Couple of days ago a horse at work had a new saddle put on him. It was thought to be the exact same as his old saddle, but when he was ridden he felt all bunched up and tense and like he was going to buck the rider off any minute. Looking at the saddle we found out the gullet was 2 sizes smaller then his old one!! Poor thing would have been so pinched! Next day I put his old saddle on and he went round like a dream :) getting the chiro out tomorrow to make sure he wasn't thrown out but the poor bugger was so sensitive and honest, love him to bits :)

I had an all purpose saddle I was riding in that I eventually replaced with a custom dressage saddle. I rode in the dressage saddle all fall and winter. When I went to do some grid work in the spring I put the all purpose back on and some of our old habits and disagreements came right back. She was hollowing, short striding and really throwing her right should down. She would start to offer collection at the trot and then run away into the canter with her head up. When I asked her to transition down to trot she ignored me and kept cantering. After about 15 minutes of every bad habit we've ever had coming back all at once I decided this saddle had always been a big problem and got off before it could cause her any more discomfort. I feel bad she spent any amount of time uncomfortable.

I second reading the saddle fir book Callie has recommended. Mine is also ear marked with notes everywhere.......very informative! My girl came to me me with a few white marks from ill fitting saddles and I promised her we would get a good one.......she has very wide shoulders. 2 years later I think I found found it!......It just arrived and I could only ride once before we began a few days of rare rain here in New Mexico.......though she seemed comfortable and easy moving. A few more rides will tell.....thank you Callie for your videos, leslie

I feel a bit guilty watching this, knowing that I really didn't know this when I was younger. Not standing still at the mounting block was the first sign, but I had a trainer at the time who pretty much called everything a disobedience problem.

I had a too narrow saddle on a mutton withered horse once and it was obvious that she needed a wide tree because the saddle started slipping to the side.

Thanks

I'm requesting a saddle fitting for the 28 yr old gelding I free lease. He has been baulking at the mounting block, just recently reached around to bite at my toe and has a new white patch of hair under his saddle. He was a lesson horse for many years, I was told, and is quite girthy from that they say. He already had a white patch at the wither but I'm told that is very old and his owner does not think her Wintec adjustable all purpose saddle is the cause. I worry he isn't comfortable, so I'm scheduling a saddle fitting.

I glad I ride western. I have a 4" 90° wade. I've ridden Arabs and thoroughbreds to big broad Morgans. That saddle hasn't sored any horses. It seems my English riding friends have more trouble with good fit. I often wonder if that isn't why my thoroughbred was so tight when I got her.

My mare tries to turn her head around and nip at my boot. I'm still trying to find a good fitting saddle 🤦

bit of a late comment, I got a saddle for Christmas last year and my horse goes much better in it and doesn't show signs of pain, the only issue is when I'm jumping as she JUST takes off it lifts a bit but then it goes back to normal as she's going over the jump, she's comfortable in it and as I said she goes a lot better in it with her schooling, jumping, hacking etc and she's much more forward and engages her hind end which she didn't do in her last saddle, I think I should still get a saddle fitter out though!

My horse would constantly pull her head away and never relax in work, she just wouldn't let the tention out of her body and kept pulling the bit and shaking her head

How about a horse that doesn't want to stop? He just keeps creaping forwards until I insist on stoping? I'm working on saddle fit because he's a very willing horse but I really had to work on getting him to stand still at the mounting block. Now he does stand but gets agitated when he sees the saddle. I have an adjustable saddle but its difficult to get just right.

I ended up having to fit my saddle with a pad. I had a saddle fitter come out and fit it. I don't agree with fitting a saddle with a pad but it was the only option I had with my horse. It doesn't pinch him but he's still girthy. He's not as girthy as the horse in your video but maybe that's just his nature? he's a really easy going guy. I put a bareback pad on him and he still threw his head a bit but I'm thinking a lot of his girthyness is from his track days because he's been like this since when I first tried him. I was just wondering if you think it could just be an old behavior or if you think its anything else?

so if hair is a bit ruffed up in a spot when you take saddle off, that's a bad sign?

I would prefer to put the 800 to a saddle and hire a saddle fitter..

Too much space between wither and pommel. Also saddle rolling to side and not staying centered. Frustrating for me and my mare!

Saddle began to rise on the back

$800 for the book on Amazon? I don't think so.

Generally miserable once he sees the saddle, rushing, very forward, hardly any breaks, hollowing, enlarged nostrils, also “girthy” meaning violently turning his head with ears pinned towards the person putting girth. We have new saddle now!

Personally. I can't figure it out. I read and watch and watch and read....and it doesn't help. i seem to be unable to figure fit out. And some peopIe I ask are just as clueless as me. I can't afford expensive good saddles for a start. I hate western saddles, and I can't have knee pads due to really painful knees. I have a good cutback, but it is not good for trail riding, too hard to sit on between my seat bones and tissue. seat pads are usually not the answer for me. It has been an awful dilemma.

How is it possible that this book is $800?!?!