Chloe Greenham Saddle Fitting

08/02/2025

15/01/2025

It’s all about physics… Your saddle (or saddle fitter) is not a miracle worker. If your horse is a barrel, and there is a bit of wonkiness somewhere (you or the horse) and your saddle slips to the side… your saddle isn’t necessarily to blame. Instead, get it checked and if it’s ok, work on making the horse less of a barrel shape… and straightening them (and yourself!) up so there is less unevenness.

If your horse has big wide ribs and an itty bitty shoulder… or a girth groove that’s inches in front of the girth line… maybe your saddle slips forward. That’s physics. Your girth will always pull into the narrowest place. Sometimes changing your girth or the girthing on the saddle can help.

If your horse has massive shoulders, and hoiks them up into the air when they jump… those massive shoulders can push the saddle back. That’s physics. Again sometimes girths and girthing can help. But saddles can’t defy the laws of physics.

If you or your horse is uneven then yes we can pad/flock/shim saddles to help. But… working on evening them up is much more beneficial.

Sometimes, in an attempt to hold a saddle still, to fight against the laws of physics (and often to keep the rider happy), we can end up clamping a saddle too much. Personally I would rather see a saddle shunt forward/to the side/backwards a little bit if the alternative is to clamp it too much the other way.

What do you think?

06/10/2024

Don't miss the first part of our Prevention is Better than Cure Online Lecture Series with independent consultant and lameness specialist, Dr Sue Dyson. It starts on Wednesday (9 October) at 6.30pm (BST).

The first episode looks at conformation - what to look for, what to avoid and so much more. You don't want to miss it....

www.horsesinsideout.com/webinars

26/09/2024

We have redone my logo and I just wanted to let clients know that any messages may not be replied to until the 7th of October due to being away on holiday but I will get back to you on return ☀️

26/09/2024

**𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗟**

𝗡𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘁

MacKechnie-Guire, R*, Williams, J.M., Nixon, J., Fisher, M., Fisher, D., Walker, V., Murray, R., Clayton, H.M

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 (read without a subscription):
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.14420

For the past four years, we have investigated the pressures beneath different nosebands when adjusted from 2.0 to 0.0 finger tightness (0.0 finger adjustment so that the noseband was touching but not compressing the skin).

Poor noseband adjustment could create high pressures that may risk pain or tissue damage. This study is a step forward in providing quantitative data relating to pressures associated with noseband type and fit when adjusted to various tightness’s.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀:

🐴No significant difference between noseband pressures when the noseband was adjusted from 2.0 to 1.5 finger tightness.

🐴Noseband pressures were highest on the mandible vs. the lateral aspect of the nasal bones.

🐴No differences were found in noseband pressures between the cavesson, flash or Swedish (crank) noseband types at 2.0 to 0.5 finger tightness.

🐴The Drop noseband had the lowest absolute nasal pressures (mandible pressures not measured) and significantly lower values than the other nosebands. We need to be mindful of the position of the traditional drop. More work needed.

🐴Noseband pressures were lower when ridden in trot, compared with when chewing a treat.

🐴Noseband pressures were cyclical (rise and fall) and not continuous – changing during the stride and the chewing cycle of the horse.

As always, this is a team effort. Thank you to our research assistants, riders, owners and horses.. Thank you to our funders, World Horse Welfare, British Equestrian, Canadian Sport Horse Association, The Worshipful Company of Saddlers and Hartpury University.

NB image taken from pilot testing and was not included in the main study. All noseband types are described in detail in the manuscript.

25/09/2024

❣️❣️❣️ IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT‼️‼️‼️

🤩so so happy to finally say!

🥳I am now at my busiest and Im making a final exciting decision to do this full time🙌

🌟Be sure to get in quick as diary will fill fast! 🌟

🐈Treating Companion🐶, Farm 🐄, Equine 🐎and Rider ☺️

Www.joanneparrysportsmassage.co.uk

28/06/2024

Boost your horse's agility, power and lightness of forehand 💪

A strong thoracic sling can also help to reduce the risk of injury and lameness.

Discover more about the Thoracic Sling and key exercises to help strengthen them in our on demand webinar - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀: 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Buy lifetime access from the Horses Inside Out Academy - https://www.horsesinsideout.com/about-webinars/thoracic-sling

10/06/2024

21/05/2024

Off horse work is invaluable.

When we're riding we focus on what the horse is doing, the movements we're performing, whether he's going how we want or expect him to. That's doesn't leave much opportunity to work on ourselves.

But we should work on ourselves, as much if not more, than we work on our horse. That way we know we aren't the weak link, actually preventing our horse doing what we're asking.

The simulator is ideal for off horse practice. Improve your awareness, check your symmetry, practice the mechanics of your body's movement, get used to how things should feel so when you get back on your horse you can work on replicating it.

A few appointments available next Tuesday 28th and Friday 31st, at Hyperion Equestrian Centre, message to book.

JOKER the horse simulator

19/03/2024

We commit to the ethical and fair treatment of all horses and other equids under our care ❤

Today, we’re uniting with our member bodies and other industry leaders to endorse the highest standards of equine welfare, wellbeing and ethics under a new Charter for the Horse 🤝

The charter outlines the actions we all must observe to meet the mental, physical and behavioural needs of each individual horse, under six headings…
1️⃣ Empathy
2️⃣ Care
3️⃣ Respect
4️⃣ Consideration
5️⃣ Ethics
6️⃣ Learning

Read the full charter and find out more 👉 https://bit.ly/BEFCharterForTheHorseLaunch

Want to show your commitment to our horses? Download a copy of the charter via our website and display it on your tack room wall or venue notice board 📌

25/01/2024

Rider Size

A sensitive subject for many, rider size typically focuses on the weight of the rider in relation to the weight of the horse, with the industry standard allowing for, in some cases, the rider and all tack to make up 20% of the horse's weight.

With modern breeding standards now visible across almost every breed of horse, rider size and weight are coming into focus as something that requires consideration when selecting a horse. It isn't uncommon to see 17+hh warmbloods with saddle support areas around 15-16", while their riders require an 18" seat. While possible to fit, many manufacturers continue to lag behind with offering saddles that actually fit the physique of the horse and rider together, with the situation made worse as horses continue to be bred with longer legs and shorter backs. Compounding the issue further, saddles that place riders too far back, or inadvertently force the rider to sit further back for comfort, leading to excessive concussion against the cantle on a saddle that is already too long, sits in the lumbar and prevents free movement and usage of the back.

It's no wonder we see so many back issues in horses, to the point where it's surprising to find one that suffers no back pain, tension or postural issues. Yet when purchasing a horse, riders never take into consideration whether the horse they're selecting is a suitable size (which cannot be determined by height).

08/01/2024

Is posture a fundamental factor in the clinical relevance of kissing spine?

This image is powerful! We can clearly see the effects of spinal posture on the proximity of the spinal processes!

But what we might not be aware of is just how much horses live in a “hollow back” posture!

This spinal posture is created by biomechanics, the functional link between the entire topline from the position of the head and neck to the position of the pelvic region.

But also this posture is perpetuated by horses living in a constant sympathetic state and many other factors of domestication, feeding, confinement, hoof balance and human interference on major proprioception centres!

Join Dr Neidhart and myself as we delve into understanding kissing spines

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/kissing-spines

Thanks to Tuskey Dressage for the image 🙌