Bethanne Baretich, Doctor of Chiropractic

02/26/2026

Great read with important info!

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 🏇 🦴

If you’ve followed my page for any length of time, you know I don’t sidestep controversy. Whether it’s blanketing, NSC in grass, or even salt (yes, that one surprised me too), the most debated topics are often the most worth examining. Because where uncertainty exists, I prefer to replace opinion with evidence. And there is nothing I love more than digging into peer-reviewed research to determine if what’s commonly accepted truly holds up to scientific scrutiny.

And few topics ignite more debate in the horse world than the question of when a young horse should begin work.

On one side, there’s concern that starting too early risks long-term soundness issues.

On the other, some argue that thoughtful early training may actually support bone development.

So instead of arguing from a point of instinct or tradition, I think it’s time to take a look at what the research actually says.

𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬

Let’s begin by addressing the color-coded diagram of an equine skeleton that frequently circulates social media. This diagram illustrates when growth plates close, which begins in the lowest parts of each limb and moves up the skeleton sequentially, ending at the spine. This diagram is popular as many use it to justify recommendations on when to start horses.

I decided to do some digging to track down the origin of this information, and my investigation led me to a table in a book that was published in 1975. This table cites literature that evaluated the closure of the epiphyseal growth plate in the appendicular skeleton (forelimbs and hindlimbs) through radiographs (Getty, 1975).

Since then, a review by Rogers et al. (2021) was published and concluded that the majority of growth for horses is completed by the time they are 2 years old. Additional research evaluating the vertebrae suggest that longitudinal growth of the spine ceases when wither height growth is complete (Butler et al., 1993). Based on these findings, the reviewers suggested that starting horses at the age of 2 is an acceptable practice that aligns with their developmental potential.

But that begs the question whether we should base recommendations on growth plate activity and active bone growth or on growth plate fusion and closure – as these are two very different metrics. This was detailed in a presentation by Collar et al. (2020) in which growth plate activity of lumbosacral vertebrae in Quarter Horses stopped when horses were 2 years old but growth plate closure or fusion was not complete until horses were between 2 and 8 years old.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐲?

When evaluating race horses, Santschi et al. (2017) found that horses who began training at 2 years of age did not have a higher risk of injury during their racing careers. In fact, they tended to have more successful careers including more lifetime starts, wins, earnings, and years raced.

At first glance, it may seem counterintuitive. But young, growing bodies are built to adapt and specifically, bone development is supported by high cellular activity, an active periosteum, abundant blood supply, and open growth plates. As the body matures, it gradually shifts from a state of building to maintaining. Hormonal changes occur, bones become less adaptable, and osteoblasts (bone-building cells) struggle to keep pace with osteoclasts (cells that break bone down).

In other words - the window for skeletal adaptation is early and we accept this reality in humans all the time.

Young athletes routinely begin training long before their growth plates close. Elite gymnasts, swimmers, and figure skaters often compete internationally as teenagers. Many children enter organized sports as early as five or six years old despite the fact that human growth plates typically remain open until they are 14 to 17.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬?

I believe the controversy is not tied to the work itself, but rather the conditions surrounding the work.

Youth athletes are typically offered diversity in the exercise they are allowed to complete, do not have to carry an external load, and can refuse participation or voice concerns. Youth sports are also framed as a crucial part of both physical development and confidence building.

In comparison, young horses are often subjected to repetitive, discipline-specific movement, asked to carry a rider, tend to be confined outside of training, and have no autonomy regarding their participation. Equine sports, specifically those centered around young horses, tend to be tied to economic benefits, tradition, and human timelines that do not always put the horse first.

I believe this is where we have significant room for improvement in the equine industry.

Another consideration is the amount of research we have to provide recommendations. There are a wide variety of breeds and disciplines in the equine industry and the current data is not representative of all demographics. Additionally, for many, performance outcomes aren’t the whole picture. And at the moment, equine research does not extend past a horse’s athletic career, so we may not currently grasp long-term implications of early work.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.

One of the clearest risks in youth athletics isn’t early movement, it’s repetition without variation.

While sports offer health benefits, single-sport specialization in children has been strongly linked to higher injury rates (Jayanthi et al., 2019). These risks are associated with children performing the same movements repetitively, which puts stress on the same joints and strains the same muscles.

Overuse injuries are especially likely during rapid growth phases, when muscle imbalances and coordination shifts are common (Arnold et al., 2017). This is because active growth is often tied to bone growth that outpaces muscles and tendon development. This imbalance can result in tight muscles, reduced flexibility, and structural instability, which temporarily declines coordination and balance and increases the risk of injury.

Youth athletes also face an increased risk of early-onset osteoarthritis which is linked to high-impact activities, repetitive movements, and severe joint injuries, all of which can accelerate cartilage degeneration (Saxon et al., 1999). However, osteoarthritis wasn’t identified until later in life due to a higher pain tolerance in youth and the time it takes for the condition to develop. I believe a long-term study evaluating this relationship in horses would be extremely insightful.

𝐒𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤.

The key takeaway is that early training is not inherently harmful, rather the structure and approach to that training are what make the difference.

Variety is critical. Cross-training helps distribute stress across tissues and reduces the risk created by repetitive movement patterns. Youth athletes who were highly specialized in a single sport were almost twice as likely to sustain an overuse injury compared to someone competing in multiple sports (Bell et al., 2018). Trail rides, cavaletti work, or practicing a new discipline are all opportunities to not only improve musculoskeletal health but also support a horse’s mental wellbeing.

Short, intentional bouts of higher-intensity loading may stimulate bone adaptation more effectively than long periods of low-intensity exercise – as bone requires a dynamic strain above threshold to elicit bone formation. This was demonstrated by a study evaluating endurance horses completing ‘long, slow’ work, which found that horses in endurance training did not increase bone strength compared to horses allowed to freely exercise on pasture (Spooner et al., 2008).

Meanwhile, sprint exercises have been shown to result in greater bone strength (Logan et al., 2019), increased endosteal circumference (Firth et al., 2012), and greater bone mineral content (Hiney et al., 2004). However, balance is critical. When young horses were sprinted excessively, it had harmful impacts on joint health as the horse was responding to an unnatural amount of work (Van de Lest et al., 2002). While we still need to determine the appropriate level of high-impact work for horses, one study found that just one sprint a week could increase bone strength (Logan et al., 2019).

Load matters, too, and some weight-bearing can be beneficial. Research found that horses carrying 100 lbs while trotting had greater bone mineral deposition of the cannon bone compared to those who did not carry weight (Nielsen et al., 2002). However, it is important to note that the load these horses carried does not reflect most riding situations. In comparison, excessive loads could be detrimental to the horse and rider size is a real consideration when starting young horses.

Movement also builds coordination, balance, and proprioception. Expecting a horse to enter athletic work at maturity without foundational motor skills would be like asking a 22-year-old to learn and compete in a sport like soccer or gymnastics against someone who has trained since childhood. Early exposure to low-intensity technical challenges such as balance, body awareness, and varied terrain, can be incredibly valuable.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲: 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

Work is only a small part of a horse’s day.

A two-year-old that is lightly trained but lives in turnout and is allowed to move freely, navigate space, and engage in natural behaviors, is experiencing something very different from one that lives in a stall for the majority of the day.

This is backed by research in which young horses pastured for at least 12 hours a day had greater bone mineralization and cannon bone circumference in comparison to their counterparts who lived in a stall (Bell et al., 2001). Since young horses often live in stalls during sale prep or once they enter training, they may be more likely to have bone loss or an increased risk of injuries. While that stall may be convenient for us, movement outside of structured exercise is critical for musculoskeletal development as well as mental wellbeing.

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

Perhaps the real issue isn’t if young horses should work or even what age to start them, but whether the work we ask of them is age-appropriate.

Most horses are still in an active growth phase until around 2 years of age, and during this time, structured work should be limited while free movement through pasture turnout may be the most appropriate and beneficial form of loading.

Once rapid growth begins to slow, workload can be introduced thoughtfully and tailored to the individual, taking into account breed, maturity, and current developmental stage. At this point, how we develop the horse matters far more than simply when we begin.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

If I had to summarize some recommendations, they would include:

🌱 House your horse in a pasture or paddock over a stall.

🏋️ Cross train to reduce the risk of overuse injuries.

⚖️ Focus on low intensity, technical work at a young age to improve coordination and proprioception.

🏇 Utilize high-intensity work strategically to increase bone strength.

📈 Minimize work during any growth spurts.

🐴 Make decisions for your specific horse based on individual growth and characteristics.

The bottom line is that early work itself isn’t the issue - what really matters is how young horses are trained, managed, and allowed to live.

If you want to read more on this topic, I encourage you to read an open access review (which means it is accessible to everyone!) by Logan and Nielsen (2021) which highlighted a lot of the research I covered in this post. I will include a link in the comments!

There’s always more to unpack, but hopefully this reframes the conversation in a way that allows us to use science to mold our decisions instead of tradition.

Cheers,
Dr. DeBoer

Table 15-2; Getty R(ed): Sisson and Grossman's The Anatomy of the Domestic Animals , ed 5. Philadelphia , WB Saunders Co , 1975, p 272.

Rogers CW, Gee EK, Dittmer KE. Growth and bone development in the horse: when is a horse skeletally mature?. Animals. 2021 Nov 29;11(12):3402.

Butler, J.A., Colles, C.M., Dyson, S., Kold, S., Poulos, P. Clinical Radiology of the Horse. 1993.

Collar, E. M., Russell, D. S., Huber, M. J., Duesterdieck-Zellmer, K. F., & Stover, S. M. (2020). Investigation into lumbosacral vertebral anatomy and growth plate closure in Quarter Horses [Video]. AAEP Proceedings. American Association of Equine Practitioners.

Santschi, E.M.; White, B.J.; Peterson, E.S.; Gotchey, M.H.; Morgan, J.M.; Leibsle, S.R. Forelimb Conformation, Sales Results, and Lifetime Racing Performance of 2-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racing Prospects Sold at Auction. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2017, 53, 74–80.

Jayanthi NA, Post EG, Laury TC, Fabricant PD. Health consequences of youth sport specialization. Journal of athletic training. 2019 Oct 1;54(10):1040-9.

Arnold A, Thigpen CA, Beattie PF, Kissenberth MJ, Shanley E. Overuse physeal injuries in youth athletes: risk factors, prevention, and treatment strategies. Sports health. 2017 Mar;9(2):139-47.

Saxon L, Finch C, Bass S. Sports participation, sports injuries and osteoarthritis: implications for prevention. Sports medicine. 1999 Aug;28(2):123-35.

Bell DR, Post EG, Biese K, Bay C, Valovich McLeod T. Sport specialization and risk of overuse injuries: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2018 Sep 1;142(3):e20180657.

Spooner HS, Nielsen BD, Woodward AD, Rosenstein DS, Harris PA. Endurance training has little impact on mineral content of the third metacarpus in two-year-old Arabian horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2008 Jun 1;28(6):359-62.

Logan, A., Nielsen, B., Robison, C., Manfredi, J., Schott, H.; Buskirk, D., Hiney, K. Calves, as a model for juvenile horses, need only one sprint per week to experience increased bone strength. J. Anim. Sci. 2019, 97, 3300–3312.

Firth, E.C., Rogers, C.W., Rene van Weeren, P., Barneveld, A., Wayne McIlwraith, C., Kawcak, C.E., Goodship, A.E., Smith, R.K.W. The Effect of Previous Conditioning Exercise on Diaphyseal and Metaphyseal Bone to Imposition and Withdrawal of Training in Young Thoroughbred Horses. Vet. J. 2012, 192, 34–40.

Hiney, K.M., Nielsen, B.D., Rosenstein, D. Short-Duration Exercise and Confinement Alters Bone Mineral Content and Shape in Weanling Horses. J. Anim. Sci. 2004, 82, 2313–2320.

Van de Lest, C., Brama, P.A.J., René Van Weeren, P. The Influence of Exercise on the Composition of Developing Equine Joints. Biorheology 2002, 39, 183–191.

Bell RA, Nielsen BD, Waite K, Rosenstein D, Orth M. Daily access to pasture turnout prevents loss of mineral in the third metacarpus of Arabian weanlings. Journal of animal science. 2001 May 1;79(5):1142-50.

Nielsen BD, O'Connor CI, Rosenstein DS, Schott HC, Clayton HM. Influence of trotting and supplemental weight on metacarpal bone development. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2002 Sep;34(S34):236-40.

02/09/2026

To date, radiographically identifying the bony landmarks relevant to diagnosing the complete C6 aplasia of the caudal lamina ventralis (C6 aCLV4) has not been described. Furthermore, a gross study has identified C6 aCLV4 as the main correlation between transposition of the CLV from C6 to C7, where c...

10/04/2025

One of the most common human-caused issues I see in horses…

Saddle fit issues are not always about the saddle ... the postural effects caused by underrun heels (actually caudal hoof failure) richochet right through the body. Every misalignment has potential to create a new one further along the chain.

Any chance of redeveloping muscle as the hooves improve is limited unless the horse can stand and move correctly. That means creating space for redevelopment without compromising saddle stability.

One of the worst things we can do is fit a saddle firmly around those narrow withers like a clamp. Fitting a saddle tightly into those hollows is going to lock the problem in, not contribute to improvements.

I'm making no claims to be scientific here, but it's what I've been seeing in over 15 years of bodywork practice. More on my blog - thehorsesback. com :-)

08/18/2025

Buckle up. It's a long one. Let’s talk about patience poles.

You’ve probably seen it on TikTok - a horse tied to a post or tree, short and high, left to “figure it out.”

The goal? To “teach patience.”

The result? Often misunderstood, and sometimes deeply harmful.

Here’s what’s actually happening.

A patience pole (some people use a tree) is typically a tall, fixed object where a horse is tied for extended periods.

It's often used to "break" fidgeting, pawing, pulling back, or other behaviors people consider rude or disobedient. Some trainers use it regularly. Some use it as a one-time “lesson.”

But what’s being taught isn’t patience. It’s something else.

So, why do people use them?

The idea behind it is that the horse will go through its tantrum, realize it’s futile, and “settle.”

What’s often interpreted as learning is actually a freeze response.

Because of the freeze response, this method continues because it looks like it works. The horse gets quiet. The behavior stops. But inside that horse’s nervous system, something entirely different is going on.

From a learning theory standpoint, patience poles rely on flooding - a technique where an animal is exposed to a stimulus it finds aversive until it stops reacting.

It’s widely discouraged in behavioral science due to its risk of trauma, especially when escape is impossible.

According to Paul McGreevy and Andrew McLean (founders of the International Society for Equitation Science), horses tied and unable to flee can experience extreme stress that engages the limbic system, the brain’s emotional and survival center.

When this happens, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for rational thought and learning, shuts down.

In other words, the horse isn’t learning anything. It’s trying to survive.

That stillness you see? That’s not patience.

It’s a conditioned shut-down response, or the buzzword of the 2020's - learned helplessness. When animals (humans included) believe there’s no escape, they stop trying. Not because they’re calm, but because they’ve given up.

Horses that panic under restraint are at high risk for physical injury.

Studies in equine biomechanics and veterinary medicine have documented the effects of poll pressure, neck strain, and TMJ compression due to sudden or repeated pulling.

Fractures at the base of the skull or cervical spine

Strained nuchal ligament and neck musculature

Lingering soreness that makes future handling or bridling more difficult

Behavioral sensitization or reactivity when tied, trailered, or confined

And of course, there’s the unseen trauma - what that horse now associates with being restrained, alone, and unheard. Sometimes that trauma buries itself - and you get an unexpected explosion months or years down the road.

My take: this isn’t training. It’s a shortcut.

Force enters the picture when education/patience runs out.

And yet, when someone chooses a gentler approach, shaping behavior, supporting regulation, creating safety, they’re mocked for being “soft.”

But here’s the truth: soft training doesn’t create dangerous horses.
Lack of education does.

We’ve normalized calling horses “bullies” or “brats” as a way to justify using harsh methods.

But horses aren’t manipulative. They’re not testing us.

They’re communicating as clearly as they can. If we don’t understand, that’s our gap to close.

So what can we do instead?

There are safer, more effective ways to help a nervous horse learn to stand quietly:

Teach standing behavior through successive approximation (small steps toward the final behavior, reinforced positively). Warwick Schiller teaches this - and well.

Use positive reinforcement (like food or scratches) to reward calm behavior

Address physical discomfort or anxiety that makes stillness feel unsafe

Teach patience while moving first - walking, stopping, rewarding

Use safer methods, like blocker ties or teaching ground-tying, as interim steps

Remember, if the horse is dangerous - protected contact is your friend.

But please, stay present. Don’t tie them and walk away or stare at them and call it training.

If you’ve used a patience pole this way in the past, this isn’t about shame. We all do the best we can with what we know.

But we’re at a point in our relationship with horses where we can’t keep clinging to tradition over truth.

You deserve to know how to train your horse with clarity, confidence, and compassion.

And your horse deserves to be trained by someone who sees behavior as communication, not disobedience.

I don't care if you came from a long line of cowboys who've trained 400 colts and we've always done it this way blah blah blaaaaah.

It’s time to retire the shortcuts.

Let’s do better, for them, and for ourselves.

Photo cred: Clinton Anderson 🙃

08/06/2025

Horse and dog owners - please note the extensive qualifications to be an animal chiropractor (licensed doctor)…
It’s not just a weekend seminar a bodyworker or massage therapist can take!

There are people out there who claim to be “animal chiropractors”…

Some say they manipulate animals.
Some use the term “animal chiropractor” in quotes or parentheses, because they aren’t actually trained or certified.

🚨 This is a serious red flag.

Becoming an animal chiropractor requires years of education, training, and certification. Here’s a look at what’s involved:

✅ A Bachelor’s degree (typically in biology or a related field)
✅ A Doctorate in either Chiropractic (DC) or Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
✅ Passing all required board exams (for chiropractors: Parts I, II, III, IV, and Physiotherapy)
✅ Completion of an accredited 220hr animal chiropractic program
✅ Passing of the AVCA certification exam and/or IVCA certificate exam
✅ A current active DC or DVM license
✅ Ongoing continuing education for professional licensure, whether DC or DVM
✅ Ongoing continuing education to maintain animal chiropractic certification
✅ Malpractice insurance, which those who are unlicensed can not obtain
✅ Compliance with your state’s laws (in Illinois, for example, a veterinarian must sign off on animal chiropractic care)

As you can see, becoming an animal chiropractor takes 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 of commitment and rigorous training.

👉 Please do not trust anyone who is not properly educated, licensed, and certified to perform chiropractic care on animals. It’s not just unethical, it can be dangerous.

💡 Always ask:
Are they licensed?
Are they certified?
Do they follow state laws?

🐕‍🦺 If you love your pets, protect them by choosing qualified professionals only.

𝑨𝒕 𝑽𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄, 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔.

If you’re not in our area, we still want your pets in good hands. Search for certified professionals near you here:
🔹 animalchiropractic.org (AVCA)
🔹 ivca.de (IVCA)

AVCA is the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association and IVCA is International Veterinary Chiropractic Association. If a doctor completes their education passing their certification exam and maintains their required continuing ed, they will automatically be listed. Question those who are not. If they do have the qualifications, they should welcome you asking, just like Dr. Cat and I would.

07/23/2025

06/06/2025

Great info outlining the many overlooked causes of laminitis…

05/18/2025

This is exactly why my musculoskeletal exam always includes:

• Palpation of TMJ and hyoid
• Assessing facial symmetry (nostril/lip tension— like a “smirk”)
• Jaw, tongue, and poll mobility and comparative range of motion
• Response to specific palpation points
• Asking questions about horse’s lifestyle, activities, tack, etc.

Don’t ignore “behavior” issues - investigate them!

05/14/2025

Which brand are you using, who fit the saddle to your horse, and how much harm is it causing? 🤔

There’s been a lot of talk lately about saddle fit in the upper levels, especially the connection between back atrophy and high-end “custom” saddles that aren’t doing what they claim to do. I wanted to offer my perspective as someone who’s seen the inside of the machine. For a time, I worked as a brand rep saddle fitter for one of the major French companies, the kind that markets itself as “different,” “elite,” and “horse-first.”

It was, hands down, the most disorganized, chaotic, and ethically slippery company I’ve ever been a part of. Orders were managed on paper forms and Dropbox folders, shuffled between departments with zero accountability. Saddles regularly arrived built incorrectly. When that happened, which was often, it wasn’t seen as a crisis, it was just another day at the office. Clients would wait up to six months only to receive a saddle that didn’t match the order and didn’t fit the horse.

The training I received as a rep? Laughably minimal. We were taught how to check wither clearance, determine tree shape, and “balance” a saddle using foam inserts in the panels. No real education on biomechanics. No instruction on how saddle pressure affects movement or chronic pain. No understanding of equine spinal anatomy. And certainly no discussion of long-term horse welfare. When I mentioned learning more from independent fitters, I was told not to. Literally warned by my boss that “those people have an agenda against French brands.” She even insinuated that a certain independent fitter was the reason the last rep quit.

Management also regularly groaned about clients who wanted to have an independent fitter out at the same time as a brand fitter, labeling them as "high maintenance." It was as though questioning the company's methods was a personal affront, rather than a legitimate desire from owners for the best care for their horses.

From the beginning, I felt caught in a system that rewarded sales over ethics, obedience over insight, and pressure over compassion. I was encouraged to focus not on the horse’s well-being, but on how quickly I could convert a client’s concern into a credit card swipe. Even our elite sponsored riders, some of the most accomplished athletes in the sport, couldn’t get saddles that fit correctly. Saddles arrived wrong. Panels were lopsided. Horses were sore. We all knew the saddle could be wrong, and it often was, but the unspoken rule was to get something close enough and push it through. If they can’t be bothered to properly fit the horses that carry their name into international arenas, what makes you think they care about Pookie, your 2'6” hunter at the local shows?

We were explicitly instructed that if a client had a saddle more than a few years old, even if it was still working perfectly, we were to find something wrong with it. The goal was to sow just enough doubt to get the client to trade in the saddle and order a new custom. Not because their horse needed it, but because their wallet could support it.

That’s when it started to really wear on me. I couldn’t sleep. I would lie awake at night feeling sick: not just because we were misleading clients, but because we were hurting horses. Every day I watched animals be dismissed as “hard to fit” when the reality was that the saddle being sold to them should never have been placed on their back to begin with. The moment that broke me came at the end of winter circuit. We hadn’t met our quotas yet. The pressure was sky-high. One of the top reps began pushing saddles onto horses that visibly, obviously, did not fit. It didn’t matter that this would harm the horse over time, it mattered that the sale was made.

Perhaps the most disturbing part is the panel design we used by default, a soft, rounded latex insert, was built not to support muscle growth, but to fill the void left behind by muscle loss. Our whole system was based around accommodating atrophy, not fixing it. We had specialized modifications to make the panels more forgiving to wasted backs, as if the problem wasn’t the saddle, it was the horse’s inability to conform to it. Back atrophy wasn’t treated as a red flag. It was normalized. Built into the product line.

After six months, I started to unravel. I didn’t recognize myself anymore. I had entered the role wanting to help horses, and moved across the country to do so. I had left a steady job that I was happy in thinking this would be a way to combine my skills and my passion. I found myself trapped in a toxic cycle of moral compromise. Eventually, I couldn’t fake it anymore, especially since I had begun my equine bodywork certifications. I told my boss I was done. I remember saying, half-joking, half-begging for her to understand, that “I’m not making enough money to cry every night.” “That’s just part of the job,” she responded.

That was a year ago. Since then, two more reps have cycled through my old territory.

So if your high-end “custom” saddle doesn’t fit… if your “fitter” keeps blaming your pads or your horse’s shape… if your horse’s back is getting worse instead of better: you are not crazy, and you’re not alone. You’ve been caught in a system that was never built to prioritize your horse’s health in the first place.

This isn’t just a string of bad luck. It’s systemic. It’s built into the model. These brands don’t invest in education. They invest in optics. They train salespeople, not fitters. And they sell you the idea of customization while relying on generic templates and pressure tactics behind the scenes.

I’m not saying every brand rep is malicious. Some are kind, well-meaning, and genuinely doing their best within a rigged game. But when you pay someone a tiny base salary and dangle their entire livelihood on commissions, it creates a perfect storm of pressure and desperation. Good intentions don’t last long when survival depends on making the sale. That’s why I left. That’s why I speak up. That’s why I’ll keep urging riders to work with independent fitters: people who don’t make a commission off the brand, who aren’t beholden to a sales quota, who care more about your horse’s comfort than the label on the flap.

That’s why I walked away. I couldn’t keep selling saddles that were hurting horses and gaslighting riders into believing it was fine. I couldn’t sleep knowing I was complicit in their pain. So if something in your gut has been telling you this isn’t right, listen. Trust it. Ask questions. Get a second opinion. Seek out an independent saddle fitter whose only loyalty is to your horse’s well-being, not a sales quota. You deserve transparency. You deserve honesty. Your horse deserves comfort, freedom, and a fighting chance to thrive: not just survive under eight thousand dollars of leather and lies. Don’t let the system convince you this is normal. It’s not, and the more of us who speak up, the harder it becomes for them to keep pretending it is.