How do you break a saddle?

Well, it would take more tha just falling off a stable door, more like the horse rolling with it on etc...

Does it creak/ give when you squeeze cantle and pommel towards each other?
 
I used to ride a riding school horse and could feel the saddle click continually. I kept telling them this, but they kept telling me that the tree was fine. Eventually the horse had to be off work with a bad back due to 1 of the ribs in the saddle being broken. Seems my bum was right all along!
 
I broke a saddle tree once as my pony & I had an accident involving a ditch & a somersault & I got rolled on. Didn't do my back much good either, so I wouldn't recommend it!! The saddle was clicking afterwards.
 
What make and model of saddle was it. So many are synthetic trees now and they are virtually indestructable.

A horse of mine broke a tree the day after getting his brand new Barry Swain Saddle. I came off XC - he bolted and galloped towards a gate which was hanging at 5ft. He picked up in front but caught a leg and somersaulted over the top of the gate at an angle landing in a ditch to one side of the gate. He landed with his neck twisted under him - on his back with the cantle bent to touch the pommel. I boxed it all up - sent it back to Barry and 3 days later received the saddle back with a new tree. It was covered on my insurance.

If you have extended contents insurance you can include your saddle on it and that will cover damage accidentally sustained away from home.
 
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