Saddle fitting and the high wither syndrome.

The amount of saddles that are crippling horses and riders because of incorrect saddle fitting, or, onesidedness in the horse, continues to stun me as I travel around the globe.  One of the most startling that I thought we were over is the “high wither,” syndrome. These withers are NOT NORMAL. Because of incorrect saddle fitting, they have been pinched so badly by the saddle, loaded with the weight of the rider, that the blood flow and oxygen have been starved from the underlying muscle, to such an extent that they are literally wasting away.
For this horse, as time has marched on, the bruising and atrophy has increased to such an extent that the saddle is now sitting too close to the bone, leaving the vertebrae very vulnerable (see skeleton).

How crookedness in the horse affects the saddle fitting: Because the horse is one sided, the saddle has twisted, (See photo below) and wedged itself up against the side of his wither vertebra. See my article page click here, and to watch video click here Many saddle fitting problem by pushing more flocking into the front panel in an attempt to raise it up and straighten the fit. However, when the rider mounts, the problem is compounded. The extra flocking only serves to increase the pressure further aggravating the wither damage.

Saddle fitting problems: Jumpers watch out!
Taking this into consideration, when jumpers land after a fence their front legs are fully extended forward, while the rest of their body trails up in the air behind them, leaving their back totally unsupported. It is at this point that they suffer most - on landing, as the full thrust of the rider's weight and the points of the tree whack into the bruised area at the back of the shoulder blades. Would you jump with passion and conviction in their place? The pain experienced, even in the most saintly horses, can only lead to behavioural problems. Badly designed saddles and unsound biomechanical training can cause suffering, pain and lameness.

Does your saddle fit?
Does your horse react when you mount, dismount or lean forward? While mounted place your hand inside the pommel and feel how much space there is between your saddle and horses wither vertebrae. Feel all the way to the very base of the wither. (See horse skeleton).
Firstly, can you get it there with lots of clearance? Secondly, are the wither vertebrae completely clear of the saddle, both at the top and down the sides?  What happens when you lean forward or rise to the trot? Does the front of the saddle tip down into the wither area? Does the saddle lean to one side?
Experience how you can find natural, stress-free excellence while preserving your horse from unnecessary pain and injury during training at my introductory dismounted workshop. One of the many riders to benefit from attending is Louise Shepherd. This feedback is a typical example of what can be achieved by using the Joni Bentley approach to aligning horse, rider and saddle. Take a look:

“After a journey through 16 instructors and 10 saddle fitters I was on the point of giving up because my horse was becoming more and more grumpy and stiff. And so was I!. Then I saw your editorial in Pegasus a few months ago. Your web site is a treasure house for riders who want the best for their horse and to find natural stress free excellence. I was  so impressed by the free information DVD's, Workbooks, and articles, that I went ahead and booked on your £25 dismounted introductory day workshop.  Did I benefit from it? You bet - using your training and my friend's eyes, my prayers were answered. Am I glad I found your simple biomechanical approach to riding? Yes would be an understatement! Can't wait to get on the mounted course" Louise and Jay, thank you thank you.

Louise's problem was that Jay, her horse, is a left hind driver. As he pushes sideways with his left hind to the right, you can see by looking at the tapes, horse and rider are out of alignment. In an attempt to remain balanced, Louise tightens through her right side, pushing the saddle out to the left. Note how the tape on the back of the saddle is way out of alignment with that on the horse's back. (Top left).
 After completing a dismounted workshop, Louise went back to put her learning into practice. You can see the improvement! Her back is more relaxed, her shoulders are aligned over her hips. The horse's quarters are straight. Her stirrups are level, where as before the right one was lower. Finally, all the tapes line up. These are just a few of the benefits you can expect to gain from attending a Joni Bentley introductory dismounted workshop...

If you are interested in finding out more about Joni's take on saddle fitting and crookedness in the horse, or if you have  any questions you'd like answered. Here's what to  contact Joni either by phone 01442 402756, or email her