Thursday, January 27, 2011

Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Poorly Fitted Saddles are Bad for Your Horse

The saddle is an essential piece of equipment for
any horse rider, and yet so many people take for
granted how much of a powerful tool it can be. A
horse riding saddle that is fitted correctly can
have a big effect on your horse when he is
working, allowing him to be happier and more
comfortable which in turn will allow him to carry
himself correctly and perform to the best of his
ability.

In the same way that we would choose a pair of
shoes for a child, the saddle that we put on a
horse's back should fit perfectly, without
rubbing or pinching. You wouldn't ask a child to
take part in their physical education class
wearing an ill-fitting pair of shoes without
expecting them to experience some discomfort.
This is no different to asking horses to wear
ill-fitting horse riding saddles.

Just like humans, horses will rarely remain the
same shape forever. This could be for many
reasons; whether they are growing or aging, they
are out of work with an injury or coming back
into shape. Perhaps they are gaining or losing
weight simply because of the time of the year.
Bearing this in mind, it would be crazy to think
that the same saddle could fit a horse for all of
its life, and yet how many of us can honestly say
that we check the fit of our horse riding saddles
on a regular basis?

A poorly fitted saddle can have detrimental
effects on the horse and truly limit their
performance. Soreness and bruising around the
withers and along the spine are common effects of
horse riding saddles that are too narrow and
pinch the back. Over many months this can cause
long term damage to the spine and back muscles.
In the same way, saddles that are too wide place
rider weight onto the wrong parts of the back,
overloading sensitive areas with too much
pressure, resulting in permanent structural
damage to the spine and nerves. It could even
restrict performance of the horse permanently.

Think also about the length of the saddle. The
sensitive loin area is not able to carry weight.
Saddles that are too long will extend onto this
area causing pain and discomfort for the horse.
It can also cause muscular damage, poor muscular
development or even damage to the kidneys and
surrounding nerves and tissues.

In order to enable the horse to work to the best
of his abilities he must be comfortable, happy
and able to carry himself naturally, moving with
freedom and without pain or discomfort. When
pain, bruising and muscular problems are incurred
over long periods of time this discomfort is
likely to cause the horse to compensate for the
incorrectly fitted horse riding saddle. He will
carry himself incorrectly, causing muscles to
develop incorrectly and further reducing his
performance. If he is in pain, it is likely that
he could develop some aversion to be ridden and
start to display some behavioural problems. The
problems caused by ill-fitting horse riding
saddles don't always display themselves straight
away, and by the time that they do, the damage is
already done. For the sake of your horse, and
ultimately for his owner it is essential to
regularly check the fit of your saddle.


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The Equine Store is packed full of great products
for horse and rider, including horse riding
saddles in standard sizes or made to measure.
Please visit the shop at
http://www.equine-store.com and use customer code
'newcus01' to receive 10% off your first order.


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