We horse people often joke about anything under 14.2hh being the devil. There are few people who haven’t encountered a hellish little pony at some point in their riding life.
Bucking off unsuspecting children, running around the ring like a bat out of hell, yet how often do these ponies get a proper saddle fitting? Lesson horses typically share tack, and for ponies they’re usually ridden in whatever is small enough, but doesn’t necessarily fit. You have to wonder how many of these horrible ponies would be so horrible had they been fitted with a decent saddle.
Just because a horse is used in a riding school doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have the benefit of being ridden in tack that not only extends their riding career, but actually helps them move and doesn’t cause pain or discomfort. Our mission isn’t just to fit the fancy horses or competition horses. Our goal is to be a voice for all horses, to educate the public on how to assess the fit of a saddle and help people take the steps to improve or remedy the issue. Whether it’s simply changing the girth, saddle pad, or helping find another saddle that fits not perfectly, but better. Small steps forward are better than no steps forward. Every horse from the little riding school ponies to the Grand Prix dressage champions deserve proper saddle fitting.
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