Horses’ Muscular Development - Can it Affect the Fit of your Saddle and the Behaviour of your Horse?

Three years is recognized as being the optimum age for a horse to be started under saddle – with its three-dimensional back shape undergoing major changes in muscular conformation between the ages of 3, 5 and 8, affecting the saddle support area. The topline changes, the withers come up, and the shoulders broaden (upwards and back). The gullet plate of the saddle should be positioned at the base of the withers on the trapezius muscle. If the gullet plate has not been adjusted to fit properly with 2-3 finger