OFF CENTREI
am sometimes asked why the rear or cantle end of the saddle tends to
lift off the back at the rising trot. This question normally crops up
when a saddle is first delivered and before the saddle has been ridden
in. Some customers even insist that the saddle does not fit properly,
usually because of advice received from a riding instructor or
"experienced and knowledgeable friend" and I find that many riders,
including instructors, don't know why this happens.
To understand this phenomenon, I would ask you to take note of the
position of the girth straps which are fixed to the tree approximately
a quarter of the distance from the front of the tree and not centrally.
Consequently, as the girth is tightened, the saddle is being pulled
down at the front and not centrally, resulting in the flocking under
the girth compressing. The saddle will pivot on the uncompressed
flocking in the middle of the panel with the result that the panel will
tend to lift off the back, because the saddle is fixed off-centre at
the front and NOT at the back. Consequently at the rising trot, when
the rider's seat leaves the saddle and weight is transferred to the
knee pads and stirrups, the saddle will tend to leave the back at the
rear, especially when the saddle is new and before the flocking has
compressed to its working form.
This can be seen in its most extreme form when jumping and as the horse
bascules and the rider adopts a "forward seat", the weight leaves the
saddle completely and all the weight is transferred to the knee pads
and stirrups, the saddle will leave the back by several inches. The
same thing happens to a lesser extent at the rising trot. The next time
you girth up your saddle try lifting it at the front or pommel end and
you won't be able to. Now lift at the back and it will come up easily.
This is because the saddle is fixed at the front and not at the back.
Please understand that I am not describing this as a fault, simply that
if one realises that this happens and understands why it happens you
won't be misled into believing that something is wrong when it does
happen. In any event it would be undesirable to fix the saddle solidly
to the back because this would restrict the horses freedom of movement,
particularly when jumping. The next time you watch someone riding cross
country, when the rider stands in the stirrup with their weight taken
on their knees, it will be evident that the rear of the saddle is
floating to some extent. In these circumstances the rider's weight is
concentrated entirely on the front part of the panel and this could
cause a problem. Fortunately a cross country course only takes ten
minutes or so to complete, before any serious damage can occur.
Finally, however, I would emphasise that it is of paramount importance
that the arch of the tree is exactly the same shape as the part of the
back upon which it will rest, which is just behind the shoulder. Too
narrow and the points of the tree will dig in or pinch. Too wide and
the underside of the tree will a) come into contact with the wither and
b) force the back of the panel to leave the back excessively at the
rising trot and this, of course, is a defect. That is why all our
saddles are made to a template, including second hand which we modify
to fit.
It would be well to remember that up until the 20th Century when the
Great British proletariat had the temerity to forget its place in
society and started riding for pleasure, riding in Britain was almost
entirely the preserve of the upper classes and the military. At that
time most horses ridden for leisure purposes were involved in hunting
and at the end of the season were turned away for the summer months.
Obviously, when they were brought back into work they were a totally
different shape than when turned away and it was the saddler's job to
modify the flocking and if necessary the tree, to accommodate the
change. In fact, nearly all saddles were checked on the horse and
modified as necessary twice a year. Our saddler, Ted Lawrence, who was
apprenticed to Champion and Wilton of London in 1956 was involved in
this work and recalls it very well.
