Does Saddle Fit Matter For Polo?
By Mehrdad Baghai

In many equestrian disciplines the fit of the saddle has become a very popular topic of debate. In the recent years enough information has begun to surface that riders of most disciplines at least acknowledge that an ill-fitting saddle negatively effects their horse. But for all the evidence available this new found saddle fitting awareness seems to have escaped the majority of Polo players.

Polo is the only sport where people spend THOUSANDS on the horse and only $200 on the saddle. Would you buy recap tires for your Rolls Royce? From dressage to trail riding, all other riders make a concerted effort to buy a saddle that fits both horse and rider. Only in Polo can you call a tack shop to buy a saddle and have them fit you by your weight over the phone! Think of it this way, would you play polo in a pair of boots that is "one-size-fits-all"? A saddle that is ill-fitted to the rider will prohibit the rider from sitting properly, making communication with the horse difficult and consequently adversely effecting proper timing of the rider’s swing. To the horse an ill-fitted saddle will cause tremendous back pain creating behavior problems resulting in poor performance.

COMMON SIGNS OF BACK PAIN WITH THE HORSE:
Horse pins her ears or walks away at sight of saddle: This is a very clear sign that many horse’s give and many rider’s ignore.

White hair appears under the saddle or simply worn hair or open sores: Due to poor saddle fit.

Horse drops her back when rider sits in saddle: Due to increased pain.

Horse will run away while on the field: A horse’s natural reaction to pain is to run as when a predator is present.

Horse is unwilling to stop: A horse needs to curl her back up (flex the dorsal muscles) to allow the hind legs to go under to stop.

Chronic back pain will discourage the horse to use her back this way thus making her unwilling to stop. If the horse feels pain when asked to stop they will feel punished every time they try to slow down or stop.

Horse will run flat footed with a flat back under saddle: This way of galloping makes the horse’s maneuverability on the field difficult.

COMMON SIGNS OF ILL-FITTING SADDLE FOR THE RIDER:

Rider feels "left behind" causing them to have to "climb" out of the seat to prepare for the swing: This is a common problem and can adversely effect the timing of the rider’s swing.

Rider is pushed forward in the seat with their legs too far back: This too can negatively effect both the rider’s balance in the saddle and the timing of their swing.

Rider’s knees hang over the front of the saddle: This position makes planting the thigh or knees on the saddle very difficult and unstable and will surely cause the rider to be off balance.

In many cases, if you experience signs of your saddle fitting you or your horse poorly the remedy might be as simple as an adjustment to your saddle. In every case, taking a educated approach to saddle fitting can only improve your and your horse’s performance. A horse is not a bicycle, able to use "one-size-fits-all" equipment and requiring only occasional maintenance and a little thought and preparation can go a long way. If you allow your groom or pro to buy all your saddles or you buy your saddles at a bargain basement the first step is to recognize the value in a properly fitting saddle. There are many reputable saddle-fitters all over the U.S. that can give you valuable feedback. Through spending a little bit of money and getting educated on the signs of saddle fitting problems you can increase your horses performance substantially.

Written by Mehrdad Baghai, owner of Saddlery Solutions and creator of JRD Custom Saddles. Mehrdad has been hand-making saddles and custom fitting them for over 15 years. He now custom makes all his saddles out of his workshop in Petaluma, CA. For questions or comments email Mehrdad at mehrdad@jrd-tack.com