CHAPTER FIVE: Saddles and Other Tack
Saddles and Fitting
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A saddle has several purposes:
Allows for clearance across the horse's spine.
Distributes the rider's weight evenly along the length of the saddle.
Provides stability and security for the rider.
Contributes to the comfort of both horse and rider.
The saddle should evenly distribute the pressure on the horse's back. When the
saddle does not fit, the pressure is focused in one or several “pressure points.” Too much
pressure cuts off circulation to the muscle underneath. Too much pressure can cause
bruises, swelling, or muscle wastage on the back.
Many “behavior problems” can be traced to saddle fitting problems.
A saddle which fits poorly has much the same effect as a rock in your shoe. It's
very annoying; some people will not tolerate it for even a moment. If your grit your teeth
and ignore it, the rock begins to dig into your foot and will cause bruising; eventually
your foot becomes so sore that you can barely stand it. If you're very stoic, you may be
able to continue on still; eventually the foot will be damaged so badly that you cannot
walk, no matter how hard you try.
Horses can respond in many ways to uncomfortable tack. They may object
immediately. They may grit their teeth and tolerate the discomfort for a while, but
gradually begin to show some objections. They may tolerate the discomfort for a very
long time, then have a sudden explosion and become completely unrideable.
Saddle fit is much more complicated than most people realize. Many resources
(particularly online) list simplistic advice, which gives the illusion that saddle fitting
itself is simple. Unfortunately, there are many saddles which may outwardly appear to
fit, but have hidden fit problems.
Riders should be aware that saddle fit is not a simple process, and many people
who claim knowledge of saddle fit do not have extensive enough experience. Saddle
fitting advice should be sought from a professional in the saddle industry: a saddler or
saddle fitter.
Saddle Problems
Some problems are immediate indicators of poor fit. These may not be present in
every saddle that fits poorly; a saddle may have none of these and still be a poor fit.
However, a saddle which meets any of the descriptions on this list definitely does not fit:
 Saddle slips, or girth must be extremely tight to “hold” saddle in place.
 Dry spots under the saddle pad after riding.
 White marks under the saddle.
 Rubbed or hairless areas under the saddle.
People often try many “specialty” saddle pads to try to fix a fit problem. Much of
the time, the pad makes the problem worse; many “specialty” saddle pads are best suited
as cat beds or dog toys. And why, why will people spend so much money—sometimes
hundreds of dollars—on a pad which may or may not work?
It is much less expensive to simply have a saddle fitter evaluate the horse and
saddle, and work from there. With a saddle fitter's evaluation, the owner/rider can work
with assurance and save much money trying pad after pad or saddle after saddle.
Treeless Saddles
The most common treeless design includes stiff
panels with an arch across the pommel and the cantle.
The pommel may or may not include a horn. Most of the
available treeless saddles come in this design.
These saddles do provide for some clearance
across the spine and the wither (of the average or widebacked horse). This permits the rider to sit on the horse's
back, rather than on his spine.
However, this design does not allow for weight
“Barefoot” treeless saddle,
distribution. The treeless saddle may also provide less
showing front and rear
stability for the rider; a rider without a secure seat may
arches
find that the saddle slides to one side. Therefore, the
treeless is not ideal for all applications. For longer or
heavier riding, or for “schooling,” or for jumping, a saddle with a tree has a better design
and functionality.
Saddle and Girth Placement
A properly placed saddle will ensure comfort to the horse, if the saddle fits.
However, if the saddle is not well placed, then even if it does fit, it will cause pressure
points.
The front of the saddle should sit two fingers behind the shoulderblade. The
lowest part of the seat should be halfway between pommel and cantle; the lowest part of
the seat should be centered between the shoulderblade and the last rib on the ribcage.
The saddle should never extend past the horse's hip.
The girth should go straight down around the horse's barrel, not slant forward
toward the elbow. A girth which slants forward puts pressure on the front of the saddle,
and may even drag it forwards.
The saddle should be stable without an excessively tight girth. The girth goes
around the horse's ribcage; if there is no slack at all in the girth, then the horse can not
expand his ribcage to breathe in! When the girth is tightened, you should be able to slide
the flat of your hand under the girth easily, but you should not be able to turn it all the
way.
Bits: Fitting, Mouthpieces, Cheekpieces, and Materials
We must never forget that the horse's mouth is exceptionally sensitive. When we
use a bit, we are sticking something into a very sensitive area. Depending on the bit, it
may put pressure on the bars of the horse's mouth (his gums), his lips, the roof of his
mouth, his nose, his chin, and his poll. A horse can feel a fly landing on his skin; a horse
can certainly feel heavy or biting pressure.
A bit must be suitable for the horse. If it is the wrong size, it will pinch. If the
shape doesn't match his mouth well, then it may pinch or may dig in. If it is more severe
than the horse needs, then it may hurt him every time the reins are used. A horse isn't
born knowing how to use a bit; with the right training, a horse can learn to respond to soft
and gentle bits. Using a harsh bit indicates that the rider needs more training.
Bit Suitability and Comfort
There are quite a few options for bits: mouthpieces, materials, and cheekpieces.
With experimentation a bit can be found to suit almost any horse.
In general, a thicker mouthpiece is more mild. Compare carrying a bale of hay by
the twine, and carrying a heavy piece of luggage by the strap. The wider the surface, the
less the pressure “bites.”
Some horses have thick tongues or small mouths. To these horses, a thicker bit is
unpleasant; they just don't have room for it. These horses should be ridden in thinner
bits, but the rider should also be aware that the bit has the capacity for more severity.
Some bit mouthpieces have sharp edges or unpleasant textures. These bits have
no business in a horse's mouth at all. The twisted wire, corkscrew, triangular
mouthpieces, bike chain, and even the slow twist have sharp edges. Before you use a bit
on a horse, take a piece of twine and tie the bit rings to a bucket about half full of water.
Now take the mouthpiece in your hand like a handle, and lift the bucket. If you wouldn't
want to carry that bit with your hand...what makes you think it is suitable to put in a
horse's delicate mouth?

Mouthpieces
A mullen is a solid bit with a slight curve to go around the tongue. The mullen is
quite mild. The sides of the mullen can not move independently, so some horses may
find the aids a little confusing. Some horses quite like a mullen bit.
A simple snaffle has a single joint in the center. This is the most common
mouthpiece. Many horses go well in this bit. The halves of the bit may move somewhat
independently, but motion on one side still affects the other. Some horses do not like the
“nutcracker” action that the bit can have, and some horses have palates so low that the bit
hits the roof of the mouth when the reins are used.
There are a few different types of bits with two joints. The French link is a very
mild bit. There is a narrow link in the center which lays flat against the horse's tongue.
The French link is able to wrap around the horse's tongue, so does not have the same
potential for “nutcracker” action as the simple snaffle. The link in the center provides
some stability, so each side of the bit may move without affecting the other much. The
French link can be a good choice for many different horses.
The “bean” bit is similar to the French link, except that the center link is round
and smooth.
The Dr. Bristol looks much like the French link, but is a very different beast
altogether. The link sits at an angle. When the bit is used, the edge of the center link
points directly into the horse's tongue. The Dr. Dristol is much more harsh than a mullen,
snaffle, or French link.

Variations on mouthpieces
Most ported bits have no joint. A low or medium port allows room for the
tongue. A high port will hit the roof of the horse's mouth when the bit is used, and can be
severe.
The “JP” bits have extra curve in all of their mouthpieces. The design allows
room for almost any horse's tongue. “JP” is a brand and not many others make bits of
this design.

Mouthpiece materials
 Stainless Steel (common)
 Rubber (often used for horse with soft mouth; sometimes, though, rubber may
cause drier mouth)
 Copper (thought to make the horse salivate and keep the mouth soft)
 Sweet Iron (thought to make the horse salivate and keep the mouth soft)
 German Silver
 Aurigaen (brass colored, nickel free)
 Plastics/”Scented” Plastics (some horses accept these more willingly than
metal or rubber)

Cheeks
The loose ring moves a lot in the horse's mouth. This can be good for horses who
want to play with the bit. This can also allow the rider to use extremely small rein
signals, since the bit is more mobile and will move a little in response to less pressure.
Loose rings have been known to pinch lips if they are the wrong size or they are
cheap or a little worn. The ring goes through a hole in the mouthpiece; if the hole is large
or has become large, sometimes the ring accidentally pulls the horse's lip into the hole as
the ring moves around. You can check the bit often, or use bit guards.
The “eggbutt” has round, soft edges, but is more stable in the horse's mouth than
a loose ring.
A full cheek and a D-ring are flat against the horse's lips. They can be useful in
working with a horse who needs a little more obvious “push” from the bit (young horse,
green horse). A half cheek has similar action.
The baucher or “hanging cheek” sits a little higher in the horse's mouth, with a
different feel. Some horses like that.
A kimberwicke has a curb chain and a slight curb effect.
A Pelham has rings for attaching reins at the mouthpiece and also on the shanks.
With two sets of reins, the rider can use both snaffle and curb effect.
A curb is a leverage bit. It has shanked cheeks and a curb chain. When the reins
are used, the shanks pull back; the bit rotates; pressure is exerted on the horse's poll and
his jaw. No bit with shanked cheeks is truly a “snaffle,” though some are commonly
called snaffles.
An “elevator” is a curb with several options for attaching the reins. The lower the
rein is attached, the more severe the curb action is. An elevator is often used without a
curb chain, so has no jaw pressure.
A “gag” is a leverage bit with no shanks. The cheekpieces of the bridle go
through the cheekpieces of the bit, and can slide. When the rider uses the reins, the bridle
cheekpieces tighten and the bit is winched higher up the horse's lips.
Bitless and Hackamores
There are sometimes reasons to ride without a bit. A horse may have had a an
injury or other discomfort in the mouth. Sometimes a horse has had such terrible
experiences with a bit, that it's emotionally traumatic to use one. Evey so often a horse
has so little room in the mouth that a bit would be irritating to the tongue and roof of the
mouth.
There are now a number of solutions for riding without a bit. The simplest, of
course, is a halter with reins attached. This is typically not very precise; the halter
slides around the head. The “rein aids” are muddled, and the sliding of the halter can rub
the horse's skin.
A traditional kind of bitless riding is using a bosal, which resembles the noseband
used with a Western tie-down. Reins are attached at the bottom of the noseband. The
bosal is used in one of the training methods for Western riding; a young horse is started
with the bosal, then later moves on to a bit.
Another common bitless is the sidepull. Like a halter, reins can be attached on
either side of the noseband; unlike a halter, a sidepull has a browband and a tighter
noseband, so it doesn't slide around.
A jumping hackamore is a noseband that can be attached to an English bridle to
convert the bridle to a sidepull.
A newer option for bitless riding is a crossunder bridle, the “Dr. Cook” bridle.
This is similar to an English bridle with a jumping hackamore; it has a wide noseband
with rings; instead of a throatlatch, straps from the crownpiece go under the jaw and
come out through the rings on the noseband. As a result, pressure on the reins on one
side pushes the jaw from the opposite side. Instead of pulling the head to one side, the
head is pushed from the opposite side. The crossunder has a new, unique design and can
be very easy for the horse to understand.
The mechanical hackamores have leverage mechanisms. These are much more
forceful than the simple bitless options. They are more common overall and better
known. A mechanical hackamore can be very harsh if used harshly, so be sure to use
gentle hands and quiet aids. The English hackamore is less severe, with shorter shanks
and a wide noseband. The Western or German hackamore is more severe, with longer
shanks and a narrow noseband; it can exert a lot of pressure on the nose and the poll.
“Cheap” Tack
Tack is expensive for a reason. The cost of tack is determined by the quality of
the materials, the quality of the craftsmanship in assembling the materials, and the quality
of the original design.
When tack is cheap, quality has suffered somewhere along the way. It may be the
materials, the craftsmanship, the design, or a combination of the three.
The quality of the materials in the tack determine whether the piece of tack is
usable at all. Poor quality materials include leather which is too stiff, flocking which is
too lumpy, a tree prone to cracking, a warped tree, or many more. The materials of the
tack must be high quality or they will be uncomfortable or even painful to the horse.
If the tack is put together without enough care, that can also hurt your horse. A
bridle which is heavy or short on one side, a girth which is badly reinforced, a saddle
which sits to one side instead of in the center, or many more. Even if the materials and
design are excellent, a saddle must be well-crafted in order to rest properly against the
horse.
If a piece of tack is badly designed, then no matter how luscious the materials and
how gorgeous the craftsmanship, it is still an unusable piece of tack. If the design of a
saddle is such that it won't fit any horse, then it is simply not one that can be used at all.
If a bridle is supposed to be full sized but has a browband that would only fit a tiny pony,
then it's a useless piece of tack.
Materials, craftsmanship, and design are all integral to the usability of tack. None
of these are cheap. People with knowledge to design workable tack properly don't sell
their work for peanuts. People with skills to assemble tack properly don't work for
minimum wage. And the materials, of course, are not inexpensive if they're of good
quality.
Tack which is selling, new, for unrealistically low prices is CHEAP, not
inexpensive. Cheap tack will hurt your horse.
If your budget is limited, consider used tack. High quality used tack may cost the
same as “cheap” tack, will last much longer, and will be much better for your horse.