A Good Partnership

As the HORSEPOWER team prepares for the fall session, there’s a lot to watch around the barn: riders are getting ready for lessons, volunteers are learning new skills, and instructors are planning for another season. Me? You’ll usually find me sitting next to the lost and found cabinet. That’s where the cat treats are kept. At least, they were. I’ve been cut off, but we’ll talk about that terrible business another time.

From my spot, I know when it’s saddle fitting time.

Every HORSEPOWER horse has its own saddle, and every saddle has its own place in the tack room. That makes it easier for volunteers and riders to know exactly which saddle belongs to which horse.

Before the fall session begins, the HORSEPOWER team carefully checks each horse and its assigned saddle. Some horses wear English saddles. Others wear Western saddles. The style isn’t what matters. What matters is that the saddle is in good condition, sits in the right place, rests level on the horse’s back, and gives the horse the freedom to move comfortably and naturally. The team also checks that each horse has the correct girth and looks for anything that could rub, pinch, or make the horse uncomfortable.

Then they watch the horse. Horses have a way of telling you when something feels right, and when it doesn’t. A comfortable horse moves freely, and that’s exactly what the team wants to see.

Horses change over time. They gain and lose muscle; their bodies change with age, the seasons, and the work they do. A saddle that fit perfectly a few months ago may need a few adjustments, or it may be time to find a better match.

Come to think of it, people change, too. And cats certainly do.

That’s why saddle fitting is about more than saddles. It’s about making sure every horse is comfortable, every rider can feel secure, and every partnership starts the season ready to succeed.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think someone just opened the lost and found cabinet. Maybe they changed their minds.