Saddle Headaches

I read an article in the a dressage magazine a few weeks ago about saddle fitting. When I finished reading the article I read it a second time. By the time I finished the article the second time I was convinced that:

1. My saddle did not fit my horse
2. The only way I could find a saddle that would fit my horse was with the help of a master saddler.

That being said, I really cannot afford a new saddle or a master saddler right now. Instead I called a friend who has several dressage saddles and asked to borrow one. The least I could do was put a better fitting saddle on my horse, right?

I took the "new" saddle to the barn and tried it on Secret. It looked like it fit, there was space in all the right places, but I really was not sure.

I took it home and Tim cleaned and oiled it for me. I took it back to the barn and put it back on Secret and looked again. I think it will work, but I really wish I had a master saddler.

At this point the barn owner asked me, "What's wrong with your old saddle?"

I told her that I did not think it fit. She reminded me that I had been working Secret in the "old" saddle since February 2009 and that she was making great progress and never showed any signs of pain or any of the classic symptoms of an ill-fitting saddle.

The barn owner has known me for years. She probably knows me better than I know me. I fessed up and told her about the article I read and how it made me completely question everything I knew about saddle fitting. She had read the same article and long story short believes that some horses need professional saddle fitters but a lot of horses can use regular saddles bought off the shelf without a master fitter, using the obvious signs that she and I use. Why is the article trying to convince us that we need master saddle fitters then? Her opinion (and I concur) is that people have discovered they can make money in the business of master saddle fitting and are therefore going to promote this business. Nothing wrong with that but not all horses need a master saddle fitter. My job as a horse owner and rider is to be aware enough to figure out which services my horse needs and which she does not.

I felt much better after our conversation, but I still had this saddle on loan from my friend. I decided to try riding in it anyway.

Sitting in this saddle was like coming home. I was instantly comfortable in the saddle. Don't get me wrong, I have a really nice saddle, but it is fairly new. My saddle has the high cantle, padded panels and thigh blocks that are standard on most dressage saddles now. That is a lot of saddle between you and the horse. My friend's saddle is twenty five years old. It was made before long billets on dressage saddles. When I sat in my friend's saddle it was like "oh there you are Secret." I needed fewer aids (i.e. not as strong a leg) to get my point across because there was a lot less saddle blocking my seat and leg.

Maybe I was not completely wrong in my original assessment about my saddle. The saddle fit the horse but did not fit me. For now Secret and I will be working in the "new" saddle.