There are many saddles and many more horses. But not every saddle fits every horse. The choice of saddles for the warmblood with a long back is significantly larger than for an Iberian with a swayback.
Especially for young horses that are growing, it is important that the saddle can be adjusted again and again.
Saddle for horses with high withers
The legs of the gullet iron should be of sufficient length so that the saddle does not rest on top of the withers. The gullet iron is rather narrow and the cushion volume has to be rather high.
To prevent further muscle atrophy, it makes sense to use a correction pad. It is also helpful to use a pad for horses in the build-up phase in order to simulate missing muscles. You can also find such correction pads in my shop! Link .
Saddle for horses with wide withers and shoulders
Unfortunately, there is a high risk of slipping with such horses. Since the gullet plate has to be very wide, the rider and saddle quickly slip. It is therefore all the more important that the rider sits close to the horse. It is helpful here to use an anti-slip pad from Grandeur. You can also find such pads in my shop. link
Saddle for overbuilt horses
Here it is important to distinguish whether the horses are overbuilt because their anatomy dictates this, or whether they are in growth/reconstruction training and will therefore still change.
With the latter, it is important that the saddle can be adjusted again and again. Since the rider always has the feeling of tipping forward in this case, the saddle should be close to the horse. The pads should have a wide contact area and the pad edges must not restrict the rising back line of the horse in movement. Here you should know that both the harness and the saddle pad influence the position of the saddle by up to 20%. It is helpful to use a pad here. You can also find such pads in my shop. link
Saddle for horses with slouched backs
Saddles with a short contact surface are best suited here. These horses often have a weak back and therefore need a wide contact surface to optimally distribute the rider's weight. Since they often have difficulty arching their backs, the edges of the panel should not restrict the horse's movement in the rear saddle area.
Pillow
Pillow filling : there are several fillings, namely padding wool, latex or foam and air filling. Only the upholstery wool or air filling (partly) can be changed on site. To change the latex or foam filling, the saddle must be returned to the manufacturer.
Angulation of the cushions:
The angle of the saddle pads should always correspond to the angle of the horse's back.