What a Saddle Fitter/Equine Physio Wants Every Rider to Know

Equestrian Voices

Your horse nips at the girth. He shivers when you run the brush over his lumbar. He’s always on the forehand no matter what you do.

Wouldn’t it be great if horses could just tell us what was going on inside their bodies? What ached, what felt sticky or clicky, what caused them to start stopping at jumps they used to do with ease?

Most of us are clued into the fact that when horses start demonstrating some behaviors, a physical investigation must come first. Saddle fit and pressure distribution are a big part in what can contribute to (or take away from) our working horses’ comfort, and there are some common culprits and themes that experienced saddle fitters and equine physios see a lot of.

Enter: Carolyn Cohen. She’s an equine bodyworker, biomechanics expert, and independent tack fitter who founded her company, CC fits, in 2018. In this episode, Carolyn and host Caroline Culbertson walk through 4 things that Carolyn wants every rider out there to know about their horse’s body and tack.

They discuss:

• The crucial importance of girthing systems and what to look out for
• How saddle fit issues can manifest in less obvious places in the horse
• The problem with focusing on the saddle only fitting the horse
• Where to begin with building your team of support people for your horse’s athletic journey (hint: you don’t have to do it ALL)