Saddle Fitting Day

Last year about this time I went to see a saddle fitting expert. I was embarrassed I'd never had my kneidersuss reflocked or adjusted or anything in the 15 years I'd owned it. It was hard as a rock.

It was obviously a relic. Our saddle fitter, Anne Forrest from Equestrian Imports, recommended something completely new. Over the course of an afternoon I tried maybe five different saddles--and finally settled on the new, and frighteningly priced Amerigo. But here's the thing: The minute I sat in it, I was more balanced and my horse more forward than he'd ever been.

Today I went back to see Anne on her annual visit--There has been much improvement over the year with both my riding and Baleno's way of going. But still there was a bit of trepidation: What if she found the saddle unacceptable and I ended up having to buy yet another new one? Alas--worry for nothing. Anne just reflocked the panels to make them more even (not surprisingly the right side was more compressed than the left, owing to my own riding imperfections, of which there are many). Otherwise, the new (year old) saddle still fits great.

Why don't more people understand the importance of saddle fit? How many horses are out there with sore backs because of they've never taken the time to make sure their tack is correct? I know I was one of those people not so very long ago.