
EQ700E: Saddle Fitting for the Equine Healthcare Professional
£895.00
Dates Coming Soon!
Dates: TBD —– | —– Cost: £895.00
Instructor: Dr. Anne Bondi, PhD
Instructor: Dr. Anne Bondi, PhD
This course is essential if you plan to be serious about your work. It is impossible to separate saddle fit from bodywork sessions when evaluating the ridden horse. For owners, this is a prime opportunity to learn exactly how a saddle should fit instead of listening to marketing gimmicks.
Our instructor for this course, Dr. Anne Bondi, PhD is the founder of the internationally-renowned Saddle Research Trust (www.saddleresearchtrust.com), a charitable organisation that focuses on evidence-based solutions for saddle fitting, and pioneering research into the interaction of horse and rider, from a saddlefitting-based perspective. Anne presents this 4-day clinic with slides, examples of trees, pads, saddles, measuring devices, templates, demonstrations and a variety of horses with saddle fitting issues.
Because most of us cannot run out and buy a new saddle if it no longer fits, the course content addresses this common problem by offering ideal, existing, and temporary solutions.
COURSE OUTLINE:
Vocabulary:
Anatomy vocabulary
Veterinary terms
Functional Anatomy:
Anatomy of the back
Bones and joints
Back and Saddle Evaluation:
Evaluating the horse’s back
Evaluating the saddle on and off the horse
Evaluating the saddle with and without the rider
Saddle placement
Saddle fitting
Reflex tests
Palpating the back
Saddle pressure and science
Pros and cons for different saddle pads
Corrective pads and wedges for temporary solutions
Discussion on the various saddle types
Creating saddle fit templates
Consequences of Incorrect Saddle Fit:
Behaviour
Performance
Trauma to muscles and skin
Anatomical issues
Physiological signs
Problems experienced by the rider in relation to posture due to ill-fitting saddle
The Effect of the Rider on Saddle Fit: Horse-Rider Interaction
Theory portion of evidence-based perspectives, and solutions using riders (including course participants) for the practical portion of horse-rider interaction assessment.
Prerequisites: Safe horse handling skills and a thorough understanding of equine safety. Knowledge of veterinary vocabulary and anatomy, or completion of EQ100, 101, 102 or a comparable programme.
Required Reading: None
Suggested Reading and Viewing:
Saddle Fitting A to Z: DVD by Dr. Kerry Ridgway
The Horse’s Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book by Joyce Harman, DVM
Saddle Fit A-Z DVD by Dr. Kerry Ridgway, DVM
The Horse in Motion: The Anatomy and Physiology of Equine Locomotion by Pilliner, Elmhurst and Davies
This course is required for the Equinology Equine Body Worker® Level II certification.
To test for the EEBWII certification students must pass the Equinology Equine Body Worker® or comparable certification course.