Unless your horse or pony has been in full work throughout lockdown, it is likely that he or she has changed shape and your saddle may not quite fit as it should. Many equines have been turned away or put on reduced work the past few weeks so, for them, the most important thing you can do is have your saddle fit checked. A good saddle fitter will assess the saddle fit with you riding your horse in it, as well as them thoroughly checking from the ground.
A poorly fitting saddle can lead to discomfort and behavioural/physical changes in your horse, if not addressed, and it can even make the rider feel unbalanced if the saddle has become very unlevel.
To help you, the video below shows in depth how to take a wither template to aid your saddler/saddle fitter in assessing or adjusting your saddle, and don’t forget that you can also contact Heather or one of her accredited HM Saddle fitters for advice on the fit of your HM Saddle.
For more video instruction, please go to https://www.onlineclassicalridingacademy.com/