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Have a question you'd like April to answer on the show? Send us a text!
Saddle fit is a huge issue for horse owners. A lot of people go and spend a whole lot of money trying to get the perfect fitting saddle.
Often, it’s not the saddle that needs changing — it’s the horse's body! I've noticed a lot of things are passed off as behavioral and training issues. When you go to put a saddle on the horse's back and they pin their ears and swish their tail, they are telling you that they know it's gonna hurt!
Put your horse on a flat hard surface, stand about 10 feet back, maybe up on a mounting block and look at your horse's butt, back, withers and shoulders. There's nothing symmetrical there; one hip will probably be higher, one side of the rib cage is higher, etc. When one shoulder is bigger, that's means that side is working harder.
The withers might also be off-center. When you put a straight-tree saddle on that and you girth them up really tight, you're forcing the horse's body to meet the underside of the saddle instead of the other way around.
I’ve worked on horses whose owners went out and spent $3,500 or $5,000 on custom-fit new dressage or show saddles. After a 45-minute to an hour bodywork session, they're like, “Oh, no! The horse is now straight and the saddle that I just had custom-made for his back is no longer going to fit!”
Instead of chasing saddle fit, you should look at all my free Youtube videos and look at HorseAcademy101.com so you can ride in your favorite saddle.
I rode more than 40,000 miles in endurance competition. I always did it in treeless saddles after learning all of this because your horse’s shape is going to be different every day.
My level one Equine Musculoskeletal Unwinding program is now a certified modality on its own.
So instead of chasing saddle fit, fix your horse first and you're going to have a happy healthy horse sound and rideable through their 30s
To keep learning about horses:
• Get the free Horse 101 ebook: https://horseacademy101.com/
• Shop videos & courses: https://holistichorseworks.com/store/
• See the global clinic schedule: https://holistichorseworks.com/clinic-schedule/
• Visit the HHW website: https://holistichorseworks.com/
🎉📱 Now available— Holistic Horseworks Remedies! A new app for remedial horse therapy, from nose to tail, hoof to withers. This is your 24/7 horse wellness guide, loaded with everything you need to spot issues before they become big problems.
📲 Plus, your first 7 days on the app are free!
Download it now: app.holistichorseworks.com
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55 ratings
Have a question you'd like April to answer on the show? Send us a text!
Saddle fit is a huge issue for horse owners. A lot of people go and spend a whole lot of money trying to get the perfect fitting saddle.
Often, it’s not the saddle that needs changing — it’s the horse's body! I've noticed a lot of things are passed off as behavioral and training issues. When you go to put a saddle on the horse's back and they pin their ears and swish their tail, they are telling you that they know it's gonna hurt!
Put your horse on a flat hard surface, stand about 10 feet back, maybe up on a mounting block and look at your horse's butt, back, withers and shoulders. There's nothing symmetrical there; one hip will probably be higher, one side of the rib cage is higher, etc. When one shoulder is bigger, that's means that side is working harder.
The withers might also be off-center. When you put a straight-tree saddle on that and you girth them up really tight, you're forcing the horse's body to meet the underside of the saddle instead of the other way around.
I’ve worked on horses whose owners went out and spent $3,500 or $5,000 on custom-fit new dressage or show saddles. After a 45-minute to an hour bodywork session, they're like, “Oh, no! The horse is now straight and the saddle that I just had custom-made for his back is no longer going to fit!”
Instead of chasing saddle fit, you should look at all my free Youtube videos and look at HorseAcademy101.com so you can ride in your favorite saddle.
I rode more than 40,000 miles in endurance competition. I always did it in treeless saddles after learning all of this because your horse’s shape is going to be different every day.
My level one Equine Musculoskeletal Unwinding program is now a certified modality on its own.
So instead of chasing saddle fit, fix your horse first and you're going to have a happy healthy horse sound and rideable through their 30s
To keep learning about horses:
• Get the free Horse 101 ebook: https://horseacademy101.com/
• Shop videos & courses: https://holistichorseworks.com/store/
• See the global clinic schedule: https://holistichorseworks.com/clinic-schedule/
• Visit the HHW website: https://holistichorseworks.com/
🎉📱 Now available— Holistic Horseworks Remedies! A new app for remedial horse therapy, from nose to tail, hoof to withers. This is your 24/7 horse wellness guide, loaded with everything you need to spot issues before they become big problems.
📲 Plus, your first 7 days on the app are free!
Download it now: app.holistichorseworks.com
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