How you sit in the saddle plays a role in how the saddle fits on your horse, not to mention how comfortable the ride is for your horse. Poor balance can lead to soring or other injuries for your horse.
For the tree to function correctly, you must sit balanced. That means you are sitting vertically, with legs under you. This position allows the bars of the tree to function properly and spread pressure equally from front to back.
Do not sit in your saddle like a recliner with your legs out in front of you. When you do this, you exert twice as much force on the bars and the bars dig into your horse’s loins.
In addition, heavy riders require the tree to distribute more pounds per square inch on the horse. For this reason, proper saddle fit and equitation are even more critical with a heavy rider.
