Supposedly, saddles putting pressure on Cranial Nerve 11 is a major problem. Actually, you don't have to worry about it... Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/myth-busting-cranial-nerve-11-and-saddle-fit/
The kidneys are well protected. Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/youre-not-hurting-his-kidneys/
Should you worry about occluding the external abdominal vein with your cinch ring? No, because it doesn't exist... Here's the real anatomy. Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/myth-busting-external-abdominal-vein/
The traditional teaching about saddles needing to avoid the shoulder blade as it rotates back when the horse extends its leg forward is just, plain wrong. Here's proof, plus proof that you need to have your saddle behind the shoulder blade anyway... Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/rethinking-saddle-fit-and-shoulder-blade-movement/
I found another study that confirms what previous studies have shown: a horse's back sags under weight - live or dead. One of the first posts on our blog was about research done that shows a horse's back is extended (more hollow) under weight than when he is just standing in a field. This goes… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/yup-riding-a-horse-does-make-his-back-extend/
With the popularity of Wade saddles, it seems like anything and everything is being labelled "Wade". What are the real characteristics that make up a true Wade? Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/what-makes-a-wade-a-wade/
Finishing up the comparison of "saddle fit rules" between the two types of saddles - and explaining why a lot don't apply to Western saddles (and maybe not even English ones...) Subscribe to RSS Feed I'm finishing up here on the short series comparing saddle fit between English and Western saddles. After looking at the history and basic design of… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/saddle-fit-western-compared-to-english-part-3/
Saddle fit - Western compared to English Part 2 Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/saddle-fit-western-compared-to-english-part-2/
English and Western saddles were designed for different purposes, and their different functions are the basis for how the trees are built and how they work for both the horse and the rider. Subscribe to RSS Feed There is a lot of discussion - on the internet, written in books, put into video form, etc. - about how saddles should fit horses. But for a western… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/saddle-fit-western-compared-to-english-part-1/
Saddle fit "rules" say there can't be any weight on the horse past T18, but threre is no evidence for this statement. The fact that horses have been ridden in Western saddles for centuries is a lot of evidence against it. Here's why... Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/all-western-saddles-extend-over-the-loin/
Research shows that a horse's back sags under weight. One commonly taught "rule" of saddle fit says you have to get a horse to raise his back from a standing position to mimic how the horse really moves. Here's our treemaker's view on these contradictor… Subscribe to RSS Feed Way back when I started this blog I wrote a couple of posts about a study (1) done where they showed that a horse's back sags under the weight of the… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/of-sagging-backs-and-tickling-tummies/
Saddle fit "rules" say that you can't have weight on the horse past T18, but almost every western saddle extends onto the loin of the horse. Which is correct? Subscribe to RSS Feed If you read or watch anything about saddle fit on the internet, you will come across the "fact" that saddles have to stop at the last rib or T18 or… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/can-the-loin-of-the-horse-carry-weight/
We know that damage occurs if there is too much pressure under the saddle. So how much pressure is too much? I have been looking for an answer for a while and now know that there isn’t one. And the more I learn, the more I realize that maybe this is th… Subscribe to RSS Feed When you read about saddle fit, you find numbers quoted as to how much pressure is acceptable under a saddle and how much is too much, and those… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/saddle-fit-how-much-pressure-is-too-much/
As you read books or the internet, you will find lists of “saddle fit rules”. Many of these “rules” are just simply wrong. Based on the anatomy and biomechanic information already covered, this post counters three of them. As you read books or the internet, you will find lists of “saddle fit rules” that everyone is supposed to follow or check when determining how well a saddle will work on a horse.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/false-saddle-fit-rules-regarding-the-shoulder-blades/
