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January 2025 I hope this enewsletter finds you and yours warm and dry. We are experiencing a real winter in Tennessee right now with snow, ice and freezing cold. I am looking forward to warmer temperatures and getting back to work. Meanwhile, I would like to share a couple of thoughts with you. In January as usual, we are making plans and setting goals for the new year. Rippy is almost 3 years old now, so getting him started lightly under saddle is a goal for this year. I am already so much in love with this little guy. 
Also on the goal list for this year is to find a good home for Annie, with someone that will love her and do great things with her. Here is the link to her ad, please share if you know anybody looking. If you don't know my mare, this her latest picture (thank you Nicole Pols Photography) on a very cold day in December.  Here is my dreamI have a dream that within my lifetime riders will realize that one size does not fit all and every horse deserves a saddle that fits. Yes, I stole the line I have a dream, but it is true. I am very passionate about educating riders about their saddle fit. I want to share the information that I have gathered to help riders understand that each horse is different so there is no way that one size will fit all. Horses were not made for riding. They allow us to do so out of the goodness in their hearts. They are truly a gift from God and I believe that he has trusted us with their care and it is our responsibility as riders to consider their comfort while riding. Every horse has a saddle support area or the place where we strap the saddle to the horse. The saddle sits on top of the longissimus muscles with several muscles coming in from the front and the rear of the saddle. The trapezius, latissimus, gluteus and fly shaker muscle are all right there. Every horse has a spinal ligament attached to the vertebrae that needs to be protected from the pressure of the saddle and rider’s weight. Every horse has a shoulder blade with delicate cartilage at the top that needs to be protected as it moves back and forth under the front of the saddle. Every horse has nerves and fascia under the saddle transmitting messages to the brain. Every horse has a sternum where the pressure of the girth is felt. But, every horse is different. Some horses have short backs, some have long backs. Some have big muscles, some have tiny little muscles. Some horses have big thick spinal ligaments, some have thinner ligaments. Some horses have straight shoulders, some horses have sloping shoulders. Some horses have a long sternum and some are very short. How is one saddle supposed to fit all?  Whether you are riding a gaited horse, a jumper, dressage, trail, timed events or western performance, it doesn’t matter. Every horse deserves to have a saddle that allows him to perform without discomfort or painful pressure. The western horses performing in timed events need to have the maximum reach for quicker times. The dressage horse needs to be able to extend, collect and engage the hindquarters. The reiner needs to lift the shoulders and engage the hindquarters for lead changes and sliding stops. The trail horse needs to carry a rider (often unbalanced) for several hours over varied terrain. The gaited horse needs to lift the shoulders and lower the haunches to have a true and smooth gait. Will you help me spread the word about proper saddle fit and how it affects our horse’s behavior, performance & ultimately the health of the horse & rider? Share your testimonial. How has a saddle changed your horse? How did you come to realize that the saddle was causing your horse discomfort? If you don’t want to share publicly, share in private in your circle. There are over a thousand people on this email list. If each one of you could help just one horse, just one, that is over a thousand! Can you imagine 1,000 horses?!! I can't do it on my own. As always, thank you for reading and sharing the enewsletter. I sincerely appreciate you helping me help the horses. Stay warm and dry! And God Bless! TTYS, Terry Peiper “Spreading the word about proper saddle fit and how it affects our horse's behavior, performance and ultimately the health of horse & rider.” |
