[akrogirl]

I asked this question in the Maclay thread but didn't get a response. What happens if you have to switch horses and your saddle doesn't fit the other horse? My two girls require totally different saddles to the point where it would be impossible to ride either of them in the other's saddle. I didn't notice any of the riders today checking for fit and wondered if it was acceptable to ask to use the horse's regular saddle in this situation?

[Tha Ridge]

It's a 2-minute course. No horse has ever died from wearing an ill-fitting saddle for two minutes, nor do you have time to nitpick over saddle fit in a situation like that.

[Whittyd34]

I was wondering this as well. It wont "kill" the horse as said above...but I think it could definitely hinder the performance.

[mroades]

yep, not long enough to hurt anyone

[akrogirl]

It's a 2-minute course. No horse has ever died from wearing an ill-fitting saddle for two minutes, nor do you have time to nitpick over saddle fit in a situation like that.

I'm not talking about simple discomfort - with my girls, the saddles wouldn't even stay in position.

[theinstigator]

IMHO...they should have kept the saddles on each horse and made the riders adjust stirrups and make do, ala IHSA showing....wrap those stirrups and GO! LOL

[Tha Ridge]

I'm not talking about simple discomfort - with my girls, the saddles wouldn't even stay in position.

Well, most of the best big equitation horses are of a similar size and shape. You're not going to have a shark-fin withered Thoroughbred near the top of the class with a big round warmblood.

It's not like the top professionals have a saddle for each horse—they might multiple saddles in varying sizes, but it's *their* saddle, not the horses. I'd never met people so obsessive about saddle fit until I came to COTH!

[akrogirl]

Well, most of the best big equitation horses are of a similar size and shape. You're not going to have a shark-fin withered Thoroughbred near the top of the class with a big round warmblood.

It's not like the top professionals have a saddle for each horse—they might multiple saddles in varying sizes, but it's *their* saddle, not the horses. I'd never met people so obsessive about saddle fit until I came to COTH!

Where I learned to ride in England, it was the norm for each horse to have its own saddle, lol. I have three saddles between my four horses, and it used to be four until my WB gelding came up in the withers later in life. I would love to be able to share tack, but it just isn't possible - 3 WBs and 1 OTTB.

[brooksbaby]

Agree with the above posters, it is a 2 minute course and most of the eq horses at the maclay, or any bigeq classes for that matter, are going to be built similarly, big warmblood types. Look at all the horses and you'll notice how similar they all are!

[akrogirl]

Apparently, I am the only one with a couple of hard to fit horses - gee, aren't I special, lol.

Maybe it is different on video, but I noticed a fair bit of variety in the horses today.

[HorsesinHaiti]

I always wondered this in the WEG Final Four. Some of those horses varied a decent bit in size. Over that course, I would think the horse would notice if the tree was too narrow or the breastplate too small!

[CBoylen]

I'd never met people so obsessive about saddle fit until I came to COTH!

Me either. I've ridden literally hundreds of horses in my saddle, and most professionals have ridden way more than that in theirs. I don't understand how a saddle could possibly fit *that* badly that it would worry someone for one class.

[Tha Ridge]

Me either. I've ridden literally hundreds of horses in my saddle, and most professionals have ridden way more than that in theirs. I don't understand how a saddle could possibly fit *that* badly that it would worry someone for one class.

Same. And every "A"-circuit professional I've ever known or ridden with is the same way.

[Mayaty02]

Me either. I've ridden literally hundreds of horses in my saddle, and most professionals have ridden way more than that in theirs. I don't understand how a saddle could possibly fit *that* badly that it would worry someone for one class.

SO TRUE!

[akrogirl]

Me either. I've ridden literally hundreds of horses in my saddle, and most professionals have ridden way more than that in theirs. I don't understand how a saddle could possibly fit *that* badly that it would worry someone for one class.

Believe me, it is very possible. Even some saddle fitters didn't believe it until they tried to fit my one mare.

[Big_Grey_hunter]

It's a 2-minute course. No horse has ever died from wearing an ill-fitting saddle for two minutes, nor do you have time to nitpick over saddle fit in a situation like that.

You've apparently never met a 'princess and the pea' horse who will refuse to move, rear, or buck you off for a poor fitting saddle.

My guess would be that if a rider knows their horse is picky about saddle fit, they would request for the other rider to not switch saddles.

[Rel6]

Me either. I've ridden literally hundreds of horses in my saddle, and most professionals have ridden way more than that in theirs. I don't understand how a saddle could possibly fit *that* badly that it would worry someone for one class.

Same here BUT...

I think there is validity to the idea that an ill-fitting saddle could have a negative effect on the course even if its one quick round.

Friend had a gorgeous older WB. Been there, done that, bigeq type. Took her to Maclay nationals...after they found out that the reason he was not finishing his changes was a sore back. Same reason he would let out a buck every now and then. They got the saddle fit to him, massage, etc. and he was perfect. Got called back at finals a few years ago.

Obviously not the typical situation, but you can bet that is what I was thinking when they switched tack. One missed changed in the hind is enough to bump you down to third.

[Whittyd34]

This just seems like a horsemanship issue to me...which seemed to be lacking in the top three seeing as most of them had their grooms tack up their horses.

[Rel6]

This just seems like a horsemanship issue to me...which seemed to be lacking in the top three seeing as most of them had their grooms tack up their horses.

All three had their grooms tack up their horses.

And you know what? I really don't think its a "horsemanship" issue. I never had grooms at shows, we did it all ourselves. But if I were those girls I would be shaking so hard tacking up would seem like a monumental task.

Maybe not the case for them, but I honestly did not think it was that big a deal. Watching the live feed it just seemed like they were preoccupied and overwhelmed and their grooms got there faster.

[BLBGP]

This just seems like a horsemanship issue to me...which seemed to be lacking in the top three seeing as most of them had their grooms tack up their horses.

Amazing you can tell their horsemanship from a one-minute saddle swap. Do you know what instructions were given?