Australian Saddle Fitting Association recommend a 15 point saddle check
Did you know the Australian Saddle Fitting Association, ASFA, recommend 15 checkpoints for correct saddle fittings. Saddle-fitting is important to both horse and rider because a correctly fitting saddle, not only puts you in a good position for riding, but ensures your horse is in a saddle that will not cause any damage to the spine.
Correctly fitting saddle puts the rider in the correct position. Our rider is in a Wintec Trail saddle. Notice the good position of the riders leg in line with her shoulder.
Here are the 15 checks that the ASFA recommend, and that ASFA trained saddle-fitters will check when fitting your saddle.
5 Horse Behavioural Checks
Does he wince when you touch his back, or try to kick, bite or is generally not happy when you groom him or saddle him up?
Is he cold backed when mounted?
Does he generally resist your aids or does he go with False Collection?
Does he have muscle loss, dry spots, broken or white hairs?
Is he difficult to shoe or resists raising his legs?
5 Saddle Checks
Does your saddle tip you off balance either forwards, backwards or to one side or does the saddle just not feel right?
Is there less than 2 fingers clearance along saddle panels to his spine?
Does the saddle seem to have uneven pressure through the panels down behind your horse's shoulder or along his back?
Is your saddle new and has not been fitted?
Has it been more than 6 months since your last Saddle Fit?
5 General Checks
Has your horse recently come into work?
Has your horse's diet recently changed?
Has your horse recently recovered/recovering from an injury or illness?
Is your horse new?
Are you sharing a saddle with other horses?
You can find a host of saddle fitters in your local area on our Saddle Fitters page. The cost of a saddle fitting can range between providers. You can expect to pay anywhere from as low as $80 to as high as $150. And if your saddle requires any adjustments these may be charged in addition. However, this is a small price to pay for the benefits of riding in a safe and comfortable manner for both horse and rider.
