Does your saddle fit?
Ever get the feeling that your horse is trying to tell you something? Perhaps his eye hardens or he doesn’t seem as comfortable moving out anymore. Maybe his reaction is more noticeable, taking the form of bucking, flinching, or moving away when you try to saddle him up. Unfortunately many of these “reactions” can easily be chalked up to disobedience rather than discomfort. This “gray” area is a very common source of frustration for the horse owner. Although the majority of us wish that our horses could just tell us about their problems, it is a good bet that your saddle is a part of the problem. A surprisingly large number of horses have or have previously had poor fitting saddles.This not only creates discomfort due to pressure points or bridging, but can also seriously affect the muscular system, nervous system, kidneys, and the integrity of the skeletal system.
Here are a couple of simple tests to determine whether your saddle is fitting…