MISSION IMPOSSIBLEIt
is generally accepted and taught by the British Horse Society, The Pony
Club, the Society of Master Saddlers and others that when fitting a
saddle the panel should not extend beyond the last (eighteenth) rib in
order that no weight is imposed upon the loins. In theory this is a
very laudable aim since the area most capable of bearing weight is the
rib cage, which of course ends at the last rib. However the second main
principle which is taught, is that no part of the saddle should impede
movement of the shoulder blade, enabling the horse complete freedom of
movement. Consequently the area upon which it is permissible to locate
the saddle will extend from a point approximately 2/3 inches behind the
back top angle of the shoulder blade to the point where the last
(eighteenth) rib joins the vertebral column.
This is the stated aim, which in theory is the most desirable object of
the exercise. Regrettably it is my experience that it is not possible
to get behind the shoulder without part of the panel extending beyond
the last rib because there is not sufficient room to achieve this. What
is essential however if the horse is to move freely is to leave the
shoulder blade to move unimpeded. It, therefore, comes down to a choice
and it is my opinion that the lesser of the evils is to accept the
inevitability that a small part of the panel will in fact of necessity
extend beyond the last rib.
In any event it is essential that the saddle sits in balance, otherwise
neither the horse nor the rider will be in balance. My definition of
balance is "to position the saddle on the back in such a way that the
rider will be forced to sit in the centre of the seat of the saddle so
that their weight is evenly distributed over the panel from front to
back". In order to achieve this it will be essential that the centre of
the saddle is positioned directly over the deepest part of the back. A
horse has eighteen pairs of ribs and the same number of dorsal
vertebrae, the first thirteen sloping backwards, the fourteenth UPRIGHT
and the last four sloping forwards. In most horses the fourteenth
vertebra is also located in the deepest part of the back and I would
ask you to study the skeletal diagram displayed with this article,
particularly the inset portion which shows the saddle located in the
centre of the back, where the centre of the seat is located directly
over the deepest part of the back and over the fourteenth dorsal
vertebra, enabling the rider to sit in balance in the centre of the
seat of the saddle. However, it can also be seen that it is only ribs
sixteen, seventeen and eighteen which can support the back half of the
panel. The part of the panel which will be in contact with the back
will measure 19"-20" with a 17"/18" saddle and since the centre of the
panel is located over the fourteenth vertebra, ten inches of the panel
must be carried by the last three ribs and it can be seen from the
diagram that this is not possible and that the last few inches of the
panel will of necessity extend beyond the last (eighteenth) rib.
However it is my belief that no significant problems will arise from a
small part of the panel extending over the loins. Firstly this is
superimposed weight and secondly the greatest depth of flocking is
contained in the back of the panel, which will absorb part of the
pressure. Certainly if it is accepted that it is impossible to get both
behind the shoulder but not beyond the last rib, the lesser of the
evils is to leave the shoulder unimpeded.
It was Major Francis Dwyer, a famous 19th century cavalry officer, who
said "the saddle in the centre of the back and the rider in the centre
of the saddle should be the guiding principle when fitting a saddle".
He called the fourteenth vertebra "the keystone of the arch" and if you
think of the back as an upside down arch, the fourteenth vertebra would
indeed represent the keystone, which of course is always the top stone
of the arch. It is of course not possible to see the vertebrae, but you
will see from the illustration that the fourteenth is located at the
deepest part of the back, which is where you will be obliged to sit in
any event because of the law of gravity.
It is a well known fact among saddle fitters that the vast majority of
riders place their saddles too far forward. I believe this it taught by
the BHS and Pony Club in an attempt not to impose any weight on the
loins, ignoring for unknown reasons that in so doing they will be
impeding the free movement of the shoulder and forcing the rider to sit
on the back instead of the centre of the seat and out of balance.
Interestingly the "Riding Seat" style of riding using mostly American
bred "gaited" horses such as the "Tennessee Walking", "Saddle Bred" and
"Morgan" types where riders use the "Lane Fox" flat-seated style of
saddle with a very cut back head enabling them to purposefully sit
directly over the loins. This of course goes against everything
previously taught but it works for them apparently without any ill
effect on the horse.
Very confusing this saddle-fitting job?!
