Why I Teach

Why I Teach Riders to Understand Their Horse’s Shape

One of the most important parts of my work as a saddle fitter isn’t choosing the saddle—it’s making sure the rider understands how to monitor fit long after I drive away. A single fitting can give a horse a strong starting point, but true comfort comes from ongoing observation as the horse’s body changes. Many riders feel they “shouldn’t need” frequent check-ins, or they worry they can’t afford them, and that often means the saddle isn’t looked at again until something goes wrong. By the time they notice the issue, the horse is uncomfortable, the training has been affected, and the rider is unsure whether the problem is the saddle, the horse, or the fitter who helped them in the first place. I never want to leave someone in that position.

Why I Created Resources 
For years I tried to solve this by adding more education into my on-farm appointments. But that meant at least two hours on the farm and another couple of hours afterward, all while trying not to overwhelm clients with more information than anyone can absorb in one day. Eventually I realized that if I want riders to truly understand fit—not just on the day I’m there, but in the months and seasons afterward—I need to give them the information in smaller, clearer, more usable pieces. That is one of the reasons I wrote The Complete Guide to a Successful Saddle Search and why I created my Facebook group Saddle Fit Solved: Learn the Methods and Tools for English Saddle Selection—so riders can learn at their own pace, revisit the material, and build confidence without pressure.

How Continuing Education Has Personally Expanded My Perspective
My continuing education has deepened over the last 10 years or so, really diving in with some of the best. Through ongoing clinics, lessons, and intense coursework with biomechanical/osteopathic instructors like Deb Davies,  Jillian Krienbring and Peggy Cummings, I’ve gained tools that help me better understand the horse under the saddle.

What has truly expanded my understanding is studying how posture, ribcage mobility, trunk rotation, and pelvic engagement affect saddle fit and rider perception. For example, I’m currently working with a horse who has large asymmetrical shoulders and a less-than-optimal posture. Traditional saddle fitting could only get the owner partway there. What made the breakthrough possible was testing out some straightness concepts: checking whether the shoulders are properly aligned in front of the withers, observing whether the base of the neck sits centered between the shoulders, noticing subtle signs that reveal bracing, and promoting the use of groundwork—especially when noting if oscillation from the pelvis through the ribcage is not actually reaching the poll.
Also, the “jammed up” shoulders are stemming from restricted areas, and they can be improved. So many cases do not need to jump through so many hoops to find a saddle to fit their horse’s shape as it is now. It is actually easier to fix the horse (as I’ve said for many, many years—you can cultivate a back that is capable of carrying a rider well and easier to fit a saddle to).

Why Teaching Shape Assessment Matters
This is exactly why I’m passionate about teaching riders how to evaluate their horse’s unique shape—not to replace the need for professional help, but to make sure that help actually lasts. A well-fitted saddle is only as good as the horse’s posture, muscle use, and movement habits beneath it. When riders can see these patterns and recognize when something begins to shift, they’re able to support their horses long-term, prevent setbacks, and have far more productive fittings with any saddle fitter they choose to work with.

Want to Learn?
If this has piqued your interest and you’d like to journey into some of the ways you can learn to assess or start matching your horse’s shape to the right saddle, I hope you will go to SaddleFitSolved.com to learn more!