, you would land in the same position and not fall on your butt or your face! In both skiing and riding, your hands and arms should be quiet.

What I love about skiing and riding, in both sports, is that you have to keep calm under the influence of adrenaline. I feel the adrenaline when I am in the start gate and I hear the countdown in a ski race. In eventing, I wait in the start box for cross country and they do a similar countdown. In both skiing and riding, you have to go in a reasonable amount of time through or over the gates or jumps and make it through without falling.

Competition is present in both sports. They both have Freestyle, timed runs, racing, and varied terrain at times. Both have jumping and big air.  Both are in the Olympics.

Both sports have learning curves. It is beneficial to take lessons whether you are a newbie or an expert. If you are just starting out it is advisable to take lessons, so if you fall off you have a coach to tell you get back on that horse NOW!!

Additionally, both sports can be expensive. In skiing, you have to buy boots, bindings, coat, skis, pants, and poles. In horseback riding, you have to buy the horse, food, saddle, hay, treats, and boots or board.

Historically, horses have been commonly used in the cavalry and have been instrumental in waging war and one of the most famous uses of skis in war was during the Russian invasion of Finland in World War II when the Finnish skied around the Russians, as well as the Tenth Mountain Division’s exploits.

Another similarity is that both were originally forms of transportation. The first domesticated horse was used for pulling carts. The first skier wanted to get from point A to point B without having to walk and negotiate deep snow.

There are an awful lot of things that are the same in riding and skiing. I have just barely scratched the surface. They actually complement each other. If you haven’t gone skiing, try it and you’ll see why in the winter, skiing is my sport.

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Last month I watched and listened to Jimmy Woffard teach several jumping clinics at the Equine Affaire. He said something that intrigued me so I decided to play with it. He likened contact to that of a string instrument. Paraphrasing, he said that one can’t play a string instrument if the strings are all loose and floppy. The pressure/contact should remain fairly consistent, utilizing half halts when necessary, but still keeping some contact even over the jumps. In other words, there always needs to be some tension, elastic though it may be.  With Sean, I had to learn to give a lot with the contact because he came to me wanting to curl behind the bit and he needed to stretch out more, (mind you with some leg of course).  Because Sean was so excitable, giving with the reins so much was a hard thing to do. Sue has mentioned for years that I should follow the head, up, down, where ever it goes with even contact. Now I realize she was essentially saying the same thing. Why did it take to long to finally sink in?  It must be that I balanced another building block.

You have heard me talk about building blocks in previous articles. Building blocks…uh…no…maybe more like interlocking puzzle pieces numbering in the thousands! Yikes! Yes, I know we have all heard about the importance of building blocks and how they must carefully stack up, one on top of the other to achieve harmony and so on. But, did anyone tell you that each block would contain millions of tiny puzzle pieces? I’m guessing not!

There is nothing wrong with getting on a horse and fully enjoying the ride without a care in the world. However, I am one of those “lifelong learners” and slowly but surely, albeit, very slowly, I’m fitting those pieces together. What amazes me is that even though I may have heard the same thing from my trainer, Sue, countless times, I just can’t seem to achieve the particular skill until the skill before it locks into place. Well, lock may be a hopeful term but at least it makes an appearance.

As I said earlier, one puzzle piece has to fit before the next one becomes available. In general, I’m starting to ride with less “bad” tension and I am really starting to feel myself following the mouth and feel the mouth, not just arbitrarily following, but feeling the same amount of pressure. I think I was moving my arms forward and back but not really FEELING. I mean I was, but not enough. I think it makes me ride steadier into the contact and Sean seems to like it too. Imagine that!  Now if I can just do it more consistently.

This not so new concept, but newer to my application, provides more softness and relaxation in my ride. However, I can only get it when all things are going well at the moment and I really need to concentrate when Sean gets “enthusiastic” about things. I’m also trying to learn to do it over jumps. I’m moving Sean to Sue’s today for the winter and hopefully, I will cement this concept over the winter; just one of the many things I’ll be working on to be show ready in the spring. Hopefully, the next time one of you sees us at a show, you will be impressed with our harmonious riding. One can only hope.

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We’ve covered tree width and tree shape – now on to the third part of the saddle fitting trine:  panel configuration.  It’s probably the least known and understood facet of saddle fitting, yet it is just as crucial to fitting a horse as the correct tree width and shape.

To begin with, let’s look at the rear of the panels.  You can break them down into two distinct types. There are gusseted panels:

And there are plain panels:

Gusseted panels are almost always flocked (either with wool or synthetic wool), while the majority (though by no means all) of plain panels are foam.  Often, a plain panel is better for a more angled, “roof” back:

while a gusseted panel usually suits a broader, laterally flatter back:

Putting a plain panel like the one shown above on a flat-backed horse will limit the weight-bearing surface to the outer edge of the panel, while putting a roof-backed horse into a flatter, gusseted panel will limit the weight bearing surface to the inside of the panel, close to the channel.  Either will make a horse very sore in a fairly short time.

The rear gusset can be modified to suit an individual horse’s conformation; if a horse has a big wither, a deeper rear gusset can be added to lift the cantle of the saddle and make it sit level:

A shallower rear gusset is often helpful to balance the saddle on a longitudinally flat back or on a croup-high horse; it can keep the cantle from sitting too high:

Another common fitting modification to the rear is an upswept panel.  Instead of extending past the cantle, the panel is shortened and “swept up”.  This is often used for croup-high horses, or for short-backed horses whose riders require a larger seat size; it can keep the weight bearing surface of the saddle from extending past T18:

The front of the panels can also be modified, adding gussets to address fitting issues.  One modification with a couple of different applications is the full front gusset:

This can be used on a horse with a tall, “steeple” wither to help support the front of the saddle so it clears the wither.  It can also be used on a rounder, croup-high horse as a “stop” to help keep the saddle from sliding forward onto the shoulder.

Another “front of the panel” modification is a wither gusset:

Instead of extending down the entire front of the panel, the wither gusset is designed to fit into the hollows below the wither and “fill in the dips”:

As with the full front gusset, it helps support the front of the saddle to insure wither clearance, and it provides more panel contact and weight bearing surface for a horse with “keyhole” withers.

Finally, the underside of the panel can be modified.  These modifications tend to be geared toward the leaner, withery horses and should be used instead of simply using a narrower tree to clear a big wither; they increase the bearing surface of the panel along the wither to help keep the saddle from nose-diving.  These two particular modifications are often used in conjunction with either a wither gusset or a full front gusset.

Before we look at the modifications, let’s just see a standard configuration so we get a good idea of just how much the modifications change the shape of the panel:

The first modification is called a dropped or trapezius panel:

This panel is a good choice for a horse with “dips” below and behind the wither; the “bubble” indicated by the arrow helps to fill in that dip and support the front of the saddle.  This horse is a good candidate for a trapezius/dropped panel:

The second modification is a K panel.  Here it is on a dressage saddle:

And here it is on a jump saddle:

Instead of having a “bubble” like the trapezius or dropped panel, this is deeper throughout the front third of the panel, making it a good choice for a horse with a tall, steeple wither.

So there you have it:  the three “big” factors of saddle fitting.  Tree width, tree shape, and panel configuration.  Of course, there’s also billet placement … but that’s an article for a future newsletter!

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If you recall Reilly was pretty sore after the Maine 25. I attributed it to the fact that he’d broken his trailer tie and gotten himself stuck under the breast bar.  After the ride and a week of rest, bute, gentle massage and hot towels he seemed better and was pretty happy to go back out on the trail. However, little by little he started to make snarky faces when I brushed him……even with his very favorite soft body brush.  Then he started to pin his ears when he saw me with the saddle pad. Hmmm. Reilly is always a happy boy to saddle up and head out to an adventure. Could it be saddle fit?? MY horse!! The saddle seemed just fine to my eye.  I switched pads, but that made no difference in his behavior. All of this happened slowly over weeks.

A few of my friends horse’s have had Lyme disease and the first thing they noticed was a lameness that seems to drift from one leg to the other. Then…..their horse just refused to move like they had the worst flu imaginable. Reilly was sound and floated down the trail. Overall he was himself. He ate and drank well, hoped on the trailer and seemed eager to trot. However, the touchiness haunted me and I called my Vet to draw blood. I had a base line done on him when he arrived in VT so we had a starting point.

He’d probably been infected for 3 months, which would mean my brave young guy did the 25 mile ride in October with Lyme.  When my Vet saw the look in my eyes he gave me a hug and said….”Nancy, think of this horse’s potential if he was able to perform so well feeling that bad”. That didn’t make me feel less guilty for waiting too long to test him.

Now came the really fun part!  Five days of IV antibiotics.  Unlike my Rianon who would stand perfectly still, undrugged, for any procedure….Reilly was a wiggle worm. It was a struggle to get the needle in the first day and I had to put many many tiny treats in his mouth to get him to stand marginally still for the two huge vials we had to slowly put into his veins.

The second day Reilly spied the Vet’s truck coming up the driveway and he ran and hid behind the big pine trees. Seriously, he thought he was hiding. I had to drag him into the barn and he would not take his eyes off my Vet.  Day two did not go well to say the least. We needed to drug and twitch him. Day three began the same with Reilly trying to make himself invisible but my Vet was smart that day and brought along his partner. While Reilly glared at Greg, Shannon slyly got the needle in and gave him the drugs. Whew!! Day four Shannon came alone and with a bit less struggle it was done. Day 5, Hallelujah!!! Greg decided to drug him right away and make the last day as pleasant as possible.  Greg left me with 30 days worth of Doxy and wished me luck!  The good news is that Reilly loves to eat…..so slipping 45 pills 2X a day into  beet pulp went well.

The amazing part of this scenario was how quickly Reilly felt better.  After just a few days of the injections the look in his eye changed. He was once again happy to be brushed and best of all his sense of humor came back!  I had missed his funny antics. I thought he was growing up. I thought he was changing (for the worse). I worried that the “fit” Reilly was having a personality change. I worried our relationship was deteriorating. We were both pretty unhappy.

I’m writing this as a cautionary tale.  Don’t wait if you even suspect your horse isn’t quite right. The money it will cost to get the blood work done will be so worth it in the long run.  Reilly is young and strong and he will recover from this just fine. We’ll check him probably 2X a year to make sure the numbers go down…….

I am so incredibly happy to have my “old” Reilly back!!

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I have been working with Hamster over gymnastics.  I got the idea from Jimmy Wofford, who taught a series of four clinics at the Equine Affaire.  I went to three out of the four, but I got the gist of what he was saying about how gymnastics improve your jump position and your horse’s shape over the jump and helps them learn adjustability.  Hamster for all his good parts is a rookie at gymnastics in my opinion, but to be fair, I have done them before with Punky but it has been a while.  Since I did them, I’m not a complete  neophyte but pretty darn close.  It kind of reminds me of Yin Yang because as soon as I get something down, I lose my skill at something else.

The key to gymnastics on a horse is don’t think. NO, HOLD ON A SECOND!  Think just don’t interfere!  Let the horse make the mistakes just DO NOT INTERFERE.  Oh, and THINK and THANK ME FOR GIVING YOU THIS TIP.  Some of the main issues on jumping with Hammy over gymnastics is that he has a tendency to be a bit reactive when I take my hands off the neck and don’t stay with the motion.  He also has a tendency to want to move like an “S” and I have to say. “Dang it horse!  We are going straight whether you like it or not!”  Hamster is now more used to gymnastics.  I have to be in balance with him, and then it’s as if he is a perfect little horse.

The gymnastics really have been working for me.  Now my mom can easily say, “Do this, not that”.  I really need to work on folding better.  Also, I need to work on keeping my hands in the same spot throughout the jumping.  I also need to keep up with him.  Whereas I have a tendency to be behind the motion.  I also need to keep my impulsion.  Hamster calls me out whenever I’m doing something wrong.  Sometimes it for my benefit.  Sometimes because he wants to.

These are the things I learned at the clinic that I am working with Hamster to achieve some splendid results; I need to improve on; no alligator arms, shoulders ahead of hips, light 3 point seat, perpendicular leathers etc. Wish me luck.

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If you are like me, you are always wondering if your saddle is truly the right fit. I know, how could a person in the saddle business have that problem? Could the horse move better? Are we hurting them in some way that we don’t know? What if one used a different billet system or pad set up? Hmmm…

I recently returned from a clinic in Pennsylvania on the “Pliance” system. (We tried another system with a fitter at the shop at an earlier date that I’ll talk about later in this article). First, we were introduced to the concept of the system and then we saw and discussed the practical applications. The Pliance pad is a very thin pad with very thin sensors. The multiple sensors measure pounds per square inch. The rider wears a very small, light weight battery pack that is wired to the pad and the information is transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth to a laptop computer. The information samples are gathered continuously in multiple short segments of the ride. The intriguing aspect is that you not only get an average readout of the pressure, but you can also get readout from a moment in time such as on the landing of a jump or the step in a particular gait. When taken with video, one can see the scan frame by frame relative to the pressure readout, isolate an instance, or watch the entire video.

computer and readout/Pliance                                                                                                                                            battery pack/Pliance

The information shows up as a colorful graph with red being the most pressure and the cooler colors such as blue and green showing less pressure. This is not a one person job and certainly there is a protocol in how to do it and in how to interpret it. There lies the potential rub; the interpretation. There are many variables when interpreting a scan. The scan is taken in both static and dynamic situations. It can measure all gaits as well as jumping, and includes both Western and English capabilities.

sample Pliance scan

The other pressure system was done at the shop with a pressure sensor pad, no wires, and a small laptop/net book. The rider wore no belt. It is based on the same principles but with a bit thicker pad and the saddle fitter, Brita Rizzi, of Dynamic Equine Saddle Fitting, with whom we have a working relationship, had us do only sitting trot. This was more of a saddle fitting exercise in that we had our own saddles tested and experimented with pads to try to find the best saddle and best fit for our own horses.

sample Brita scan

I found it most helpful to see the average total of the all the scan readings within a trial. The interesting thing is that depending on what movement within the gait the horse is using really affects the readout. The Pliance system also showed how centered the rider was and how the center of mass travelled while riding. Another factor to take into consideration was the level of experience of both horse and rider. Think about it; a higher level dressage horse will have more lift in the gaits, thereby creating more gravitational pressure as they lift, as opposed to a training level horse that may have a flatter movement. The less experienced rider may be less centered and show more pressure on one side. I always thought that a horse jumping would have most of the pressure on its back on the downside of the jump. However, unless the horse is jumping a very big jump, the force of gravity as the horse leaves the ground, exerts the most pressure. On a very big jump, it is on the downside. Who would have thought?

Another interesting observation that factors in a good readout is the shape and makeup of the sensor pad. Some can create what is called a “hammock” effect, thereby not getting an accurate readout. The “hammock effect” means that the pad doesn’t make even contact along the topline and creates more pressure at the front and back. It is so important for the person reading the data to have all of the pertinent information. Clearly, the most important determination is to see the most even pressure readout possible. The more the panel of the saddle helps to distribute the pressure evenly, the better.

Some of the findings were interesting. There is always discussion on whether the saddle should bridge the smallest amount and the general agreement is that if the horse is to bring up its back, it needs a place to do it. Even though the even pressure is necessary, in static fit. a tiny bit of bridging is okay so that while in dynamic motion the horse can indeed bring up its back. Another finding was that the most pressure is exerted while in posting trot during the height of the post under the stirrup bars.  The stirrup bars can also sometimes cause their own pressure and may need to be pulled out slightly by a professional.

The scans were able to show how important it is for tree design to correspond to the horse’s shape. If the tree is too angled such as one for a Thoroughbred and is put on a stocky Quarterhorse, the rails might show up in the scan looking like runners of a sled in red.

They tested mounting from the ground, blocks, and a leg up. Interestingly, mounting from the block didn’t read as neutral as when a person from the ground held the opposite stirrup for the rider while they mounted. Pads were tested to see how they impacted pressure and luckily, the correction pads that we carry tested among the best. However, they did note that correction shims should not be used unless actually needed because they can cause undue pressure, but using the correction pad without shims was fine. The shape of the pad made a huge difference. A pad that doesn’t follow the contour of the topline and “hammocks” creates unnecessary pressure. I could go on and on…

Pressure scanning, in my opinion, is a useful tool as long as the readings are carefully considered and interpreted by a competent person. In addition to saddle fitting, I could see it being very useful as an educational tool in rider analysis or in the development of new saddles as is being done in the U.K. It is certainly a sophisticated tool but I also think that it is not the totality of saddle fitting. If your horse moves freely and happily and the saddle fits you then you are in good shape. However, clearly, the days of using multiple pads to make a saddle fit has seen its day.

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