Recorded: January 2022

Part of the Online Lecture Series on Saddle Fit Assessment for Equine Veterinarians

CONTENT DESCRIPTION

Module 1

The first series of lectures illustrate how to take into consideration a horse’s conformation, its shoulders, back and girth region and to assess these areas for discomfort, injury or asymmetry. A gait assessment will furthermore reveal any gait abnormalities that could influence the saddle fit, or possibly indicate an underlying medical problem requiring veterinary attention prior to the fitting of a saddle.

This will be followed by a review of the different English-style saddle components and materials, the difference in shapes of trees and panels and how these, combined with girth strap positioning, influence the saddle fit.

Assessment of an English-style saddle for ‘soundness’ and straightness will wrap up this module. Broken trees are surprisingly common, and many saddles are not straight through the tree or panels. Either of these factors can severely affect a horse’s performance and even lead to lameness under saddle, which might be in stark contrast to the horse’s gait in hand or on the lunge.

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