Why the saddle is the most important piece of kit you own

Horses are remarkably stoic. A horse with a saddle pressing into his shoulder blade or digging down onto his withers rarely squeals the moment you girth up. Instead, he starts to change. He plants his feet when you bring the saddle out, swings his hindquarters away as you tighten the girth, refuses to stand still to be mounted, or dips his back and rushes forward as soon as you get on.

Owners often read these behaviours as naughtiness, boredom or a training problem. In truth, back pain caused by poor saddle fit is one of the most common reasons a horse becomes "difficult" under saddle. It can also produce genuine lameness — a horse short on one rein, reluctant to go downhill, or stumbling behind is sometimes showing you a saddle problem rather than a leg problem.

The saddle has to carry your weight across a broad area of muscle, keeping it off the spine and the thin covering over the withers. When that fails, everything else in your horse's way of going tends to unravel. The good news is that most fitting faults are straightforward to spot once you know what to look for.

Wither clearance: always check this first

Stand your horse square on level ground with no numnah on. Place the saddle where it naturally settles, girth it lightly, and look along the gullet. You should be able to stack two to three fingers — roughly 5cm to 7cm — vertically between the top of the withers and the underside of the gullet.

Now have someone stand in the stirrups, or mount on a hard, flat surface and check again. Under a rider the clearance will drop, and you should still have a full two fingers of space. Anything less and the tree is probably too narrow for your horse.

• Too little clearance: the gullet presses directly onto the withers, causing sores, white hairs and a hollow over the back.
• Too much clearance: daylight under the whole length of the gullet usually means the saddle is too wide, sitting low on the shoulders and rocking from side to side.
• Uneven clearance: if the gap narrows at the back but not the front, the tree may be twisted — a job for a fitter, not a pad.

Run your hand along the withers with firm but gentle pressure. Feel for heat, swelling, a dip, or a hardened ridge. Those are signs the damage has already begun.

Panel balance: where the weight really goes

The panels are the padded sections underneath, and they are what actually distribute your weight. With the saddle girthed normally on a clean, dry back, view it from the side. It should sit fairly level. A slight dip towards the front is fine on many horses, but the deepest point of the seat should sit over the lowest part of the horse's back, usually just behind the wither.

Two faults are worth knowing by name. Bridging happens when the middle of the panel lifts clear of the back, concentrating all your weight on the front and rear edges. Rocking is the opposite — only the centre touches, and the saddle tips forward and back with every stride. Both cause pressure points and both need professional attention.

Your horse will often tell you himself. After a schooling session, look at the sweat marks on his back. A clean, even pattern across both panels is what you want. Dry patches surrounded by sweat are a classic sign of pressure, while a completely dry strip down the middle suggests the gullet is resting on the spine.

Finally, check the front edge of the panel. It should sit well behind the shoulder blade so the shoulder can swing freely. If you cannot slide your fingers between the panel and the shoulder, the saddle is too far forward.

Girth position and girthing up properly

The girth should hang vertically and sit around four fingers' width behind the elbow, resting naturally in the girth groove. Move it too far forward and it rubs behind the elbow and restricts the shoulder. Push it too far back and it drags the saddle forward onto the shoulders.

Tighten in stages rather than all at once. Bring the girth up to the first hole, walk a few steps, then take it up another hole when your horse has breathed out and relaxed. Repeat until it is snug — secure enough that the saddle does not shift, never so tight that you cannot slide a flat hand under the girth. Check the buckles are level on both sides so the pressure is even.

Check the girth again after ten minutes of work, and once more after any jumping or fast work. Elasticated girths with elastic at both ends distribute tension more evenly than a single elasticated end.

Signs your horse is asking for a change

Keep a mental note of anything new in his behaviour. Watch for girthiness, ears pinned during tacking up, fidgeting on mounting, a hollowed back, reluctance to move forward, resistance on one rein, refusing jumps he used to enjoy, or a sudden dislike of downhill work. Cold-backed behaviour — a stiff, humped first few minutes — is another common flag.

Physical clues matter too: white hairs under the saddle, muscle wastage behind the wither or shoulder, heat or swelling after work, or a horse who moves beautifully on the lunge and poorly under saddle.

Regular checks and sensible habits

Have your saddle professionally checked at least every six months for a mature horse in regular work, and every three months for a youngster, a horse returning from injury, or one whose weight is changing. A saddle that fitted perfectly in spring may need adjusting by autumn as muscle and condition change.

• Keep the flocking clean, dry and free of lumps.
• Store the saddle on a rack, never on the ground or on its pommel.
• Use a thin, clean cotton numnah. Thick pads used to disguise a poor fit simply mask the problem and add pressure.
• Re-check wither clearance and panel contact every few weeks, particularly after a change in workload.

No saddle fits forever, and no horse's back stays the same. Treat fitting as an ongoing conversation between you, your horse and a qualified fitter, and you will prevent a great deal of discomfort — and a great many behaviour problems — before they ever start.