| Saddle Fit |
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| Hope Saddle Fit | Western Saddle Fit |
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Hope Saddle Fit The Function of the Hope Saddle First of all, we made this page so people may better understand the functions of our saddles, and basic saddle fit, all around. We have engineered the Hope Saddle, and Western Hope to work with your horse or mule and not against it. It solves many of the problems you may be having with your horse both physically and mentally. It allows you to become part of your horse, while giving you a secure seat, so you may enjoy your ride. A very key feature of the Hope Saddle, is that it has a special designed tree. This tree is designed to set the rider in a truly balanced riding position. Not only will it position the rider properly, but it has been designed to free up and accommodate the working muscles of your equine partner.
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This quality saddle is engineered to position the base body weight of the rider in the most natural place on the horse's back, which is near the 15th vertebrae. In the natural state, the horse will carry 60% of it's weight on the front end, and 40% on the back end. This is what the Hope Saddle makes possible. The first 14 vertebrae of the horse angle toward the back. All the vertebrae behind the 15th angle toward the front. The 15th vertebrae stands straight up. the 15th becomes the balance point of the horse. Our tree is designed to fit immediately behind the horse's scapula. (in other words, the shoulder blade) the front of the finished saddle is the front of the tree. The Hope Saddle seat is designed to position the rider's body on his/her pelvic floor, at or near the 15th vertebrae of the horse. This will help you achieve a more harmonious balance for better performance as well as better personal riding ability for those long days in the saddle.
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Western Saddle Fit Typical Saddling When Positioning Correctly If a saddle is moved to far forward to achieve better balance, then the front shoulder and it's muscles become obstructed. This applies to any type of saddle. This causes pain to the animal, as well as many behavior problems. (Head tossing, stumbling, bit resistance, etc.) Improper saddle placement may also cause tissue damage at the shoulder, as well as cinch sores. Your horse isn't happy, and neither are you. Now, remember it is very important to position your saddle correctly, to avoid these problems. In the diagram to the left, is an example of the proper placement of the the Western saddle. This saddle has been placed directly behind the scapula, (shoulder blade) to avoid hindering the horse's movement, but most importantly, to avoid saddle sores and behavior problems. (Behind the scapula, is where every type of saddle should be positioned.) Even though the saddle is positioned correctly, and the rider is sitting properly, the rider's base weight will be at the 17th vertebrae, due to the nature of the Western saddle. |
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section for Hope Saddle fit, that the first 14 vertebrae of the horse angle
toward the back, and all the vertebrae behind the 15th angle toward the
front. The 15th stands straight up, and becomes the balance point of the
horse. This is where we want to be, without compromising our proper position
of the saddle. Typically, the Western saddle produces a weight ratio of 30% - 70%. The natural balance of the horse is 40% - 60%. When that natural balance is changed, the horse must learn to carry it again. This can, or may be, interpreted as behavior problems. We would like like to be as close as possible to the natural balance as much as we can achieve. That is why we build our custom western saddles with a balanced seat to bring you much closer to the 15th vertebrae. With all of this information in mind, we hope that it may help in your knowledge of proper saddling principles. |
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Email: info@jjmaxwell.com |
