I feel really stupid.......

S

Seahorse

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I've had horses for 25 years and I still can't put a saddle on properly!!

Had the saddler out yesterday as I didn't think Axeys saddle fitted him properly, I've been faffing about trying to get a medium wide gullet for my Wintec Isabel saddle, but decided in the end to get Saddle fitter out and buy the gullet from him. He put the saddle on Axel and said it was fine, didn't need another gullet. Then we went into the school and he watched me ride, well Axey went like a dream! Much better than he does normally.
Well it turns out that I have been putting my saddle too far forward and this is unbalancing me and causing Axey to hollow, I couldn't believe it when he told me
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I'm pleased I got him out tho, if I had managed to get another, wider gullet and changed it myself the saddle wouldn't have fitted him at all, and would have caused more problems! Even tho it cost me £50 to find out
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Yes its quite common to do that and I remember my younger days of learning about tacking up and it was never really mentioned about saddles being too far forward.
People don't realise how far up the horses shoulders go and how far back they come so its important to allow them clearance in this area for comfort and movement.
Don't worry, it took me ages before I realised that too!!
 
Its funny because it always looked too far forward, but when I moved it back a bit it looked too far back, if that makes sense!!
Apparently the girth should be at an angle?

I feel particularly foolish because I've been a dressage groom for 10 years and my ex boss was very fussy about where her saddle went and was always telling me to put it further back when I first worked for her
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Sam x
 
You're right about the girth, again most people have it right behind the front legs when it should be slightly further back and due to shape of horses chest it does look on an angle.
 
Loads of people put the saddles far too forward & it interferes with the movement of the horse. Some of the worst offenders for some reason appear to be show jumpers, don't really know why but you see this at lot at shows.
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90% of people put their saddles on and then should move it 3 inches back. Look at the saddle and if it is either not level on the horse's back, or looks like it is covering up their shoulder, then it is too far forwards.
 
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