Saddle Fit for the Polocrosse Horse
Horses are amazing athletes, giving their all for the athletic feats we ask them to do for our pleasure and competitive spirit.
If well trained, horses are usually willing participants in a variety of disciplines and sports, and polocrosse is no exception. Most seasoned polocrosse players have experienced the thrill of feeling their horse anticipate what the next move should be in a game. These horses give their all for us, and it is our responsibility to make sure they are not playing with pain.
Saddle fit seems at one level to be so basic, I have often had people tell me they have one saddle for multiple horses, of different breeds and spine shapes. I cringe when I hear this and I look at their herd and see a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The tall withered thoroughbred will need a very different saddle than a round, overweight pony type. Even a custom-made saddle which has been a great fit for years may suddenly be a poor fit if a horse loses or gains weight, or undergoes muscle mass changes. A small amount of knowledge to basic saddle fit will help the comfort of our equine partners. Understanding the differences of tree width and how saddles should contact a back will take the guess work out of purchasing a saddle.
Poor Saddle Fit
First, it is important to know that a poor saddle fit can manifest itself in a myriad of ways. Sometimes, before the horse shows overt signs of pain, a horse will give subtle cues that it resents the saddle. Reluctance to be caught, stomping or fidgeting while being tacked up, ears back or kicking for girthing, turning to look at saddle or even try to bite the saddler- all of these can be subtle signs of a saddle causing some pain.
During riding, reluctance to move forward, bucking, rearing, refusal to do what is asked can all indicate an unhappy horse.
Unfortunately, most of these could also be attributed to training issues, which is why being able to do some basic assessment of saddle fit is so important. My heart breaks when I think about the number of good horses discarded for “behavioural issues” when in reality they are in chronic pain for an ill-fitting saddle.
Further, it is important to know that there are other physical issues that could cause the same behaviours. Horses exhibiting a pain response for tightening a cinch may have gastric ulcers. These horses can show signs of discomfort and general grumpiness for anything involving riding and performance.
Horses can have back pathology unrelated to the saddle, such as “kissing spines” (where two or more adjacent dorsal spinous processes impinge on each other), fractures (most commonly in the withers), strained spinal ligaments, or muscle pain of the back musculature. I have even seen geldings with a large “bean” in their sheath show signs of resenting saddling, which resolved as soon as they were cleaned. Therefore, an initial assessment by a veterinarian is important to make sure there are no other problems.
Saddle Evaluation
To begin saddle evaluation, the horse should be standing on flat, level ground and as square as possible. The initial saddle assessment should be done without the use of a saddle pad. This allows better evaluation of the shape of the saddle in relation to the horse’s back without the confusion of added cushion.
- The saddle should be placed on the horse’s back a bit more forward than where it rests, so it can slide backwards along the hair pattern into the proper placement.
- It is important to have the saddle tree BEHIND the entire scapula (shoulder) so that it does not interfere with the movement of the shoulder. Some saddles (especially Western type) have decorative leather that is not a part of the tree, so locate the front of the bar of the tree to evaluate this. Staying behind the shoulder is especially important for a horse needing to make sudden starts such as a polocrosse horse.
- Once the saddle slides back into place, it should feel as if it almost locks into place.
- Next, evaluate the space at the withers between the top of the withers and where the pommel sits.
A new saddle should have 3-4 stacked fingers space, a used saddle 2-3 stacked fingers space.
The cantle should be slightly higher than the pommel, and the panels should feel like they are in contact with the horse’s back from the front to the back. If there is a gap, known as bridging, there will be a section of the horses back that has not contact with the saddle. The result of this will be extreme pressure where it makes contact, and will likely result in pain.
To assess for bridging, run one hand under the panels while your other hand presses down on the seat, mimicking a seated rider. This also allows to check for pressure points. Compare the left side to the right side of the saddle. This evaluates for overall saddle contact, and is one of the most important parts of saddle fitting.
Other Saddle Checks
Saddle Rocking:
Another helpful thing is to check for rocking of the saddle. Longitudinal rocking of the saddle can be done with one hand on the top of the pommel, and one hand on the top of the cantle, and try to rock the saddle (from ears to tail) without moving the saddle in its position on the horse’s back. There should be ½ inch or less vertical displacement at front and back of saddle for a correct fit. If more than this, the horse’s back is likely too flat for this saddle or the saddle has too much curvature for this horse.
Saddle Length:
Evaluating the saddle for length is also important. There should be approximately 4 inches space between the tuber coxae (hip bone) and the back of the saddle. Any less than this and the saddle will interfere with the horse’s hind quarters.
Check that the back of the saddle does not have any lacing that might rub the horse’s spine. The saddle should not place pressure on the actual bones of the spinal column anywhere along the saddle length. This is easily checked by looking through the saddle while standing at the back of the horse. This is a good position for checking saddle contact with the horse’s body, as well.
Next, check the saddle with the girth tightened. There should still be 2-3 fingers between the pommel and the horse’s withers. The cinch should go approximately 1 inch behind the elbow, and should be snug enough to keep the saddle in place (especially for a sport like polocrosse which involves the rider leaning off to the side). However, overly tightened girths can result in respiratory compromise, so make sure you can fit 2 fingers in between the girth and the horse’s chest.
Saddle Pad:
Finally, assess the saddle with the pad. Saddle pads are used for cushion, shock absorbing, and for comfort of the horse. They absorb sweat, and help to decrease saddle slippage.
An ideal saddle pad should be soft, non-slip, and contoured to match the shape of the horse’s back as well as the shape of the saddle. Saddle pads can help with mild to moderate issues with a saddle fit, but if too many shims and wedges are needed in a saddle pad, chances are the saddle is not a good fit for that horse. With a saddle pad in place, the saddle should still fit the contour of the horse’s back and still have good withers clearance.
Keep in mind the amount or stress you are putting on your horse’s back, especially for a sport such as polocrosse, where the horse is constantly accelerating and decelerating and turning.
Taking some time to ensure the horse is comfortable will help ensure a more enjoyable experience. Seek professional help if you have any doubts.
This article just touches the surface of saddle fit. Master Saddle fitters study the art of saddle fitting much more in depth, and can offer invaluable guidance.
Also, if a horse has chronic back pain from an ill-fitting saddle, it will take some time to recover even when the saddle fit is corrected. This is when help from a good equine chiropractor or veterinarian who deals with back pain can be helpful.
We ask so much of our equine athletes, and it is our duty to ensure their comfort whenever possible.
If you are interested in learning more about ensuring correct saddle fit for your horses, please send me an email.
Kristin Doust, DVM
Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner | Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, |International Veterinary Chiropractic Association | Certified Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians | Certified Companion Animal Pain Management
Article first appeared in the American Polocrosse Magazine, Winter 2018/2019