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Fitting saddles is like fitting a child's shoe, it needs to be done correctly to allow for movement without pinching or pain. If you are noticing discomfort or changes in your horse's attitude or behavior under saddle then it may be time for a professional assessment of how your saddle is fitting.
Many riders have been riding for years and have never considered that horse's behaviour can be directly related to back pain. Unfortunately, horses cannot verbalise that they are in pain, however if you look closely, they may actually be shouting at you and you have not realised.
"Most riders are simply unaware that their horse may be in pain due to an ill fitting saddle! Most horses are saddle sore, as horses were not designed to be ridden." says Ian Bidstrup, Director SpinalVet. Ian is also an ASFA Master Saddle Fitter, who is also a Member of Australian Chiropractic Vets of Australia.
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A proper saddle fitting starts with the horse. We take a step back and evaluate conformation first. Are the withers high? Is the back straight, or is it roached or swayed? Are the muscles of the back well developed, or is this horse new to training and will be filling out with time?
Male vs. Female
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You are correct to wonder if hips and lower back ache after every ride might be coming from your saddle. Aches such as yours are very common in women equestrians because they are often riding in saddles that have been built for men. Because a woman’s pelvis is different from a man’s, women riding in a “male” saddle may face back, knee, hip, and pelvic pain and experience difficulty maintaining proper position and posture in the saddle.
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The seat bones of a female pelvis are spaced much farther apart, so when a woman rides in a “male” saddle, she sits uncomfortably on the seat seaming. The distance between the seams on the seat should be wide enough to allow the seat bones to sit on the padding. If the seat is too narrow, you’ll feel as though you’re sitting on a ridge and your seat bones will fall off the edge of the seat.
​Because female thighs tend to angle outward at the hip and inward at the knee (known as “Q flexion”), a woman carries more weight on her upper inner thigh than a man does. When a woman sits on a saddle that is too wide in the twist, her leg is pushed forward instead of being able to hang straight down, and the knee and toe are forced out at a 45 degree angle. Not only does this make it difficult to achieve a straight line from shoulders to hips to heels, it also puts extra pressure on the hip joints, which can be quite painful.
Thermal Imaging is excellent for use in Saddle Fit evaluations since it will quickly and accurately show the contact pattern of your saddle areas. There where it is in greatest contact with your horse’s back, and if there are any areas exerting uneven pressure.
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The same imaging will also tell an interesting story as far as rider attitude and imbalances are concerned.
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