Double trouble saddle !

Dec 2009

In this case a rider was using a saddle only once a week, employing another saddle for the rest of the week. The horse had a white hair spot on his back, indicating high pressure damage on his coat and skin and the tissue below. However, it was believed that this (once a week) saddle could not cause the problem, due to its low usage. The results proved differently. Take a look at the data pictures of the saddle measurement equipment.
It became clear that this saddle caused double trouble: in the lowest pressure situation in trot, still one peak pressure point remained: exactly on the location of the white hair spot !  in the highest pressure situation (when the rider lands in the saddle), a huge pressure was excerted on the spine of the horse. This may never happen: the saddle pressure must remain virtually zero on the spine. This asymmetrical behavior pointed towards a structural problem with this saddle: a broken saddle tree was suspected. In short: this (old) saddle is not fit for riding anymore, and was retired (much to the relief of the horse, we think !).