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After
purchasing a correctly fitted saddle, you should check it for damage and
correct fit on a fairly regular basis. Check for fit at least every
couple of months, esp if your horse is growing, changing shape due to
increased work, fitness or if your horse has previously had back problems.
Check for damage at least once a year and certainly after any falls or
accidents which may have damaged the saddle.
When you clean your leather tack remember not to use too
much water with the saddle soap (glycerine) and don't overdo the oil.
If you do use oil, use it sparingly as it can weaken the leather.
Thicker products such as Effax leather balm or Stubben Hamenol last longer
and don't over oil the leather.
Here are some
basic checks to make sure that your saddle is still in good shape.
- Look at the saddle from above. Check for
symmetry, that the centre of the cantle lines up with the centre of the
pommel and the skirts match each other evenly.
- Next check the flex of the saddle by bracing the
pommel on your hip and pulling up on the cantle. There should be a
little give but no more. If there is anything more than a feeling
of 'springyness' there may be damage to the tree and you should stop
using the saddle and take it for repairs.
- Turn your saddle over to check the panels. Look at
the whole area for symmetry and evenness of stuffing. Run your hand over
both panels to check for lumpiness or unneven stuffing that may cause
rubs or pain.
- Place the saddle on your horse's back without any
pads and gently settle it into place in the correct position behind the
shoulder blade. Check for initial impressions that it is sitting flat
without rocking when you place some pressure on either the front or back
of the saddle.
- Next, check the clearance at the withers, including
the back part of the withers, especially if your horse has long, broad
or prominent withers.
- Now look directly at your horse with its head lowered
to the ground (a small snack should be all the encouragement your horse
needs to co-operate with this). Check the clearance through the
gullet. You should be able to see right through, with the saddle
clearing the vertebrae. If you're unsure, check from the back as
well, you should be able to see light when looking through from either
end but sometimes the height of either withers or rump may obscure this
a little.
- While you're looking from the rear you can also check
for the amount and even quality of contact of the panels across the the
back muscles. Look for panels that are becoming convex (curling
outwards) with little contact with your horse's back.
- Check for bridging (refer to the saddle fitting
article for a full explaination). To do this reach up under the
skirt between the panel and the back and follow the panel along with
your fingers without lifting the saddle. You should be able to
feel the same contact in the middle as at either end.
- Check the width of the tree and the evenness of
contact along the entire weight-bearing are of the tree and panels.
A too wide saddle will have no contact until the saddle meets the back
of the shoulder. A too narrow saddle will place most of the weight
on a narrow area, often at the level of the stirrup bar, and little
elsewhere on the horse's back.
- Girth Straps and Webs. Look at the stitching,
front and back. Check the holes in the leather haven't stretched
open. Look at the webs too - as far up into where they originate
in the tree as possible, make sure it is secure and not frayed. Check
the buckles of the girth to ensure that they are not coming loose.
Buckles with rollers cause a lot less wear and tear than those without.
- Check the stirrup bars to make sure there is no
movement and that neither has come loose. Clean off any little
rust spots before they become a problem.
To learn more about saddle quality,
problems and checks
that you may wish to make prior to purchasing
visit
Saddlecheck.co.uk
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