Saddle Fitting – Part 1 – Horizontal Center of Balance
This lesson has 2 videos
Quick Summary:
The Horizontal Center of Balance determines how much your horses body will change between relaxed posture and standing posture.
The more downhill the line is when the horse is standing or moving relaxed, the more their back (T1 to T12) will rise up & flatten in athletic movement
If the saddle has contact through thoracic vertebrae (T6-T12) when they are standing relaxed and shoulder down, there isn’t the room needed for them to rise up and flatten – which creates:
1. Front end compression
2. Shorter Strides – create over-developed Gluteus Medius muscles, under developed posterior muscles, tension at the pole, tension in front of the withers, tension on the bottom side of the neck
3. Kissing and compressed vertebrae – most noted thoracic T10- T18
This video shows how much Zena’s back rises when she levels out her horizontal center of balance when she picks up speed