what, where, when & how to fit a saddle to a horse

8/6/2019 What, Where, When & How to Fit a Saddle to a Horse

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3-D MEASURE

HORSE'S BACK3-D MEASURE

SADDLE SHAPE

ENTER # INTO

DATABASE

SORT

DATABASEMATCH

FOUNDNO MATCH

FOUND

COMPUTER

PRESSUREVERIFICATION

PASS

FAIL

OUTPUT DOCUMENTTO FILE RECORD

DETERMINE

RE-MEASURECYCLE TIME

3-D RE-MEASUREHORSE'S BACK

3-D RE-MEASURESADDLE SHAPE

PLACEHORSE/SADDLE

INTO SERVICE

PURCHASENEW SADDLEOR RESHAPE

SADDLE

REQUISITION

ORTHOTICMADE TOMEASURE

WEIGHT

CALIBRATIONFORMULA

RIDERLBS.

HORSELBS.

U.S. Patent # 6,334 ,262

Evidence Based Saddle FittingWhat, Where, When & How Do We Measure a Horse for a Saddle

By Robert Ferrand, InventorWHAT IS EVIDENCE BASED SADDLE FITTING?

EVIDENCE BASED SADDLE FITTING is the employment of physics, physiology and peerreview clinical research as the basis for understanding saddle fitting and coupling thisresearch with measurement data. By employing three factors: 1. three-dimensionalcoordinates, 2, a mathematical calibration formula, and 3. a computer interface pressuremeasurement, a feedback loop can be created to precisely define the dynamics ofsaddle fit.

By first describing the three dimensional measurement coordinates that define thepolyform shape of the horses back, then employing a mathematical formula to correct forthe effect of the riders weight relative the horses weight, it is possible to determine amore accurate shape of mounted saddle that will provide a superior FIT. By then taking

the additional step of measuring the actual interface pressure that is exerted by the saddleand rider on to the horses back a calibration and or validation of this three-dimensionalmeasurement is also possible, thereby creating a feedback loop. providing objectivevalidation. This process is also known as the scientific method.

A SADDLE FITTING METHOD THAT CAN APPLY THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IS

1. Observe some aspect of the universe. THREE DIMENSIONAL MEASUREMENTS2. Invent a description, called a hypothesis. or a mathematical relation A FORMULA3. Use the formula to make predictions. WEIGHT COMPENSATION FACTOR4. Test those predictions by experiment INTERFACE PRESSURE MEASUREMENT5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are no discrepancies FORMULA CALIBRATION

In contrast, to traditional saddle fitting methods, which are based on assumptionsthat have no scientific basis or supporting measurement data, Evidence Based SaddleFitting is totally based on physics, physiology, mathematics, and calibrated measurement.


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WHAT IS MEASUREMENT?

MEASUREMENT is the dimension, quantity, or capacity determined by measuring.MEASUREMENT is a qualitative relationship based on a STANDARD. Measurementrequires a standard unit of measurement.

Many people misunderstand measurement. There are some who believe that theuse of a piece of baling wire or flexible curve to be measurement. Unfortunately, until thattwo-dimensional shape is converted into a series of x and y coordinates it is notmeasurement, because there are no numerical values that are related to a standard.

There are others who believe that a plaster or plastic form of the horses back to bemeasurement, unfortunately, such polyforms also do not employ numerical values, someasurement is not possible until these coordinates are converted into an array of x, yand z coordinates that relate to an established standard unit of reference.

There is an ancient method, employing an array of rods fit through holes in a plate,

which can be adjusted to create a mirror image of the shape of the horses back. Thisdevice can provide the numerical data for x, y and z coordinates, by measuring the lengthof each individual rod. However. without a standard of reference to determine how thesenumbers relate to the actual pressure exerted by the saddle and rider on the horses back,there can be no measurement. MEASUREMENT REQUIRES A REFERENCE STANDARD.

WHAT DO WE MEASURE?

The bottom line issue of fitting a saddle to a horse is PRESSURE. If the saddleexerts significant pressure on the tissues of the animal, the animal can be traumatized andin time white hairs and or open sores can develop. Thus, in the final analysis we need

to measure the PRESSURE exerted by the saddle and rider on the horses back.Unfortunately, baling wire, plaster casts, plastic forms and rod arrays do not measure thatpressure.

The question What do we measure? is linked to What information do we need toproperly fit a saddle to a horse? This question also infers that we have measurementinstruments in the first place. So what you measure is linked to what measurementinstruments are available to acquire the data. The challenge to measure a saddle on thehorse is that the saddle and rider are themselves in the way of determining the threedimensional measurement of the horses back.

If you remove the saddle and rider, to be able to have access to measure the three-dimensional shape of the horses back then you are measuring something different thanwhat occurs when the rider is in the saddle. If you measure one thing and then totallychange the equation you really have two different events, but only onemeasurement. So to accurately measure a saddle with the rider there needs to be amethod to correct for this difference. Mathematics provides a technique called CALIBRATIONthat can correct for such discrepancies.


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The Encyclopedia Britannica defines; the process of calibration of any measuring

instrument is the determination of the value of the unit to which the measurementsare referred by comparison with a standard unit of the same kind. Thus, the challengeusing baling wire, a plaster cast, plastic forms or a rod array for measurement, is that evenif these forms are transferred to x, y and z coordinates, these coordinates cannot becalibrated because there is no reference STANDARD to which to calibrate to the actualpressure that is exerted onto the horses back.

There are four significant issues relating to saddle measurement. The first, is whatactual pressure is exerted on the animal by the saddle and rider? The second issue iswhat is the three dimensional shape of the animals back? The third, is what is the threedimensional shape of the saddle? The fourth, what is the relationship between the actualpressure exerted on the animal and the three-dimensional relationship between themeasurement of the horses back and measurement of the saddle WITH THE RIDERMOUNTED?

The challenge is to create a formula that relates each of the previous

measurements into a balanced mathematical equation that can determine the effect of theweight of the saddle and rider on the shape of the horses back? To accomplish this task,we need a Two Factor Theory; one measurement device is not enough. To achieve anyreasonable accuracy requires at least one measurement device that can measurepressure that can be calibrated to a known reference STANDARD and a second devicethat can be calibrated to the first device that can measure the three dimensional shapeof the horses back and corresponding saddle.

A technology is available, consisting ofa pressure sensitive pad attached to acomputer. The pad contains an array of 256

pressure sensors that measures 24 inchesby 32 inches. This instrument can actually becalibrated to a known STANDARD ofpressure. The individual pressure sensorscan be "Calibrated" to a pressure manometer that has been "Calibrated" to another"Calibrated" manometer that was calibrated against a national pressure STANDARDmaintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in Washington, DC, IFWE HAVE A REFERENCE STANDARD THEN WE HAVE A SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDMETHOD OF MEASUREMENT.

While the sensor array does measure pressure, it does not provide the three-

dimensional coordinates required to relate the shape of the saddle to the shape of theanimals back, so the correct saddle can be chosen or adjusted to fit the animal. Such athree dimensional measurement device should provide any array of points that describesthe shape of the unloaded horses back. Then if we could construct a formula that couldadjust for a variety of individual factors we could readjust such a measurement device todescribe a new set of numbers, which approximates the shape of the loaded horse andcorresponding saddle. Such a device can be constructed by employing transverselinkages as shown below. By employing the computer interface pressure device tocalibrate the formula a feedback loop is created to validate measurement criteria.


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WHERE DO WE MEASURE?

Where we measure is related to where we place the saddle on the horse. There area number of different theories on saddle placement. When using English saddles there is atendency for Hunter and Jumpers riders to place the saddle forward, and Dressage ridersto place the saddle further back. With Western saddles, many are so large that it isvirtually impossible to avoid placing them over the scapula. There are some who argue tokeep the scapula free; there are other people who claim it does not matter. Regardless ofwhich saddle position theory you wish to support, the bottom line is that the saddle shouldbe FIT to whatever position the saddle is actually going to be ridden, whether it isforward, backward or in-between.

Technically, the center of the saddle should rest right over the 14th spinalvertebrae, and the rider should be centered above that same point. While this is a greatexplanation on exactly where the saddle should be placed, unfortunately in the real

world, it is not easy for an unskilled person to find the 14th spinal vertebrae, much lesslocate the center of the saddle over that point. So this explains exactly where the saddleshould be placed, but it is virtually impossible for most equestrians to use the 14thvertebrae for a reference point.

In 1917 the U.S. Cavalry, published that: there are six axioms in saddle fitting:(1) The withers must not be pinched or pressed upon,(2) The central line of the back must have no pressure put upon it,(3) The shoulder blades must have full and unhampered movement,(4) The loins must not carry weight,(5) The weight must be put upon the ribs through the medium of the muscles

covering them,(6) The weight must be evenly distributed over a surface, which extends from the

play of the shoulders to the last true rib.

This is a succinct explanation of where to place the saddle, however, while it makessense to place the saddle behind the scapula, unfortunately, the hunters and jumper riderstend to place the saddle forward for a very good reason, to get the riders weight forward.When using traditional Western saddles that are 27 inches long, it is virtually impossible toplace the Western Saddle behind the scapula because the saddles are so long.

90 120 130 14025 0 5


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To make matters more complicated, many horses are asymmetrical, meaning the

position of the scapula is not the same from one side to the other, and there is evengreater variation from horse to horse and breed to breed. So employing the scapula as areference point is problematic.

The simple solution is to accept whichever saddle placement theory is currently invogue with that individual rider and using that placement of that saddle for the referencepoint for measurement. If the saddle is placed on the horse and the position of the frontand back of the saddle is marked with chalk or tape, two reference points are established.If the measurement instruments, themselves, are centered between these two points, thencorresponding measurements taken on the horse that can be related to the correspondingcontact point on the saddle. This method permits a universally applicable method tomeasure the horse for a saddle, regardless of whichever saddle placement philosophy isemployed.

WHEN DO WE MEASURE?

WHEN we need to measure is related to the issue of the saddle and rider being inthe way of the measurement itself and the difference between static and dynamicmeasurement, which in turn relates to understanding the physiological problem we aretrying to solve by saddle fitting, in the first place.

There is no way to eliminate the pressure under the saddle, nor is there any needto. There is only a need to understand what the horse's tissues need to remain healthy.With that knowledge we can learn how to intelligently apply pressure to the horse's back.Skin and muscle tissue require a constant intermittent flow of blood to remain healthy. Instrenuous exercise the muscles require significantly more blood flow to maintain a healthymetabolism. This exchange of oxygen and waste products occurs in the capillary bed.

The saddle fitting problems occur when thesaddle causes continuous excessive pressure on thecapillaries that exceeds the blood pressure andstructural strength of those vessels and the capillaryvessels collapse. This collapse leads to thedeprivation of oxygen and nutrients brought by freshblood and the removal of waste products.

CAPILLARY CLOSING PRESSURE IS THE CRITICAL ISSUE IN PREVENTINGSADDLE-RELATED TRAUMA AND IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE HORSE'S

MUSCLES UNDER SADDLE.

In all cases, pressure release is followed by reactive hyperemia and the partsoriginally starved of arterial blood are instantly flooded with oxygen rich blood. The extentand duration of the blood flow is proportional to the needs of the tissues. The mostimportant issue to remember with tissue trauma is that higher pressures do damage inshorter periods of time. However, even low pressure for long periods of time can dodamage


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Tissues do not need a constant flow of blood, but tissues do need a CONSTANTINTERMITTENT FLOW OF BLOOD. This is significant to saddle fit because the fit of thesaddle relates to how much time one can ride before causing trauma to the horse.Obviously if the saddle fits one can ride the horse longer without sustaining damage than asaddle that bridges and causes high pressures.

In the final analysis we need to measure the pressures exerted on the horsedynamically when the horse is in gait. However, as a practical matter that measurementdoes not provide us the information we need in the saddle shop when we are building thesaddle, or at the tack shop trying to choose a saddle that will fit a particular horse.

So again once again, a Two-Factor Theory is required. We need one measurementat one time and a different measurement at another time. First, we need to know the threedimensional (3-D) shape of the animals back for a reference position. Secondly, we needa formula to correct for the effect of the rider weight relative to horse weight so that we canmake adjustments to the initial 3-D measurements to describe the new shape of the

loaded horses back in order to choose a saddle. Thirdly, we then can search for a saddlethat has the required shape, by placing the device into saddle after saddle, or search adatabase. Fourthly, the saddle that provides a 3-D Measured Fit needs to be tested withthe rider in the saddle on the horse, first statically, and then dynamically with an interfacepressure measurement device, to verify that no errors were introduced into the calibrationmethod or the horses conformation or condition requires additional calibration.

The goal of such a interface pressure measurement is to determine that the saddleREALLY DOES FIT, which means that we can achieve an even distribution of pressurewhen the horse is static and that high pressures do not remain in the same place when thehorse is in dynamic motion. It is important to remember that we are not trying to

eliminate pressure; we are trying to use measurement to control the shape of thesaddle in order to be able to control the pressure distribution precisely.

This means that if the saddle does not fit; it bridges when the pressures aremeasured statically as well and dynamically, despite the fact that the horses back doesmove to some degree under the saddle, the higher pressures at the withers remain. Thisdoes not permit the intermittent flow of blood that is necessary for the tissues to remainhealthy. NOW, IF THE SADDLE DOES FIT STATICALLY, WHAT WE WILL FIND IS THATTHE SLIGHT MOVEMENT OF THE HORSES BACK WHEN IT IS IN MOTION, WILL CAUSESLIGHTLY HIGH PRESSURES TO MOVE FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER, THROUGHOUTTHE SADDLE CONTACT AREA. THIS WILL PROVIDE THE INTERMITTENT FLOW REQUIRED

TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY TISSUE.


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HOW DO WE MEASURE?

HOW we measure relates to the nature of the measurement instrumentsthemselves, obviously, three-dimensional measurements are taken differently thaninterface pressure measurements.

One method to acquire three-dimensional measurements of the horses back wouldbe as follows:

1. Be sure that the animal is standing with all four feet square to each other and thatthe animals head is in a normal position when riding.

2. Place the Saddle on the animal and mark the position in the front and the back ofthe saddle with tape or chalk on the animals back

3. Adjust the wings of the measurement device to facilitate measurement4. Center the measurement device on the animal in the same position that you will

put the center of the saddle, meaning centered between the previously marked position ofthe saddle. Make sure that the wings are adjusted perpendicular to the ground.

5. Adjust the Center wings down so that the bottom edges of the wings have

maximum contact with the animal s back.6. Adjust the wither and loin wings down so that the bottom edges have maximum

contact with the animals back.7. Double Check that the faces of the Wings are perpendicular to the ground.8. Record the Measurements from each of the respective wing (arm) indicia and the

arc (link) indicia on the measurement device. The preferred method to measure theSaddle would be:

9. Lift the measurement device off the animal without moving the position of themeasurement device.

10. If necessary, adjust wither ((pommel) arc and loin (cantle) arcs of themeasurement device using the WCF (Weight Compensation Factor) to compensate for the

weight of the rider relative to the weight of the animal using the appropriate formula.Note: additional factors may require refined formulas. Additional factors affecting saddle fitinclude the age of the animal, the condition of the animal, the type of saddle, the surfacearea of the saddle panels, the type of riding and the skill of the rider. Appropriateadjustments can be made using this method to account for additional factors.

11. Turn the measurement device upside down and place the measurement devicein the Saddle.

12. Center the measurement device in the center of the saddle, equidistant from thefront (pommel or fork) and back (cantle) of the saddle.

13. Use the Saddle Fitting Guide to determine the best possible saddle fit for aparticular animal.

The saddle "Fits": if all the wings touch the saddle uniformly.The saddle "Rocks": if the wither and loin wings do not touch.The saddle "Bridges": if all the wither and loin wings touch the saddle at the pommel

(front) and cantle (back) and do not touch in the center of the saddle.14. By making an additional measurement employing an interface pressure

measurement device, the formula can be calibrated to adjust for additional factors suchand age, breeding, or conditioning.


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If the measurement device or computer scan reveals that the saddle is "bridging,"causing high pressure on the withers and loin, the measurement of the arc of the saddlecan be increased incrementally to permit the saddle to contact the back of the animal andevenly distribute the weight over the entire saddle panel by adjusting incremental riderweight (B) or the incremental animal weight ( Y )

Conversely, if the gauge or the computer scan reveals that the saddle "rocks,"causing high pressure only on the middle of the back of the animal (no contact on thewithers or loin), the arc of the saddle can be decreased to permit the saddle to contact theback of the animal and evenly distribute the weight over the entire saddle panel, by

adjusting either the established rider weight ( C ) or the established animal weight ( Z ),

The Two Factor Theory includes employing two different measurement instruments,one measurement instrument that measures the three-dimensional shape of the animalsback, in conjunction with a formula that can adjust the measurement of the threedimensional shape of the saddle to compensate for the weight of the rider. The secondmeasurement device is then employed to calibrate or verify the accuracy of the 3-Dmeasurement and associated calibration method.

THE "MIRROR IMAGE" CANNOT POSSIBLY FIT!

We have all been told over the years, by the expert saddle fitters that you should fitthe saddle to the mirror image of the horses back, because that will distribute thepressure evenly. We are told that we can determine this fit for ourselves by placing thesaddle on the horse, lifting the skirts or flaps and by running our hand under the saddle,we can feel that the panels or bars fit evenly on the horses back. That is the story, now,what is the truth?

RW C HW ZWCF = _______ + _______

B Y


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The truth is most equestrians have a number of saddles gathering dust that just donot fit. Most of us go from saddle to saddle, fitting the saddles the way we are told and wenever find a saddle that fits. Maybe the saddle fitting experts are wrong.

Maybe the saddle fitting problem is that we are all fitting saddles by repeating thesame mistake over and over, for centuries.

Let us examine what we have been told with a little bit of common sense. Despitethe fact that it is pretty obvious that gravity is a factor everywhere else, we keep trying to fitthe saddle without the rider, because as soon as the rider gets in the saddle we cannotfeel under the saddle.

Then, we step in the saddle and add 150 to 200 pounds and think that it does notmatter. Every time I carry a 50-pound sack of grain to the barn, I do think that 200 poundson the horse has to have a significant effect on the shape of the horses back.

Can we possibly find a more reasonable way to fit the saddle to the horse, so wecan figure out what the effect of the weight of the rider has on the shape of the horsesback so we could choose a saddle that fits?

Well, the answer is yes. If we could make a clear plastic structure that we couldactually see through, that could simulate the shape of the saddle, so that we could actuallysee how that shape relates to the shape of the horses back, we could test the theory if themirror image does fit the horse when the rider is mounted.

If we place a plastic structure on the horse that we can obviously see for ourselvesthat does FIT the mirror image of the horse, as we have been told to do, and then if weplace that structure on the pressure sensitive computer pad on the horse, we should beable to see if it FITS when the rider mounts. If it does not fit and it bridges we can seethat the saddle fitting problem is that the saddle fitting experts have been giving us thewrong advice for many years and it is time to change our

strategy.

Testing the mirror image theory, we can see thatif there is no rider weight: the formula would be: 10 = (0

150 ) / 15 + (1000 1000 ) / 100. So if we subtract 10degrees from the wither and loin arc of the measurementof the horses back, we should be able to make a plasticstructure that is a mirror image.

You can see that this Mirror Image plastic structure on the left does in factAPPEAR to FIT the horse perfectly, as we havebeen told it should. Notice that you can actually seethrough the plastic and see that the hair is pressedevenly on the back. Now, if you look at the adjacentcomputer scan on the right, of the same MirrorImage structure on the horse, however, with theadditional weight of the saddle and rider, you can seethat the horses back has been significantly affected

by the addition of 225 pounds and the mirror image structure actually "BRIDGES".


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Maybe we have identified why we cannot ever find saddles that fit, once again wehave been mislead by the experts, and we are ignoring the obvious-

GRAVITY DOES EXIST AND WEIGHT IS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR

HOW DO WE TEST THE THEORY ?

Now, we can take this experiment one step further and test our formula and see if in

fact by correcting for the weight of the rider relative to the weight of the horse, we canactually achieve a better fit. If we achieve a relatively even pressure distribution, maybewe are on to something here.

To test this theory we need some way to make the clear plastic structure in afashion that it can use the measurements from the measurement device with a directrelationship. This can be done by using the measurement device itself, to be the form onwhich the plastic structure is actually made. In this manner, the shape of the plasticstructure can actually be calibrated, and the formula can be used to precisely change theshape of each plastic structure.

So, lets put this theory to the test. For this experiment we need,

1. a Horse,2. a Saddle,3. a Rider,4. a three-dimensional measurement device,5. a calibration method to correct for the effect of the weight of the rider,6. a computer interface pressure measurement instrument,7. an adjustable form jig to make the test structure, and8. a clear plastic three-dimensional test structure.

First, we can take the three dimensional measurements of the horse. Now the

formula can be simplified into a chart below, which you just match the point where the riderweight and the horse weight cross and just go over to the left and adjust the measurementinstrument wither and lion arcs by that amount. This is the simple, quick and easy method.

Adding the 225 pound rider to the equation would be:5 = (225 150 ) / 15 + (1000 1000 ) / 100. So, if we add 5 degrees to the witherand loin arc of the original measurement of thehorse, we should be able to build a structure thatwould FIT. You can see on the right, that thestructure APPEARS to Rock slightly on thehorses back, however, if you look at the adjacent

computer scan, on the right, with the rider in thesaddle you can see that the pressure is relativelyeven. Bingo, we are on to something here.

So there you have it, EVIDENCE BASED proof that using the three dimensionalback shape of the MIRROR IMAGE CANNOT POSSIBLY FIT a saddle to a horse. Thatis the bad news. The good news is we have a modern EVIDENCE BASED verifiablemethod to fit a saddle to a horse, as well as a structure that can correct for the variationsbetween horses backs and saddles.


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In 1908 the British Army Veterinary Service wrote in Animal Management,

Excluding epizootic diseases, it would be difficult to find any cause of inefficiencyamong army horses equal to that produced by saddle injuries. It has always beenso, for the reason that insufficient attention has been paid to the question ofprevention, and few realize the extra-ordinary damage which may be inflicted in avery short time by an ill-fitting saddle

A century later, it is time to use the resources ofmodern science and focus our attention to the question ofprevention to protect our animals. Remember, whateverdifficulty you may have with mathematics, it was far harder forAlbert Einstein, but it did permitted him to solve profound

mysteries, remember E = mc2. Measurement was a friend to

Albert Einstein and it can be a friend to you and your horse aswell, and it really is not that hard to do. Saddling a horse is notrocket science, but it does require careful measurement.

Albert Einstein, stated, Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over andexpecting different results It is time to stop the insanity, because we are abusing ouranimals by our lack of attention.

what, where, when & how to fit a saddle to a horse

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