Problems caused by the rider

Only by going out and watching a rider in action will one be able to discover to what extent a rider may be contributing to the saddle fit problems.  Since the rider is generally in constant motion, they will frequently be adjusting their weight, and so don't often place unrelenting, excessive pressure in one spot for a long time.  But over time even a moderate increase in pressure over one area can make a horse sore.

1)  Riding position has an effect. Riders who tend to prefer to ride a horse as they sit in a chair – legs forward, weight thrown to the back of the saddle – will increase the pressure on the back of the saddle and may cause the back bar tips to dig into the horse.  Some riders carry more weight to one side than the other, which causes the saddle to ride to that side.  Rarely,a person might have uneven leg lengths and need to have uneven stirrups in order to weight both stirrups evenly.  Some ropers deliberately have uneven stirrup lengths because they feel it helps them rope.  Most people, though, don’t realize they are riding unevenly.  Some just have poor body posture normally.  Others have injuries, arthritis, etc. and riding unevenly alleviates their discomfort.  But riding for long hours in this manner can cause increased pressure and soreness for their horse. 

2)  Riders who sit still for long time periods on their horses without allowing them to move have the same effect on their horses’ backs as sitting on a hard wooden bench for the same time would have on a person’s backside.  This can happen when attending a clinic, when waiting for a turn at roping, etc.  Dismounting or allowing the horse to walk around a bit will go a long way to relieving his discomfort in these situations. 

3)  Heavyset riders, especially if they are shorter, will also bring out problems that may not exist if they were lighter.  They may tend to cinch tighter to hold the saddle in place as they mount.  If this is the only reason to cinch so tightly, using a mounting block would help.  Heavy riders create more PSI on the horse than lighter riders, so total bar area contacting the horse is more critical.  If the rider is top heavy and has short legs they often will rely more on their stirrups during fast work, especially if riding large horses, necessitating tighter cinching to avoid saddle slippage.  Loosening the cinch between riding times is crucial if this is the case. 

4)  Riding skill plays a big part if they spend long hours in the saddle.  A rider who sits quietly and balanced in the center of his horse will be much easier on his horse’s back than one who is bouncing all over the place.  Good riding, giving the horse a break from their weight or even the weight of the saddle for a few minutes here and there over a long day’s ride – these are the things good horsemen do to keep their horses sound.