THOUGHTS on the topic: saddle must also fit for the rider Everyone knows that the saddle must fit the horse, but what is about the rider? As a trainer, I know this problem very well, I has to use often absolutely inappropriate saddles (for me). They push me more into the hollow back, my knees (thigh) are fixed orthey limit my hip mobility. Sometimes a combination of strong knee pads, small sitting area and deep seat forces me into this saddle where no movement of my legs or my pelvis is still possible and I can not sit these horses although I do my best. Unfortunately, it is much rarely considered and dismissed often as sitting-problem of the rider. However, the causes are a not sufficient large seating area of the saddle, no matching saddle flaps (high knee pads), stirrup anchoring, depth/width/form of the seat. You just know you do not feel well. Your back, ankles or knees hurt. You simply can not get into the horses movements, as you are unconsciously and permanently in muscular tension all the time. Even in rising trot it requires an enormous effort not to lose the artificial equilibrium. The angulation of the joints and the upper body position must be maintained with large muscular effort - the balance of the rider is static. It is not dynamically adaptable to the movements of the horse. The shoulder, jaw, and subsequently the hands of the rider become stiff. A sudden faster movement will bring this artificial structure very slightly out of balance, first you have hard contact with the saddles end and subsequently in the next second, with the thighs at the knee pads, in worst case with the pubic bone (I had a hospital stay, because my ureter was blocked by the impact of a hard contact). These impacts, however, are extremely painful not only for the rider, but of course for the horse with the sensitive scapula cartilage. You can therefore never sit really relaxed in the horses movement or sit without disturbing it. Furthermore, your stiffness will never make you feel the horses back, a possible horse tension, when it wants to flee. Or you will never feel which leg will be lifted or which leg is hesitant or wrong placed. Important missing information for the rider! Significant details for supporting the horses movement deliberately, slowing down or for just going passively with the movement.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 17:57:48 +0000
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