Saddle fitting is an art and to correctly match a saddle to both horse and rider can require the expertise of a saddler. I have sat on a lot of saddles that felt uncomfortable to me and I expect many felt uncomfortable to the horse too.

Given the cost of saddles, it is often tempting to use the same saddle for different horses but this may not work well particularly if their size & conformation is quite different. I would generally advise that a saddle be checked for the horse by a saddler but an experienced horse owner/rider may be able to assist with this, at least to highlight any major problems. The key point is that the gullet is the correct width for the horse’s back. If it is too narrow, it will sit too high on the horse and nip its back and if it is too wide, it will press on the withers. A saddle pad or numnah will only be able to help with minor fit problems, not major ones. I would also recommend that a saddle is re-stuffed every few years particularly if it is being transferred from one horse to another.

I was impressed with the winner Big Brown in the recent Kentucky Derby 2008. He was one of my selections from looking at the runners’ form as I usually go for unbeaten horses in these major flat races. I also liked the fact that he looked a big strong horse rather than the often lightweight thoroughbreds often seen in the US. This subject has come into the spotlight following the sad death of the second horse Eight Belles after she broke both of her front ‘ankles’ or pasterns. My first thought was the horse had collapsed with with either a heart or broken blood vessel problem. I do not remember hearing of a horse breaking two legs in such a manner.

I much prefer to see horses run & train on grass rather than dirt, although the going on grass can be far from ideal in some circumstances. There were issues raised about running on dirt after the injury and death of George Washington in the very wet dirt conditions of the 2007 Breeders Cup. He too suffered a dislocated and fractured pastern, but on one leg rather than two. I wonder what are the relative frequencies of such injuries on the various racing surfaces?