> Judy did you see that pic of Dagur? What do you think of that saddle > placement? Anyone?
Yes, that would put the rider in the sweet spot. Now, some people might think the saddle is too far forward. "We all see 'correct' in some context of what we are used to." If we always see the saddle placed back, that looks "normal" to us. Let's look at some of the history of saddle development and how it came to be that saddles should be slid back behind the shoulders. The only reason for sliding them back is to get them off the shoulders... so... think about it... what is the reason for a saddle? To be a transition between horse and rider, which should fit both (be comfortable for both), and to put the rider in the right spot. If sliding the saddle back is required because it interferes with the shoulder movement, and it puts the rider in the wrong spot (sitting on the less strong part of the back) maybe the saddle needs to have more flair to stop any impingement on the shoulders. Sliding the saddle back is like putting a bandaid on a symptom and not addressing the cause of the problem. Problem being: the saddle is not made to fit the horse properly. Either way (interfering with the shoulders or carrying the rider on the weaker part of the back), the horse loses when he wears a saddle that doesn't fit. Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
