10/06/2026
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As a saddle fitter, I see a lot of wild things in the field and often we arrive to a tack setup that looks less like riding gear and more like a game of structural Jenga.
Just the other week, I arrived at an appointment, walked up to a horse, and stared at a literal four-layer cake of equipment, consisting of a sheepskin half-pad stacked on top of a gel pad, topped with a rear riser, all held hostage by a breastplate.
I took a breath and gently asked the owner, "Walk me through what weāve got going on here."
She proudly explained the logic cascade: "Well, the saddle was sliding backward, so I added the breastplate to keep it in place. But then it started sitting way too low on his withers, so I put the thick gel pad under it. But that made me feel like I was in a chair seat and it was too low in the back, so I added the riser in to level my seat back out and the sheepskin is for increased shock-absorption!"
Alright. What started as one minor saddle fit issue had spiraled into a tactical tower of quick fixes, where every single piece of gear was added to solve a brand-new problem created by the last piece of gear, the classic tack room house of cards.
Many riders can probably relate, you get off your horse after a ride, notice something slightly "off" with your saddle, and reach into your tack room for a quick solution.
The saddle sits a little low in the back? Throw a rear riser under it.
The saddle slides backward during your ride? Add a breastplate.
Not enough clearance over the withers? Add a thick half pad.
Itās tempting to treat saddle fit like a game of whack-a-mole, fixing the visible problem and moving on with your day.
But using these quick fixes or band-aids to mask a fit issue is the equestrian equivalent of sticking black electrical tape over the "check engine" light on your dashboard. Sure, the warning light is hidden, but the problem with your engine is not resolved while you keep driving.
When you make a change in one spot to address a single issue without understanding the whole picture, you trigger a domino effect and guess who pays the price? Your horse.
Here is a look at three common "quick fixes" that riders often use without realizing the consequences of that choice.:
1. Adding a Rear Shim to "Fix" a Low Cantle
The Symptom: Your saddle looks like itās tipping backward, sitting too low in the cantle.
The Quick Fix: You put a rear riser or shims under the back of the saddle to lift the cantle and bring the seat back to level.
The Reality: Why was the saddle low in the back in the first place? Often, a saddle sits low behind not because it needs more support, but because the tree is too narrow in the front. When a tree is too narrow, it gets held up on the horse's withers like a clothespin.
By adding a rear shim, you haven't fixed the fit, youāve just elevated the back of a saddle that was already pinching the front and are now driving the rigid tree point directly into your horseās shoulders and withers with even more force, turning a minor imbalance into severe discomfort.
2. Using a Breastplate to Stop a Saddle from Sliding Back
The Symptom: You finish a ride and notice your saddle has shifted back.
The Quick Fix: You attach a breastplate to anchor the saddle forward.
The Reality: Saddles don't usually slide back for no reason. In many cases, a saddle migrates backward because your horseās shoulder blades are actively pushing the saddle out of the way so they can move freely.
When you attach a breastplate to force that saddle to stay put, you are locking the saddle right over the shoulder blades. Now, every single time your horse takes a stride, their shoulder blade is forced to slam into a tree that is either too narrow or angled incorrectly. You haven't solved the sliding issue, youāve just created immense pressure across the chest and restricted your horseās freedom of movement.
3. Stacking Half Pads for Wither Clearance
The Symptom: The saddle is sitting too close to your horse's withers.
The Quick Fix: You add a thick sheepskin or foam half pad to prop the saddle up.
The Reality: Imagine wearing a pair of running shoes that are a size too small, and deciding to fix the problem by putting on two pairs of thick winter socks. What happens? Your feet get squeezed even tighter.
Adding a bulky half pad under a saddle that lacks wither clearance often narrows the gullet channel even further, creating lateral pressure on the sides of the wither and spine. Worse yet, lifting the front of the saddle shifts the overall balance backward. Suddenly, you are riding off the cantle, putting unnecessary, concentrated weight on the weakest part of your horseās back.
None of this is to say that shims, half pads, or breastplates don't have their place, they can be incredibly useful tools when used intentionally as part of a comprehensive fitting strategy.
The danger arises when we treat gear as a band-aid for an unknown problem.
You cannot fix a fundamental structural failure with a quick fix from your tack room.
Your horseās back is constantly changing. Workload, age, fitness, diet, farrier cycles, and seasonal time off all alter the shape of their spine and shoulders.
A saddle that fitted beautifully six months ago may no longer be appropriate today.
Solving saddle fit issues isn't about treating symptoms, itās about finding root causes and that can only happen when you look at the fit of the saddle comprehensively.
