18/09/2026
Saddle placement!
Helped by ai as my drawing skills are rubbish 😜
This has always been a bit of a tendency with lots of riders but this last week I’ve come across it 3 times where the riders were having real issues in the horse’s way of going, with obvious tension, resistance and shorter steps. The shoulder blade ( scapula) rotates as the horse moves.
If the saddle sits on or too close to the leading edge, it can majorly affect the comfort, performance and behaviour of the horse as it will impede the ability the rotate smoothly under the panel of the saddle. It will also affect the balance of the saddle, meaning that the rider is often put in the wrong part of the seat, and the girth can end up too close to the sensitive elbow area .
Try finding the edge of the scapula, then feeling where it is in relation to the front of your saddle tree ( the rigid part of the saddle… head plate and points) Panel ( squishy underneath bit) is fine to sit over the shoulder but the tree must sit far enough behind to allow the rotation to happen without the scapula hitting the tree points . This can be more difficult with horses who have a forward girth groove and/ or a bit of a tummy! Discuss with your fitter what the best options are for girth shape and which billets to use when girthing , it really can make a huge difference x
