High Plains Saddle Fitting, JH-C LLC

09/14/2026

I know these things from experience! And these are some of the ways that our advertisement, consumeristic culture helps us put logic behind buying something cheaper for now while we “save up” for something of higher quality. Spending money now doesn’t help@us save. And oftentimes, buying that cheaper thing was a complete waste. The horse world may be worse about this than some other areas, because all of that advertising hooks into our wanting to care for our horses. They know what they’re doing there. This is my advice. When possible, save up for the nice thing without buying the cheap one to get by in the interim. Real wool pads over synthetic blends. A leather girth over a synthetic one. There is a difference in these materials, and a reason why one is cheaper. 😘

09/13/2026

Just me stepping back up on my soapbox about saddles with narrow twists on wide horses. This is a decent image showing what that would look like on this broad horse’s back. Way too narrow, everywhere, but especially the base of the wither, under where that narrow twist is. SADDLES WITH NARROW TWISTS DON’T FIT BROAD HORSES. Period.

If you are horse shopping and know that you need a narrow -twist-thigh-seat- really anything with the word narrow, dont buy a creature that looks like this.

This is my potato chonk princess who is a delightful sofa if you also like a wide twist. To put her in a narrow twisted saddle would be physically impossible, or outright cruel. The only compromise would be to build up the saddle sooooo tall that you compromise stability.

To understand why, lets look at the sketch. Everything in blue and teal shows where and how a proper tree would fit her, giving clearance for her spine and ligaments, and allowing the saddle to wrap around her for ample security without sticky pads. The red is what a narrow twist would look like if put on her back. You can see how that would inhibit her topline from lifting, and put pressure on the structures that cannot take weight. It also doesn't look terribly stable.

Us fitters have some tricks up our sleeves to make things more accommodating, like stirrup bar placementsand seat bellies, but a true mismatch where horse and rider are on opposite ends of the spectrum is an impossible ask.

09/12/2026

The shape of these trees is precisely why we are such a big fan of these saddles. Add that the fitters are able to add longer tree points, or choose standard length, depending on the horse’s conformation, swap the panels out for a different configuration when needed, adjust the flap configuration in some models…the adjustability is unparalleled, and the comfort they provide to both horse and rider is too.

09/03/2026

So grateful for all of the options to tweak rider fit in these saddles!

09/03/2026

I couldn’t have said it better myself! Find the saddle that works for YOU and YOUR HORSE!

08/29/2026

Zippy moved to a new herd in the beginning of August. It can be tough business for a horse to find their place in a new herd. A couple weeks in, the owner of the property opened the gate to the arena, where there are a number of obstacles set up, to let the horses in overnight if they wanted. The next day, she came out to find the jumps and barrels knocked down and pushed around, and the mattress shredded. When I came to feed Zippy that evening, and went into the pasture to spend time with him afterward, he led me right to the mattress in the arena. Do you think he’s showing me his handy work? Did he take his frustrations out on that mattress? I think so.

08/28/2026

Holy moly the cicadas are LOUD! I thought I’d unbox these saddles with you more for the opportunity to talk about how different panel types can help the same tree for horses who are a bit different confirmationally. This tree is made for horses who are broader than the typical horse, who fall somewhere in between a more standard tree shape and a hoop tree. I like to put the traditional gusseted panels on those who are straight from front to back to a bit uphill. For the performance “bag” panels, I choose those for horses who are group high, downhill, or with a bit more shape from front to back. I love having the option of doing either.

08/27/2026

I think that for many of us, this whole horsemanship thing has been quite the journey. We start in lesson programs, with patient horses who put up with our lack of balance and strength, hands still learning to be soft. We know that lesson programs are often operating on small margins, and frequently, the only horses quiet enough to teach beginners are aged and have maintenance. Whether they receive that maintenance is another conversation entirely. We know that “motion is lotion,” and many horses who are stiff and sore do better with movement. And what is right and wrong as far as when to stop riding a horse due to their level of pain is a tougher call for some than others. The real tragedy is that so many of these horses are displaying MANY pain responses, and riders are instructed to correct those responses, to not let them “get away with it” because the horse is being “naughty.” And the riders listen. And the horses shut down. They are being told that they are not allowed to say no. Instead of finding ways to support them through their pain and weaknesses, we punish them for them. And then one day, a horse comes along that helps the rider open their eyes. And they have a whole lot of grief and mourning to do for the ways that they participated in it. And so much to learn about how to move forward in a more supportive way for the horse.

08/19/2026

Join us for a conversation on IG around what saddle fitter education can look like, and how to wade through it to help decide who to choose to best help you and your horse.