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 BHW New Catch of the Day
Posts: 9884
    
Location: Missouri | How does changing your saddle make your horse perform better?
Does a saddle change give you better turns?
Does a saddle change add speed?
And go........... |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | My thought is that it doesn't restrict movement,which helps horse perform better. |
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BHW New Catch of the Day
Posts: 9884
Location: Missouri | hammer_time - 2016-12-06 8:52 AM My thought is that it doesn't restrict movement,which helps horse perform better.
How do you know the saddle you are currently using is restricting movement? |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | The theory is is if your saddle fits properly it is more comfortable for the horse which means he can perform at his best. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | Since I've changed saddles, although I have noticed that it fits my mare MUCH better, I've noticed more how it changed ME. I always felt like I was leaning in and forward in my turns. More over her neck instead of sitting deep. Since the switch, I can finally sit correctly in a turn. I have used my old saddle since off and on, and I go right back to leaning. So although it may feel better for my mare, per sweatmarks and how it feels to run my hand under it, it has helped me more than her. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | I was riding my mare in a saddle that did not fit correctly. She was still going slow, so I just used a built up pad until I could get the right fit. Once I got a saddle that fit her well, I noticed a big change in her turns. Mainly, her approach, when she set up for the turn. She was able to move much more freely and confidently. There was an even bigger change in the way she worked when I added a never tight girth. I could tell she was much more comfortable. |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | While I do think saddle fit for the horse is important, I believe how the saddle fits and sits YOU is equally if not more important. Balance for the rider as far as where the fenders hang your feet, where it sits you and how it allows you to move, sit, etc is just as important. No matter how well a tree fits a horse, if it doesn't ride balanced and is causing the rider to be too forward or have too much movement, then the horse will be sored from that pressure. If a saddle is constantly pitching a rider forward, then there will be more pressure applied to the front (bars) of the saddle. I have fought this issue for years with barrel saddles, which is why I began riding cutting saddles. They sit you balanced with your feet where they should be.
So yes, I do feel like the right fitting saddle will encourage speed both on a straight and through a turn, especially for a rider who knows how to manipulate their body and weight to increase the efficiency of both. However I think more emphasis should be placed on how it fits the rider than is now. There are only a handful of tree makers out there, and yes, I know there are some companies who make their own trees, but fit and balance of the saddle for the rider is equally as important as how the tree fits the horse in my opinion. |
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