May 2018 - Do your saddles fit You and Your Horse?
The Saddle provides you with one of the most vital tools needed to play polo, a safe hitting platform, but should also give you a feeling of security on a horse and a comfortable driving seat when in control of the horse. This hitting platform is as important to you in accurately hitting the ball, as it is to the horse who is having to carry it. Having a saddle that will work with you and your horse, will always give you a better result when playing, as you are able to easily move around into different positions to play the ball and the horse is not inhibited with their movement or put under any extra stress or discomfort as you move around into these positions. There is no equestrian discipline that requires a wider range of movements and variables than polo, and therefore although a polo saddle may look plain from the outside the key components which make it up are all vital to the important role that it has to play.
If you look at the basics of a saddle, its founding structure is the tree. The shape, contour and width of the tree is paramount in the end result of the saddle that you will have. It is only in recent history that more emphasis has been put in to the importance of tree shape within saddles, for centuries they were designed in the same simple way with the same aim, to bridge the gap between the withers and therefore distribute weight and balance the rider. This general aim is still the same, but as equestrian sports have grown and what is asked and needed of the horses while in the saddle has changed so has the design of the tree. So, what was once a one shape fits all, has grown to be a personalized innovation of the discipline, in shape, style, design and use.
An average sized horse has a 4 inch wide by 16 inch long saddle support area on both sides of their spinal column, if you divided this area into 3 equal zones, a front, middle and back. The polo tree should be designed so that the front and back zones each carry 30% and the middle zone carries 40% of the saddle and rider’s weight. The middle zone should be designed to hold slightly more weight as this is where the rider’s weight is most concentrated, this is very important within polo as so much time is spent out of the saddle in the half seat position, meaning a greater weight is put on the stirrup bars which stem from the start of the middle zone of the tree. The middle zone of the tree on a polo saddle is made slightly wider than the front or back zones, to enable this larger concentration of weight to be more evenly distributed across this section of the horse’s back, as a larger surface area creates a smaller load per square inch for the horse and therefore less pressure on their back. While the structure of the tree design is concentrated on weight distribution, the shape and contour of the tree will define the way that it sits on the horse’s back and the way that it moves with the horse. As the core skeletal structure it also provides the pivotal starting block that the rest of the saddle will be built upon.
The interaction between the saddle and the horse is another key factor is ensuring your saddle is working for you and your horse. All polo players want to get over the front of the horse to play better. Therefore the polo saddle must accommodate both the horse‘s freedom of movement and the player’s ability to position themselves further forward, without the player losing the feeling of security and stability, enabling them both reach their full capabilities.
In Polo the tree within the saddle should to be slightly elevated at the front and back yet extremely stable and secure within the middle, enabling the horse to have freedom of movement within the shoulder and loins to fully utilise their body to fulfil all polo manoeuvres during play unobstructed, while also providing a solid secure seat for the player. The slight incline at the front of the saddle allows the saddle to sit up off the withers, ensuring room for movement between the saddle and the horse if the players weight is more concentrated in this zone, as well as keeping the player within the dimensions of the saddle. The two front points of the tree must sit behind the shoulder blades of the horse and the better polo saddles have additional soft panels that extend past the front of the tree allowing the shoulder free movement and the player more front saddle room to get over the shoulder of the horse, while maintaining the half seat. This slight incline in the front also works with the horses natural conformation enabling the scapular to slide neatly and without interference under the forward sitting side panel of the lower saddle. These extended soft panels at the front of the saddle, provide the player with the added security and saddle surface area, as well as a larger unobtrusive saddle core to build the saddle from, with this extension on the solid tree structure the saddle flaps that follow on from the tree can be larger to ensure grip and saddle contact from the groin to the knee while being further forward over the horse’s shoulder, eliminating any inhibiting of the horse’s range of motion. Both these design differences are aimed directly at enabling polo players to be able to place themselves towards the front of the horse
The Slight incline in the back of the tree design, enables the back of the saddle to sit slightly higher off the horse’s back, to allow for the rise in the horse’s loins every time the horse lifts it hind legs, enabling full range of movement within the hind quarters. It is often when performing the most physically demanding manoeuvres that the horse’s feet are required to be fully underneath it and therefore the loin area is raised, this incline reduces the weight and pressure of the saddle felt in this back zone by the horse. The loins are a well-known sensitive area on a horse, and minimising any pressure felt by the horse in this area, reduces the chances of the horse having any negative reaction, when under pressure in a game, such as leaping, not stopping, diving into the bit or even bucking, this clearance area between the loins and the saddle is paramount to the performance that your horse will be able to give you. This pressure can often be amplified in mares given the proximity to the ovaries and even more so felt by them while in season.
Polo requires a player to be able to have full swing potential and turning movement of 180 degrees on either side of the horse, therefore the tree should allow for diagonal movement of both the horse and rider, a static saddle with little to no give is like a rock sitting on the horse’s back rather than moving with it. Your saddle should be able to move with you in your seat to ensure security in your position as well as flexibility to move with the ever changing line of the horse’s back that it sits on. As with all things in polo it is the flexibility and movement that is important, your saddles should have a slight spring in them, so that they can move with you and your horse, but with a more solid foundation they should also be your strongest most sturdy piece of equipment.
As important as the structure of the saddle is, so is a comfortable well shaped saddle seat, as much as we want and need to be in the half seat for the horse and player performance while on the field in play, you will find yourself between plays or at some time on the field sitting in the saddle. The seat must provide a soft cushion for the three dimensional movement required by the spinal column, linked by the pelvis, legs, shoulder, bridle and neck. If a player is comfortable and stable they are able to give the horse more direction through consistent controlled demands through the legs and hands. The correctly structured tree with added soft front panels works with this soft cushioning to allow the legs to hang comfortably in the correct position enabling maximum connection between the player’s groin, inner thigh and the knee on the largest portion of leather on the saddle, closer contact between the players legs and horse, result in a better position and more accurate communication between horse and rider.
A correctly shaped and designed seat will have a balance point that sits in the middle or slightly toward the front of the middle of the saddle. If you have a piece of chalk and sit it on the seat it will roll to its natural balance point. This middle part of the seat where the balance point is found is the load zone and will direct your weight accordingly, from the lowest point and then to the back of the saddle will sit you back in the saddle and then vice versa towards the front of the saddle and up will sit you forward.
The interaction between horse and player is vital when playing polo and that interaction will always be at its best when both horse and rider are comfortable. An ill designed saddle can put added strain on not only your horses performance and ability but also yours, if your saddle is not working with you to make all your muscles and ligaments as comfortable as possible, it may well be doing the same for your horse. Polo is a sport with so many different and conflicting requests, the more that you can do to ensure your horse is getting a clear pain free message, the better that you horse will play for you, and the more comfortable you are while asking for these requests the more clear your message will be and the more relaxed you will be to concentrate on your game and enjoy this amazing sport.
If you look at the basics of a saddle, its founding structure is the tree. The shape, contour and width of the tree is paramount in the end result of the saddle that you will have. It is only in recent history that more emphasis has been put in to the importance of tree shape within saddles, for centuries they were designed in the same simple way with the same aim, to bridge the gap between the withers and therefore distribute weight and balance the rider. This general aim is still the same, but as equestrian sports have grown and what is asked and needed of the horses while in the saddle has changed so has the design of the tree. So, what was once a one shape fits all, has grown to be a personalized innovation of the discipline, in shape, style, design and use.
An average sized horse has a 4 inch wide by 16 inch long saddle support area on both sides of their spinal column, if you divided this area into 3 equal zones, a front, middle and back. The polo tree should be designed so that the front and back zones each carry 30% and the middle zone carries 40% of the saddle and rider’s weight. The middle zone should be designed to hold slightly more weight as this is where the rider’s weight is most concentrated, this is very important within polo as so much time is spent out of the saddle in the half seat position, meaning a greater weight is put on the stirrup bars which stem from the start of the middle zone of the tree. The middle zone of the tree on a polo saddle is made slightly wider than the front or back zones, to enable this larger concentration of weight to be more evenly distributed across this section of the horse’s back, as a larger surface area creates a smaller load per square inch for the horse and therefore less pressure on their back. While the structure of the tree design is concentrated on weight distribution, the shape and contour of the tree will define the way that it sits on the horse’s back and the way that it moves with the horse. As the core skeletal structure it also provides the pivotal starting block that the rest of the saddle will be built upon.
The interaction between the saddle and the horse is another key factor is ensuring your saddle is working for you and your horse. All polo players want to get over the front of the horse to play better. Therefore the polo saddle must accommodate both the horse‘s freedom of movement and the player’s ability to position themselves further forward, without the player losing the feeling of security and stability, enabling them both reach their full capabilities.
In Polo the tree within the saddle should to be slightly elevated at the front and back yet extremely stable and secure within the middle, enabling the horse to have freedom of movement within the shoulder and loins to fully utilise their body to fulfil all polo manoeuvres during play unobstructed, while also providing a solid secure seat for the player. The slight incline at the front of the saddle allows the saddle to sit up off the withers, ensuring room for movement between the saddle and the horse if the players weight is more concentrated in this zone, as well as keeping the player within the dimensions of the saddle. The two front points of the tree must sit behind the shoulder blades of the horse and the better polo saddles have additional soft panels that extend past the front of the tree allowing the shoulder free movement and the player more front saddle room to get over the shoulder of the horse, while maintaining the half seat. This slight incline in the front also works with the horses natural conformation enabling the scapular to slide neatly and without interference under the forward sitting side panel of the lower saddle. These extended soft panels at the front of the saddle, provide the player with the added security and saddle surface area, as well as a larger unobtrusive saddle core to build the saddle from, with this extension on the solid tree structure the saddle flaps that follow on from the tree can be larger to ensure grip and saddle contact from the groin to the knee while being further forward over the horse’s shoulder, eliminating any inhibiting of the horse’s range of motion. Both these design differences are aimed directly at enabling polo players to be able to place themselves towards the front of the horse
The Slight incline in the back of the tree design, enables the back of the saddle to sit slightly higher off the horse’s back, to allow for the rise in the horse’s loins every time the horse lifts it hind legs, enabling full range of movement within the hind quarters. It is often when performing the most physically demanding manoeuvres that the horse’s feet are required to be fully underneath it and therefore the loin area is raised, this incline reduces the weight and pressure of the saddle felt in this back zone by the horse. The loins are a well-known sensitive area on a horse, and minimising any pressure felt by the horse in this area, reduces the chances of the horse having any negative reaction, when under pressure in a game, such as leaping, not stopping, diving into the bit or even bucking, this clearance area between the loins and the saddle is paramount to the performance that your horse will be able to give you. This pressure can often be amplified in mares given the proximity to the ovaries and even more so felt by them while in season.
Polo requires a player to be able to have full swing potential and turning movement of 180 degrees on either side of the horse, therefore the tree should allow for diagonal movement of both the horse and rider, a static saddle with little to no give is like a rock sitting on the horse’s back rather than moving with it. Your saddle should be able to move with you in your seat to ensure security in your position as well as flexibility to move with the ever changing line of the horse’s back that it sits on. As with all things in polo it is the flexibility and movement that is important, your saddles should have a slight spring in them, so that they can move with you and your horse, but with a more solid foundation they should also be your strongest most sturdy piece of equipment.
As important as the structure of the saddle is, so is a comfortable well shaped saddle seat, as much as we want and need to be in the half seat for the horse and player performance while on the field in play, you will find yourself between plays or at some time on the field sitting in the saddle. The seat must provide a soft cushion for the three dimensional movement required by the spinal column, linked by the pelvis, legs, shoulder, bridle and neck. If a player is comfortable and stable they are able to give the horse more direction through consistent controlled demands through the legs and hands. The correctly structured tree with added soft front panels works with this soft cushioning to allow the legs to hang comfortably in the correct position enabling maximum connection between the player’s groin, inner thigh and the knee on the largest portion of leather on the saddle, closer contact between the players legs and horse, result in a better position and more accurate communication between horse and rider.
A correctly shaped and designed seat will have a balance point that sits in the middle or slightly toward the front of the middle of the saddle. If you have a piece of chalk and sit it on the seat it will roll to its natural balance point. This middle part of the seat where the balance point is found is the load zone and will direct your weight accordingly, from the lowest point and then to the back of the saddle will sit you back in the saddle and then vice versa towards the front of the saddle and up will sit you forward.
The interaction between horse and player is vital when playing polo and that interaction will always be at its best when both horse and rider are comfortable. An ill designed saddle can put added strain on not only your horses performance and ability but also yours, if your saddle is not working with you to make all your muscles and ligaments as comfortable as possible, it may well be doing the same for your horse. Polo is a sport with so many different and conflicting requests, the more that you can do to ensure your horse is getting a clear pain free message, the better that you horse will play for you, and the more comfortable you are while asking for these requests the more clear your message will be and the more relaxed you will be to concentrate on your game and enjoy this amazing sport.