One of the most memorable events in a memorable 2017 tour of Florida was getting to meet Bettina Drummond, and watching her team up with Colonel Patrick Teisserenc of Samur for a two-day presentation at Mary Ann McPhail’s dressage facility outside Wellington. They combined their considerable talents to teach and demonstrate the profound influence the rider’s seat has on the carriage and balance of the horse. I found the workshop fascinating, and carried away an impression of a consummate horsewoman.

A few weeks later, I had the pleasure of a more personal experience and the beginning of a friendship with Bettina when Hilary Clayton introduced us, and Bettina agreed to test ride in our new EQ Saddle Science flapless saddle. I was in Florida for a soft launch of the saddle while waiting for our patent applications to be approved before the public launch. Essentially, I was taking the saddle around to friends, and to friends of friends.  It was a heady year that saw me saddling horses for Ali Brock, JJ Tate, and Olivia LaGoy Weltz. But Bettina stood apart, even in this extremely august company. 

On the appointed day, Bettina introduced me to Mary Ann’s recently-imported Lusitano stallion, Black Pearl. After more than 15 years of fitting, this was the first time I saddled a PRE stallion, and I learned an important lesson that day. 

We put the saddle on, and Bettina rode for just a few minutes, then stopped and gave me quite specific feedback about what sort of support she required for her seatbones, and what kind of access she wanted to the horse’s long back muscles. It was a pleasure to address her detailed requests, and after I’d adjusted the saddle for her, she got back on. She was extremely pleased with the horse’s freedom through the shoulders, and his sensitivity to the smallest and lightest aid. The walk was ground covering. The trot was especially brilliant; little did I know at the time that the horse was perceiving and reacting to the increased connection of the flapless design, and that the input and stimuli from the closeness of Bettina’s seat was almost too much for him. This became clear when she stepped into canter. Black Pearl’s eyes widened, his pace increased, and for a brief moment, I feared that the horse would explode. Bettina’s skills were apparent as she quietly settled the horse, but for a few very tense moments, my professional life flashed before my eyes.

Later, Bettina would become my friend, and an advocate for EQ science saddles. I was thrilled when she wrote to me with these words: “This saddle gives a great and close feeling which provides the boost riders need to progress the horse in their training; I ride in it very comfortably.” 

Bettina had an insouciance, a firm determination, and an unexpected twinkle. She had a ferocity that could turn on swiftly, and a gentleness that could make as sudden an appearance. Something about her reminded me of Beryl Markham, who was a pioneering pilot (and, I'm sure, the only woman), flying in the African bush in the 1920s. When I made Bettina a gift of Markham’s memoir, “West with the Night”, she thanked me…and told me that she had already read it. Of course she had.

One evening, Bettina invited a few of us to watch her ride her famous partner Que Macho. At the time, he was 25 years old. The joy in their harmony and connection is marvelous…enjoy!

Our world is a bit dimmer without Bettina’s bright and wholly unique light. May she rest in peace.

Carmi Weininger

Lisbon, Portugal - April 2, 2025

P.S. what I learned that day in 2017: Lusitanos in general and stallions in particular have a more emotional reaction to stimulation than warmbloods. They simply need a slower introduction to our saddle to avoid sensory overload. Since 2017, I’ve saddled hundreds of Iberian horses, and there have been two more with reactions similar to Black Pearl’s. In both cases, because I knew what to look for, we did a slow introduction with great results (one of them, Barao Hi, went to compete at the Grand Prix level in his EQ Flapless Saddle. 

When it comes to seat size and shape, here are the most important areas that vary widely from saddle to saddle:

• Sitting room. Different from seat size, which is measured diagonally from the head nail at the side of the pommel to the center of the cantle, “sitting room” refers to the space from the pommel to the cantle. When you have the right amount of sitting room, you will be able to sit behind the pommel without undue pressure against your pubic bone, and you’ll feel the saddle’s rise to the cantle, but you won’t feel restrained. Being supported by the saddle means that you have security; being restrained means that you are wedged into the saddle in a way that makes it impossible for you to move your hips and pelvis, and once your hip joints don’t move, your horse’s back won’t either. When the saddle is the right size, you will feel that you sit IN it (not “on” it). Try to select seat size by feel, not by the size of the saddle, just the way you would select a pair of pants.

• Slope to the seat. Understanding the floor of your pelvis is a key part of getting comfortable in the saddle. If you have a high pubic bone set, then you will need a saddle with a good deal of slope to the rise from the seat to the pommel, and you may be comfortable with a balance point that is slightly to the rear of center. Conversely, if you have a low set pubic bone, you will need a longer flat spot before the rise to the pommel in order to avoid banging or rubbing your crotch. If you’re not sure, sit on the very edge of a bench or other flat surface, and see how many fingers you can slide underneath your pubic bone; the range will be from zero to about four, depending on the size of your hands, of course. Choose a saddle seat slope appropriately.
  

Sitting Platform. Saddle seats are not all created equally. The platform that you sit on is defined by the shape of the saddle tree in your saddle, and also by the techniques that master saddlemakers use to build the seat. Saddles made on plastic or carbon fiber trees cannot be changed much or at all, but saddles built on conventional beechwood laminate trees can be modified extensively. To assess the sort of seat that you need, you must understand a bit about your seat bones (technical name: ischial tuberosities), and how you sit on them. Most of us sit on the rear branch of these bones, which can be more than 6” across. If you have narrow seat bones (most men, and some women), you’ll need a narrow sitting platform, and if you sit on a wide one, you’ll feel ridges at the outside of your thighs, and you might even feel stretched from side to side. On the other hand, if you have wide seatbones (like many women do), then a narrow seat will feel like you’re sitting on a 2” x 4” board, and it might even feel like it has sharp edges. Think of your pubic bone as the front of your own personal triangle, and your seat bones as the two rear points. The shape of your triangle will help you select the right seat in a saddle.

The very best way to choose a saddle is to compare them. Now that you know what to look for, take this list and go on a saddle sitting journey to see what suits your body best! Of course, if you’re interested in an EQ Saddle Science experience, contact us and we’ll help define all these points with you.

Read Carmi’s other posts in this series to learn about the twist of the saddle, thigh blocks, adjustable stirrup bars, and lots more than affects rider comfort in the saddle.

Listed below are some of the more common issues in ridden horses where there is often a misdiagnosis involving the saddle. Either the saddle may be blamed when something entirely unrelated is the culprit, or the saddle may be ignored when it is, after all, the real source of the problem. Many skilled professionals make mistakes when the following situations exist, so if your horse has any of these issues, take it upon yourself to consider both the saddle and also organic causes as the source of the problem.

Issues often thought as saddle fit problems… but may not be

1. Lumbar pain, or reactivity to pressure or currying in the area underneath or just behind the saddle.  Pain in this area may be due to: 

• Poor saddle fit, generally a saddle that has panels that extend too far back, or panels that are too steeply angled for the horse’s loins.  

• Unbalanced rider, especially one who rides toward the rear of the saddle, or who loses balance and falls back into the saddle; 

• Pain in the horse’s hind end, most commonly stifle or hock, but other areas are possible.  If your horse has lumbar pain, rule out the hind end, either before or in conjunction with saddle and rider diagnostics.  

2. Hoof balance issues.  Many people devote their attention to the hoof to correct imbalances in the stride. However, a number of saddle problems will cause horses to move unevenly, to have lateral issues, or to be too quick (or too slow) in moving the hind feet relative to the front feet.  It is best to consider the saddle before making corrective changes to the feet.

3. Girthiness.  While often a sign of an ill-fitting saddle, girthiness can also be caused by:

• Pain in the pectoral area

• Chiropractic issues (such as a rib out of alignment)

• By embedded pain in the back or body from past injuries. 

If your horse exhibits girthy behavior, consider exploring the above by competent professionals before you assess your saddle.  During this exploration, you should discuss saddle fit as a possible cause of any diagnosed pain. 

4. Stumbling.  A horse may catch his toe and stumble regularly for no other reason than poor saddle fit.  This is a likely scenario when a wide horse is forced to wear a too-narrow saddle.

5. Wither Soreness.  Some horses carry themselves with the head high and the back hollowed.  This may be due to lack of training, improper riding, or some other physical condition that causes discomfort.  The result, especially after a long or strenuous ride, may be soreness in the wither that is often blamed on but is unrelated to the saddle.
 

Issues that are often considered as training, behavioral, lameness or dental problems. But it may be the saddle 

• Unevenness in the contact. Horses with uncomfortable saddles may be heavier in one rein than in the other, or may raise and lower their heads in an unsteady fashion.

• Spooking, bolting, or bucking: Horses that are in constant pain are more likely to be tense, and then to exhibit these undesirable behaviors.

• Lack of rhythm in the gaits:  some horses may dwell, or lack forward impulsion; others will rush or hurry, but without rhythm and suspension.

• Inability to travel consistently in a straight line

• Lameness: Yes - a poorly fitting saddle can cause a horse to be unsound.

• Pawing/Aggression on the cross ties while grooming and tacking.

• Not standing when mounted

GoPro In Person
Anne takes us on her exploration of using technology in lesson instruction.

“These are unusual times we are riding through. Absent a normal showing season and many of the normal clinic education events, I've been playing with some technologies in different ways to augment my teaching and coaching. I thought I'd share in a series of blogs some of the tools I'm using in teaching to help riders find the right concept on which to focus. In my current student population, I have several amateurs working into FEI levels for the first time, as well as many more novice dressage and event riders working on fundamentals of Training and First level work. 

One of the hardest things to teach in dressage is the feel - the shape of the horse's back/neck/posture when it's really in the right place. Most have had that moment in a lesson when the magic kicks in and you get a "yes, that's it" from the instructor; sometimes it's an "aha!" moment for the rider, but sometimes it's a "really? This?" sort of moment. And, even when the rider has the "aha!", is the rider appreciating the right part of the picture to be impressed by? Did the instructor mean the whole picture or was it an achievement in part of the horse but not the whole of the presentation? As humans we are very visually focused and when riding both the head and neck of the horse are directly in our line of sight. This can make many riders focus on the shape of the neck as their main feedback system which can leave 60-70% of the horse unappreciated. 

Redirecting the rider's focus to the alignment of the whole horse is key, and then to realize that their body will affect the horse in some way (positive or negative) they can start to address their own impact on the horse. The realm of rider biomechanics is focused on that interface, and there are many books, webinars, DVDs, and such by Mary Wanless that I would direct you to for further reading on that topic.  

My focus here is to look at technologies that help the rider and teacher arrive on the right goal to work on. 

My late mother, Sandy Howard (several time USET dressage team rider, judge and biomechanics pioneer), and I would marvel that as close as we were, riding together and having years of close coaching and interaction, we would often realize that we were not very well aligned on what the right goal was when we got down to real specifics. Another interesting conversation you can have with fellow riders is what their focus point is when riding, what part of the visual field do they pay most close attention to? You will find even between elite riders that the focus can be quite disparate. One will focus on the inner curve of the neck, another will really pay attention to how the bit sits in the mouth, others look at the shape of the whole crest, and others attend to the placement and look of the rein, and someone else will be into the levelness of the ears. Are any of these incorrect? Not at all - but the most comprehensive look will get you more information. 

One of my students comes from a western riding background. She has been exclusively dressage for many years now and has done quite well in state-level competitions as she's brought her young mare up the levels. As we are approaching the FEI levels it becomes clear to me that getting the right feel for collection is one of the real goals I, as the instructor, need to impart to this student. For a long time, every lesson was about getting the right balance for collection, and when on her own, it was clear her comfort level was with a different balance point (more forward, longer frame).

Riding her horse and then having her climb aboard was helping, but the feedback from my trainer friends was "the horse looks so much different when you are on compared to the owner - I don't think you really appreciate the degree." So, the video needed to be brought in to look at things. And then I realized we have some technologies here that could really help.

Interestingly - it's critical to have the instructor and the student sit together and have a computer lesson to review. When I sent the video files for home assessment, thinking the student would take in the wealth of comparative information that I did, I was a bit deflated. The differences were not as appreciated due to the "what do you attend to" discussion before. It really put those differences into stark relief and allowed me to more clearly define what the student needed to attend to - as in *this 4 inch square of neck* is the goal.

- Carmi Weininger, EQ Saddle Science founder, and saddle designer.

My Journey with Bon Ami, the chestnut “Cover Model” for EQ Saddle Science.

By Kerri Coufal, EQ Ambassador, Trainer, Rider and USDF Bronze & Silver Medalist based in Wellington Florida. 

The positive difference within 2 weeks was noticeable to me, Ali and our vet. Bon is a big horse and I am smaller so tightness in my hips and placement of my legs can be an issue. The EQ saddle felt more narrow in the twist so I was able to sit better and use my legs and seat more effectively. We continued to compete at PSG that summer and went on to win Region 1 Open PSG Championship in the fall, and this was only my first season competing at that level. We moved up to I1 the next winter season and Bon always went in the ring and gave me what he could. I am truly grateful for that and the confidence he gave me to go out and feel successful. I truly believe the saddle played a part in his ability to stay sound a little longer but unfortunately he could only handle the stress of being an FEI horse for so long. Bon and I parted ways after competing for almost 2 years. After me, Bon taught a few young riders and even Claudine rode him some but ultimately the decision was made to retire him. He is now loving life in a field with his friends in Virginia. He was exactly what I needed to make the jump in my riding and a good saddle is such an important part of that journey. I am grateful for Carmi, Arlene and the whole team for fitting us into something that made my horse happy. I always put my horses first and it’s even better when both of us love the saddle we are in. “

I've been in the business world a long time. A really long time - more than 30 years. From the early days, we were taught certain concepts and buzz words. The bosses were always talking about  "mission statement", "gross profit", "continuous improvement", "annual growth", and "customer satisfaction". I don't remember being invited to be thoughtful about our business, our business environment, or about the way we conducted ourselves as corporate citizens. In fact, back when I was climbing the corporate ladder, we regularly re-allocated profits before submitting month-end numbers to our HQ back east. It seemed at the time to be the most logical series of actions: ones that might shield us in the future. I know now that we were simply cooking the books.

That was long ago and far away. I've come full circle in so many ways: back to the Bay Area. Back to the horses. I'm now in my 50's, and I must admit: I have a love affair with middle age. Buzz words don't mean much to me anymore. I am thrilled with substance, health and honesty. I'm dazzled by nature, nurture, and a fuzzy muzzle. I'll take a wagging tail over a certificate of achievement any time. Now that I'm running my own business, I set my own standards of ethical behavior, and if you know me, you know I set them high. It's a bar I love to jump - again and again.

Our team of remarkable horsewomen don’t expect something so simple as customer satisfaction...we're not satisfied ourselves until you are delighted. We're not interested so much in creating sales as we are in preventing harm. We measure ourselves in terms of the horses we help. Even in the privacy of our offices you won't hear us say, "We sold Jane a saddle", but instead, "Jane just called to say we can’t have the saddle back, because Whimsy stopped spooking!" We're clear about why we are here and who we serve.

As I pause today in gratitude, I reflect on the very best part: coming to work with like-minded people, whether they are my friends, mentors, customers, co-workers or colleagues. In fact, most of them blur these lines and distinctions. All are innovative thinkers, passionate believers in the welfare of horses. Each of us touch each other in profound ways, and I am profoundly thankful for my worldwide equine community.

With wishes for the best of the season to all,

Carmi

I have been a student all my life. For many years I took "riding lessons", and I presumed that there was a single standard of competency. Instructors were good or bad, pedestrian or genius. These rankings seemed to me to be absolute, and to apply equally to horse and rider. It is only recently - magnified by experiences with two top clinicians this year - that I feel able to begin to describe the vast difference between a coach who can profoundly help the rider, and a coach who can profoundly help the horse. These are not always the same person.

Now and then, you'll find both talents in one package, and so it was with the coach (and friend and mentor) who opened these doors for me. Here's the story.

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Alexsandra "Sandy" Howard, USEF rider on several squads in the 1970s and 1980s. Grand Prix competitor on self-made horses.  Judge, USDF Dressage Committee member and extraordinary coach, teacher, and friend with endless curiosity. 1940-2013.

I came to the study of serious dressage late in life. In 2006 when I was offered an FEI horse to lease, I was 45 years old with a solid background riding jumping horses (primarily eventers and jumpers). I thought I had “done dressage” but in hindsight, all I had learned was to wiggle the reins to get a pretty neck while riding the horse flat and on the forehand.  I really had no idea there was any other way to ride than to kick with the feet and pull with the hands.

Because I am a saddle fitter, I get to all the local barns and see all sorts of trainers. Years ago, one trainer in particular caught my attention because all the horses and riders in her barn made progress (unlike many programs, where horse, rider, or both achieve a certain level and, well, stay there). I’m keenly aware that progress is not for every rider (and is stressful and counter-productive for some), but I’m a goal-oriented progress junkie who needs measurable results to be satisfied. Know what you need.

I was fortunate when I found Sandy Howard and more so when she took me on as a student in 2003 for a few lessons on a borrowed horse. A few years later I proudly and timidly showed up at Sandy’s American Sport Horse in Watsonville, CA. I unloaded Carol Babington’s Iditarod (“Ditto”), a 14-year-old confirmed FEI dressage horse wearing the jumping saddle I still favored. Sandy accepted us (though said archly, "surely you, of all people, could find a dressage saddle?"). Thus began a journey down a path I still follow.

Sandy (who sadly died much too soon) was a pioneer in rider biomechanics. She was an open-minded advocate for change who found and embraced new ideas, and remained fiercely loyal to the ones that actually worked (both Mary Wanless and my EQ saddles came onto her radar and stayed there).

Through Sandy, I began to learn and finally to understand how the rider’s body must function: first to follow and later to influence the moving horse. As Sandy taught me to ride Ditto, there were major lightbulb moments as I retrained my jumper rider's strong but immobile leg and swaying body to have the exact opposite pattern: an active thigh with stable core. I had absolutely no idea how to hold the horse with my seat, or how profoundly the thigh can influence the horse's balance and collection.  Through Sandy's patient and careful tutelage, I began to ride with my center, not my ends. Hands and feet became secondary to the main aid system, which I learned is essentially between my belly button and my knees (and uses every single muscle in that region, sometimes nearly to the point of failure). This transformation is NOT an easy proposition – and sometimes, more than 15 years later, is still challenging.

Here are some of the more memorable “aha” moments I took from Sandy as I began to learn to ride a upper level movements (forgive the liberal interpretation after all this time):

On posting a huge trot: Don’t try to limit the amount you rise. Instead, post higher. Take the lead, set the rhythm, and control the trot with your hip. It will be easier to post if you post big.

On sitting (the same) huge trot: When a trot has a great deal of vertical dynamic, it is easy to focus on the up beat and forget to ride the down. The horse drops out from underneath you if you're not riding the down beat with just as much intention as you ride the up, and if this happens, you'll bounce (for anyone interested, here's a link to a piece Sandy wrote about sitting the trot which explains this much more accessibly: http:http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/english/dressage/you-can%E2%80%88master-sitting-trot-really///

On collecting the canter: If you think that a collected canter is  slower, you're wrong. The feet actually hit the ground quicker because they don't travel as far. To get the stride to shorten, use the seat aids in a quicker timing. (Let me say: this is totally counter intuitive. And it totally works).

On improving the canter: The canter has three distinct beats, and most people push on the first beat. To get more jump in the canter, push on the second beat (I push my pubic bone against the rise of the saddle - you may find a different pattern with your body or your horse). Sandy would say, “It’s Mo-ZAM-bique, NOT CAN-a-da”.

On collection, in general: It takes an active thigh to influence the horse. This might sound basic to many, but it was revelationary to find that when my horse is trotting too fast, if I lift my thighs in a quick rhythm, the horse will slow down much more reliably than if I pull on the reins. If I lift my thighs AND bounce my lower belly, the step will be short with suspension. It is really interesting to try these things!

On extending the trot: This seemed counterintuitive to me when Sandy taught me to use my seat in a slower rhythm while riding a medium or extended trot. As she explained, if you don't ask for suspension, there won't be any.

On steering an FEI horse: Turn with the knees, not the reins. Another cool moment!

At times, Sandy and Ditto seemed to be having their own conversation. She would tell me to do something incomprehensible to me, then cluck loudly. Ditto would understand, and do as she asked. I would get the credit. This didn’t happen all that often…more commonly, Sandy would ask, I would be perplexed, and Ditto would share my confusion. Eventually though, things came together. I began to ride a competent shoulder-in, then half-pass in trot and eventually, in canter. We added flying changes, then multiple changes, and finally tempi changes! The collected canter became easy, and we learned pirouettes. One fine day, we even made it down the centerline at Prix St. Georges (this was the day I learned that Ditto had show ring phobia, but that is another story for another day).

Sandy taught me to be inside my body and to be a much better and more effective rider. Through me, my horse learned to carry himself in balance and collection. Sandy was equally gifted at getting the best out of the horse and the rider simultaneously. I don’t think at the time I fully appreciated her for this incredible skill set.

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Mary Wanless, author, teacher and clinician of her own style of teaching, called "Ride With Your Mind" (RWYM). While thousands have benefited from her teaching over decades, she has recently been given new prominence by her star student, Heather Blitz.

I heard about Mary Wanless many years ago through reading her book “For the Good of the Horse”. I honestly think I was drawn to it because it was one of the only books written in the 1990s that referenced ReactorPanel saddles. I was intrigued with her commonsensical and basic approach, but that’s as far as it went at the time.

After I met Sandy in the early 2000’s, I learned that Mary came to Sandy’s farm to clinic every year or so. The clinic consisted of two sections: individual riding sessions as any clinician offers, and a teacher-training section to get inside Mary’s work. The first year that I was involved, Sandy asked me to lead a session on how the saddle might influence rider seat and position. I was thrilled to be invited to participate and excited about meeting and working with Mary, which has now become a favorite habit.

Mary Wanless doesn’t just teach her information (which is vast and marvelous, and almost always transformational). She also teaches how to learn. I attended her most recent teacher training in February 2014, and got my money’s worth during the first hour of the first day, when Mary said, “if you tell many people the same thing, you will get many results. If you want to get the same results from many people, you must say many things”. Mary explains that each person translates information differently, and comes up with their own metaphor for their own success. She makes a point of connecting with each student until she learns their own definition of how it feels to make a breakthrough, and then feeds back their signal to encourage better riding. She may tell a student, "Be meringue", or "Squeeze the cheese", or "find the carousel pole". Each causes a specific and favorable reaction in one - and only one - student. This, alone, is remarkable.

Mary is very much against rote instruction which is interpreted differently by different people. Such instruction does not give riders the specific information they need to achieve improvement. For instance, those who are taught to “stretch up” or to “grow tall” almost always exhibit the opposite of a functional rider's desirable traits. You'll often see a lack of core strength and a hollow lower back with a high center of gravity. These are terms that must be used to be understood.

My own Mary epiphany happened perhaps a decade ago, as Mary encouraged me to reduce the distance from my armpits to my hipbones and to ride chest down. I passed the mirror expecting to see that I was slumped over in the saddle like some rank beginner. I was shocked to find that I was perfectly stacked over my neutral pelvis. Though I saw the reflection of my elegant and functional torso, I felt like the Little Teapot: short and stout! This became my metaphor for a correct upper body – one I returned to time and again as I was learning to access the strength and effectiveness of a strong and stable core. "Teapot", I would mutter to myself. "Teapot".

Mary is expert at finding a rider’s weaknesses and asymmetries, and then providing extremely specific instruction that enables the rider to use isometric strength to increase their effectiveness in the saddle. Watching Mary work with a new horse and rider combination is to watch a massive transformation take place. As the rider improves, the horse transforms as well though in the Mary-world, there is absolutely no instruction directed toward the horse. Mary never says “put him on the bit” or “bend him” or “lengthen the stride” but all these things happen as the rider improves, no matter the level of the rider.

A few years ago, Mary asked an upper level rider to imagine that the horse had a grappling hook in each hip, attached by rope to a hook in the rider's hip. As the rider trotted, Mary asked her to pull on the grappling hooks with every stride. Within 20 seconds, the trot had improved loft, suspension and reach. I saw the rider the next day and commented on what an amazing transformation had occurred through what appeared to be visualization. "Oh no," she said. "That wasn't imaginary - you would not believe how sore I am today".

Mary Wanless is a true genius in the “rider piece”. Any rider who comes before her will benefit in terms of greater effectiveness, improved position, better connection with the horse, and a more solid seat.

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Charlotte Dujardin, Gold Medalist at the 2012 Olympics, and current world record holder of the top scores ever recorded at Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special, and Grand Prix Freestyle.

You don’t need me to tell you that Charlotte is a whiz kid. A bonafide freak of nature who is an unbelievably talented and natural rider. She has a sense of harmony with horses that is heart-wrenching (in all the good ways!) to behold. When she was a teenager, she watched a video about piaffe and passage, and in very short order, taught both to her National Show Pony. And that was just the beginning...

I was fortunate enough to observe Charlotte teaching and riding over a two-day seminar at Los Angeles Equestrian Center a few weeks ago. The horses and riders presented were all of the highest quality (many were successful international competitors), and Charlotte demonstrated that her skill at observation is absolutely on par with her riding ability.

There were some fascinating components to Charlotte’s approach. Her work is less about a pyramid of training and more about what might come easily to a horse in his present state. She had a four-year-old attempt (and succeed at!) flying changes, after encouraging the rider to trot “as fast as you can” around the arena until the youngster began to lengthen his stride. This requires a level of intuition about the horse and knowledge of what is possible for this horse to achieve safely and sanely that is not available to most of us, who must follow tried and true formulas instead.

In every situation, Charlotte suggested exercises that improved the horse to positive and immediate effect. Her approach is the opposite of drilling a movement or concept. Whenever a horse was sticky, didn’t seem to understand, or began to anticipate, Charlotte had a new exercise or technique to get the best from the horse. The work was incredibly varied with very little time spent on any single movement, and each working session ended with a stretchy swinging trot.

As Charlotte’s suggestions improved the horses, it was clear that she expected riders to show up with a full tool kit, and to have enough experience to know how to use their aid system to get these results. She gave very few practical suggestions for getting the work done, but instead, requested a do-over when the work was less than perfect. It was clear that this worked for some but not all of the riders. Charlotte’s rider comments were along these lines: “stop pulling on the reins”, “sit more over to the other side”, “get straighter”, or the devasting, “that was terrible! Do it again”. These comments are only useful to a rider who has the body awareness to understand the issue, the control to correct it, and the mindfulness to stay corrected. More than one rider had moments of being absolutely unable to follow Charlotte's commands, and her cheerful insistence that there was "nothing to it - just pull the reins to slow down, and use the feet to go forward" were completely undermined by her riding, which includes one of the strongest and most active thighs I have ever seen, coupled with a dynamic seat and pelvis that lead every step of her dance with the horse. She is so good that she has no idea how she is getting it done. But don't for a minute think that this phenom is riding with her hands and her feet!

It has become increasingly clear to me that to reach the greatest potential, both horse and rider need expert coaching that is patient, humane, and progressive. It is also clear that some coaches have the key to the rider piece, and others can provide the horse piece. As we set goals for ourselves and our horses, perhaps we should contemplate using more than one coach to achieve our dreams.

June 28, 2018 — Dressage hotbed Wellington, Florida was chosen as the site to study the revolutionary flapless saddle by EQ Saddle Science. The depth of talent available at the Winter Equestrian Festival made it the ideal location to assemble an international research team, led by the world-renowned Dr. Hilary Clayton.

EQ Saddle Science founder Carmi Weininger, a competitive dressage rider and instructor, developed the first flapless saddle as a weight-saving idea. She soon noticed that the saddle had a profoundly positive effect on the horse, the rider, and their connection. She said, “I believe that if an effect is happening consistently, it can be measured. When we noticed that riders in our flapless saddles were sitting more correctly and horses were moving with more freedom and expression, we didn’t know why, exactly, but we knew that it would be possible to find out.”

Based on the same dynamic flexing panels as sister brand ReactorPanel Saddle Co., the EQ flapless system delivers an instant increase in rider stability, while riders praise many things: improved connection, ease of sitting trot, freedom for the shoulders, and even higher marks at shows. Weininger said, “Although riders in our test sessions instantly fell for our saddle design, we were clear that to have an effect on the dressage world, we needed to have proof of the effect, and also support from top professionals. To start, we decided to collect as much data as possible, and engage the best expert we could find to help us determine which results might be statistically significant.”

Enter Dr. Clayton. In a chance encounter between Weininger and Clayton at a meeting of the International Society for Equitation Science in Vancouver, Weininger confided that a saddle she was developing seemed to be making a significant difference for nearly every horse and rider who tried it. Clayton was intrigued, and was willing to help design and conduct a study. Alexandra Hampson, a presenter at the same conference, was added to the team, bringing her groundbreaking Novell-Pliance computerized pressure measuring system; the only such system to be validated for research. Over the next few months, the location in Florida was selected, and Dr. Meg Sleeper, cardiologist, was engaged to round out the research group.

The study measured a number of aspects of the flapless saddle system; this is only the first paper to draw on this research. Published by Dr. Clayton earlier this month, her manuscript concludes that the flapless saddle results in a marked improvement in rider stability.

Weininger went on to say, “We are thrilled that the study is out, and the full results released. To top it off, we are honored to have earned the trust and support of professionals such as Olivia Lagoy-Weltz, Allison Brock, Jennifer Marchand, and Bettina Drummond - among many others - in the process of creating this saddle.”

The Details

The study was performed on five dressage horses: three European warmbloods, one Thoroughbred-warmblood cross, and one Lusitano; all in full-time dressage training, working between USEF fourth and FEI Grand Prix levels. They ranged in age from nine to sixteen, and height from 15.3 to 18.0 hands. All were ridden by the same professional dressage rider, to reduce variability in the data, avoid bias introduced by using multiple riders, and ensure consistency of the motion patterns. In this case, the rider was Jennifer Marchand, who actively rides and trains up through the Grand Prix level on multiple horses.

Each horse was ridden in its own conventional dressage saddle, current on fitting, and in the EQ Saddle Science prototype flapless saddle adjusted to fit each horse and rider combination. The horses were ridden in the flapless saddle twice during the three days prior to data collection to ensure that both horse and rider were familiar with its feel. The horses’ own saddles plus the rider weighed from 69.8 to 72.2 kg (154-159 pounds). The flapless saddle plus the rider weighed 70.4 kg (155 pounds).

The “order of go” as to which saddle was tested first for each horse was randomized by computer, and each saddle was placed on a Pliance electronic pressure mat with 128 embedded pressure sensors. The pressure sensors recorded how the rider’s weight distribution varied throughout the exercises, transmitted in real time via Bluetooth to a laptop on the side of the arena. Those pressure readings were later analyzed for range of motion both front-to-back and side-to-side.

A 20-meter section of the long side of the arena was marked with stakes one meter apart, and that is the section where data was gathered, to remove variability of turning or bending. Slow motion videography verified that the horses did not have a significant change in velocity.

Each horse/saddle combination was subjected to this protocol to reduce variability: careful and slow girthing from both sides, mounting using a high block, and warming up for fifteen minutes with each saddle. After warmup, each horse performed a pre-determined pattern of movements that included walk, sitting and rising trot, and cantering on both leads around a dressage arena in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. All gaits were studied in both collected and extended forms. Then all was repeated immediately - from tacking protocol to warmup - using the other saddle.

Statistically Significant Stability

Range of motion from side to side was significantly smaller in all six gait types (walk/trot/canter in collection and extension) when riding in the flapless saddle. The rider’s range of motion in the front-to-back direction was smaller in all six gait types as well, but with statistical significance in collected trot, extended trot (video of study data as it recorded), and extended canter, due to there being a noticeable braking force front-to-back each time a trot stride lands, which causes more difficulty in maintaining stability front to back in that gait. A similar difficulty can be felt in extended canter, although more due to the energy and size of the strides rather than braking.

Why Stability is Important

Rider stability is considered a key marker of advanced equitation, whether it be for trail riding, reining competition, show jumping, or dressage. The more the rider “makes it look easy” by sitting in serene balance, the better the rider is considered to be - by both fellow riders, and the horse! It is possible that a more stable rider creates less work for the horse, who can then more easily maintain balance; the same study indicates that horses may have a significantly lower heart rate in the EQ flapless saddle than in their own saddles.

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ABOUT EQ SADDLE SCIENCE

EQ Saddle Science exists to make it easier for horses to carry humans with ease and in harmony, and is an organization as unusual and high-quality as the saddles they make. Their flapless flexing saddles are patented, and represent a true revolution in the sport horse world. Riders and their horses are constantly changing, and the conventional approach to saddle design does not address this dynamic, resulting in saddles that can't evolve with the horse and rider. Over time, these conventional saddles, no matter how high-end or how frequently re-fitted and -flocked, may hinder freedom of movement, skill development, and training progress. EQ Saddle Science’s proprietary flexing panel technology provides a better outcome for both horse and rider than conventional tack allows, with innovation based on horse and rider biomechanics, and extensive verification of the remarkable functionality of our saddles with scientific testing.