Correctly Fitting Your Pony Saddle

One of the most important things you can do to ensure the health and comfort of you and your pony is not only to select the right saddle but properly fitting that saddle to your pony. Having a bad fit can not only create back ache and muscle pain for the rider, but it also very uncomfortable for the pony. There are companies that will measure you and your pony and suggest a correct saddle size. I highly recommend this service to begin with.

Once you have purchased the correct sized, it is also important to remember that the position of the saddle on the pony’s back is very important in making sure that the pony is comfortable while being ridden. There are basically three main muscles in the pony’s back which can be negatively affected by bad saddle placement.   Please familiarize yourself with these muscles and their location on your pony before you attempt to position the saddle on the ponys’ back.

The first thing you want to do is place the pony riding saddle on the back of the pony forward of the wither. Once you have done this, slide it backward down the pony until it cannot go any further. Do not force it. You should see now that the lowest part of the saddle should correspond to the lowest part of the pony’s back. In order to verify that you positioned saddle correctly, the saddle tree should not press on the scapula or shoulder of the pony. It should lie in the groove behind it. This is a common mistake when positioning a saddle. People have a tendency to place the saddle too far up and put pressure on the scapula of the pony. This can hamper the movement of the pony as well as create saddle sores.

Properly fitting your pony saddle to your pony will come easier after the first couple times you do it. It is worth taking the time to learn the correct way to do this in order for your pony to remain happy and healthy.

Still confused?  Check out the great saddle fitting videos at StateLineTack.com