From: Pam
I've read through all the q/a's on saddles in your website (and THANK YOU for such great info!) but fail to find an answer to my question.
I recently purchased a western saddle (no name, just American made) that looks brand new. It SEEMS to fit my TW, and he seems to have no problem with it, but I am wondering about the fit over the shoulders. It seems to be awfully tight on the shoulders, whereas my other two saddles, an old Hereford and a new Cordura only seem to lie on the shoulders, not dig in.
This saddle seems almost to 'dig in' to his shoulders. It's hard to explain.
Its the two areas that begin to touch the shoulders and it almost curves in and grabs - in other words, the other saddles just lie there.... should I be concerned?
thanks
Pam
Hi Pam! Yes, you should be concerned. Your other saddles allow your horse's shoulders to move freely; one that "digs in" will NOT. You should be able to slide your hand between the horse and the saddle -- if you can't, that's a clear indication that the saddle doesn't fit. If the saddle actually digs into his shoulders, don't even ride him in it -- it will only cause pain (and, eventually, unwanted behaviour).
If you're not sure whether or how much it is digging into his shoulders, try riding him for a few minutes in all three of your saddles, with this one LAST, and notice any changes in his movement and behaviour.
If he stiffens his back and begins to take very short strides, or twists his neck to look at you or at the saddle, he's telling you in the only way he can that the saddle HURTS.
If, on the other hand, he moves out easily and comfortably, swinging his legs and lifting his back, you'll know that there isn't a problem.
Tennessee Walking Horses tend to have long, prominent shoulders with a lot of flexibility, so saddle-fitting can be difficult. They are also very stoical animals, and tolerate pain without making a huge fuss, so you'll need to be very aware of your horse's comfort level. Don't run the risk of injuring your horse's shoulders. The healing process is long, and you might be without a horse for several months.
Listen to your horse -- that's the real secret of tack-fitting! If a saddle or bit "looks just right" but the horse says "Ouch", you have to believe the horse. If a saddle or bit looks as though it SHOULDN'T be perfectly comfortable, but the horse says "This is FINE, I'm happy", you have to believe the horse.
Jessica
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