Fast Track – Lesson 61 the effects of a gullet that is too narrow for your horse

 Photo above: This gullet is too narrow. See how the saddle is going to dig into the horse lower down?  I love that Sandra did these illustration with subtle differences too, showing us how even “small” amounts of bad saddle fit can cause pain.

Photo above:  Now the saddle is girthed up on this gullet that is too narrow for this horse.  Notice lower down, the points are digging into the horse now and when the rider gets in the saddle it will dig in even more.  There is not much clearance around the sides of the wither either – it could really pinch when the rider’s weight goes in the saddle or when the horse is trying to turn.Now, what do these simple words  “pinch” and “dig in” mean to your horse.  It means that these parts of the saddle are digging into their bones and then our weight goes on that saddle.  And “pinch” could mean anything from a slight discomfort from shoes just a little too tight, to the agony of the wither bones having a saddle grinding on them when the human gets on.

Close this window to go back to the rest of this lesson and see what happens when the gullet is too wide for the horse. Or if you have landed here from your search engine, then click here for the rest of this saddle fit lesson.