Canter: Before and After

B

BBP

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 July 2008
Messages
6,587
Visit site
I thought I would post these to show the difference a change of saddle and bridle can make. The rider sadly has not changed as much and so has heaps of bad habits to get out of...but I'm working on it! But it does mean that the changes in the photos can be attributed to the change in equipment rather than the rider magically having become perfect!

I have tried to find shots that show what typically was/is happening, rather than trying to find the worst and best that I could find, so they aren't flawless but hopefully you can see a nice improvement for us to build on.

Before: 17 inch thorowgood T4 saddle professionally fitted and regularly checked by master saddler/fitter. Canter was always weak and hollow and resistant with no power. Bridle was a lozenge snaffle. I can find the odd nice canter photo but the majority are poor like these.

2014-07-26%2012-28-49%20-%20IMG_1981_zpshhdyc3tg.jpg

2014-07-26%2012-28-50%20-%20IMG_1983_zps5su06ykj.jpg


Now - saddle is a 16 inch Heather Moffat Flexee Finesse (switched in September), bridle is a bitless sidepull (switched in July I think). We are just aiming to have fun and be fit, healthy and supple, so I'm pleased he seems more able to lift over his back now.

2016-12-31%2017-26-29%20-%20IMG_3490_zpsjyhzj1cj.jpg

2016-12-31%2017-26-43%20-%20IMG_3499_zps8ng6lwrj.jpg

2016-12-31%2017-26-44%20-%20IMG_3504_zpsttfluygm.jpg
 
Super glad you've found something that works for you both! :D Tried one of these saddles on a horse that someone was having a lot of difficulty with and it didnt fit at all!! She'd been riding in it for a few months and the fitter was there when i rode so i cautiously so not to offend asked her about the fit...she just stood there and told me it didnt....didnt really know what to say after that..
 
Wow. Trying to find more words to elaborate but this should be used as an example of how listening to the horse and finding appropriate solutions can make such amazing diferences - I have my own example... :)
 
TuscanBunnyGirl said:
Super glad you've found something that works for you both! :D Tried one of these saddles on a horse that someone was having a lot of difficulty with and it didnt fit at all!! She'd been riding in it for a few months and the fitter was there when i rode so i cautiously so not to offend asked her about the fit...she just stood there and told me it didnt....didnt really know what to say after that..
Click to expand...

Tricky isn't it, my brilliant fitter said the TG fitted but pony clearly resented it. I then tried another fitter who sold me a Kent and Masters which after 2 days killed my back and pony hated it. I then tried one of these and could t for the life of me get the local fitter to come out so I gave up and figured it out for myself. I figure if he goes brilliantly I'm doing okay, if he starts to resist then I've got something wrong. A few weeks ago he got a little more resistant again, when I double checked it was indeed too narrow (pony is bulking up!) so I switched up the gullet plates and he went back to being great. I'm sure this particular saddle wouldn't suit everyone but it goes to show what a difference the saddle can make even if your fitter says it's a perfect fit!
 
Demented Elf said:
Faatastic and quite a change ... loving the tinsel :)
Click to expand...

Thanks! (I had spent ages lattice plaiting his mane and running gold beads and other things through it but he hated it and kept shaking it, so I took it all out and stuck with the tinsel!)
 
FfionWinnie said:
Glad it's worked so well. I agree with him - TG saddles are horrible.
Click to expand...
If only I had realised sooner instead of constantly fighting a losing battle against my own position and his posture. I seem to be learning something new about what he is trying to tell me every day at the moment!
 
hollyandtheivy said:
Wow. Trying to find more words to elaborate but this should be used as an example of how listening to the horse and finding appropriate solutions can make such amazing diferences - I have my own example... :)
Click to expand...
Thank you, it's hard for me to put into words just how different he is to sit on now, from a rubbish 2015 with sacroiliac pain, headaches and ulcers to an incredible end of 2016 where he improves (and so do I) every time I sit on him and feels genuinely cheerful and happy to work.
 
KatPT said:
If only I had realised sooner instead of constantly fighting a losing battle against my own position and his posture. I seem to be learning something new about what he is trying to tell me every day at the moment!
Click to expand...

Trouble is we trust the experts. Saddle fitters seem to be the worst experts to trust! The more I learn about saddle fitting the more I feel let down by the "experts" I've employed.
 
KatPT said:
Thank you, it's hard for me to put into words just how different he is to sit on now, from a rubbish 2015 with sacroiliac pain, headaches and ulcers to an incredible end of 2016 where he improves (and so do I) every time I sit on him and feels genuinely cheerful and happy to work.
Click to expand...

Yes I could say the same for my mare :) so so pleased for you :) *happydance*
 
FfionWinnie said:
Trouble is we trust the experts. Saddle fitters seem to be the worst experts to trust! The more I learn about saddle fitting the more I feel let down by the "experts" I've employed.
Click to expand...

Amen to that.

Amazing transformation, Kat. I am totally in awe of you and the patience you have exhibited with BBP. How uphill is he travelling now!

I am desperately hoping we can find one of these to fit my girl - I think it may be the way forward with her. I am pretty convinced my T8 dressage saddle, which I did love very much actually, is contributing to all sorts of issues - not least because since being barefoot her muscles seem to be remodelling and I think that while it looks ok, it's not.
 
Im starting to think it's him who was super patient with me! All that loony behaviour trying to make it obvious he wasn't happy. He's still a loony but in a much nicer way!
 
The real expert on saddle fitting is the horse- even if the saddle fits perfectly according to the owner or fitter, the only one to listen to is the horse and whether they are happy.
 
KatPT said:
Im starting to think it's him who was super patient with me! All that loony behaviour trying to make it obvious he wasn't happy. He's still a loony but in a much nicer way!
Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing this thread out to me! Doing my new saddle fitting a bit before getting his bone scan done may make all the difference!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top