Position of the saddle

[DEBZ]

Silly question I'm sure but could you advise me how to check that it is in the correct position ? I have never owned or put on a dressage saddle before.


Thanks:p

[andreaB]

personally i would say that if you have never owned or fitted one before that you need an experienced fitter to do the job ,& to check the saddle with you in it , it's difficult to explain without a physical demo & all horses are slightly different , & of course a badly fitted or positioned saddle can do so much damage to the horse

[DEBZ]

Sorry, obviously my question was a little ambiguous. My saddle is new and was made to measure. My saddler checked the fit and saw me ride.

It was only after she had gone and I tacked up for the first time that I started to worry. This may sound silly but I am only used to his GP saddle and am worrying in case it is too far back or too far forward. Are there no general guidelines for different saddles ?

[Daffy Dilly]

Based on the fact it's fitted, the way I, and most others I've seen, do it, is to place the saddle just on the withers (but not hard obviously) and gently slide it back to where it sits. I've never had a horse where the saddle didn't "sit" in a particular place, and so far in my experience that has always been the right place for it to be, at that point in time.

ETA, that's the way I've always done *any* saddle.

[jovi_y2k2]

basically it is it the same for all saddles, it needs to be positioned so that the points of the saddle sit behind the shoulder blades so that the saddle doesnt move about with the movement of the shoulder blades

[emlybob]

I agree the saddle should sit behind the shoulder blades then it does not interfere with the horses movement. most people fit them too far forward

[VickieB]

I agree the saddle should sit behind the shoulder blades then it does not interfere with the horses movement. most people fit them too far forward

Just what I was going to say :)

[Sammii]

Whilst training for the BHS Stage 1 & 2, we were taught at the RS that you place the saddle carefully in a "far too forward" position, you then slowly slide it back until it's just past the shoulder blade to ensure it doesn't interfere with the horses movements.Then slowly manouevre it until it is in a position where it sits firmly and takes a wee bit more pressure to move.