Cob Jockey

My best friend Mary was a CWD saddle fitter for a few years after college - got flown to France to spend a month learning about saddle craft and fit and taking a practical test on it at the end, the whole nine yards. And she was GOOD at it too, just an amazing eye for both horse and rider movement.

All pictures are from that ride, but before she made any changes.  PC all photos in this post: my mom <3

On the way home from Land Rover, she came out to the barn with me to play with Connor.  I told her I had been fighting with my Dressage saddle for a few months, and had recently been riding without stirrups a lot because it felt better to me that way, but I couldn't articulate why.


After I warmed up she put me on a 20m circle and had me do a few laps each direction with and without my stirrups at the trot and canter.  She asked me if my trainers are constantly telling me to pull my foot back, and I said yes, all of them do (even Kate!)

"Okay, stop.  We're going to shim you."

Side note, how bout that square halt.  Also Mary is so good at wrapping polos, she makes me want to not even try it myself.

She put a fleece half pad with rear shims on him and had me get back on and do the 20m circles again.  I could not keep myself from exclaiming "HOLY COW.  It feels like the seat is an inch bigger and my stirrups are a hole longer!  What did you do?!"

I mean I knew what she did, but I wanted to know why. 


"Your saddle fits both of you great, honestly.  But the stirrup bar placement is an issue for you.  Because your thighs are so short, the stirrup bar is going to be set too far forward for you on most saddles, which is going to pull your foot forward.  I put the rear shims in to lift the back a bit which puts your leg in the right place, which is where it hangs when you ride without stirrups too."

Now, this is the same fit issue the saddle fitter identified in July, and we widened the tree to improve the situation, but clearly we didn't go far enough.


Yesterday I had my weekly lesson, and the change was incredible.  I felt like I was balanced over his back and like the saddle wasn't in my way.  I got the same feeling riding with stirrups as riding without.  My trainer said it was some of the best rhythm and relaxation she had seen out of us.

I bought a shimmable half pad of my own, a Prolite tri-pad, and I'm looking forward to playing with it tonight.

Underside shown

It's a great feeling to head into a biomechanics clinic this weekend knowing my saddle isn't in my way anymore!