On a recent social media post we had a lively debate from some of our followers on whether or not you should post in a western saddle. We promised to put out a more in-depth explanation of why it's not only acceptable to post in western saddle, it's a basic horsemanship skill everyone should learn regardless of your discipline.Most of the explanations people gave had a basis similar to these: You don't see any cowboys posting. My grandfather never posted and he rode everyday. You don't see them posting in old western movies. If you can ride good enough you shouldn't need to post. Western saddle are made to be sat in. Basically, most of them follow the "that's the way it's always been done" rationale. We all know just because something's always been done one way, it doesn't mean we stop looking for better ways! Contrary to popular belief, something doesn't have to be actually broken to still find a better way to do it.There have been countless studies throughout the years analyzing pressure placed on horses backs and joints. Studies from as early as the 90's found that many times when horses were initially diagnosed with a limb lameness, when no radiographic explanation or blocking would change it, they determined it was back related soreness from, you guessed it, added pressure on the horses back. Many of these studies focussed on saddle fit and huge advancements went into…
Richard JacuzziApril 2, 2024