Saddle fit and rider position interact synergistically — a good saddle with a poor rider position or vice versa can each cause back pain in horses.
Back welfare in ridden horses cannot be addressed solely through saddle fit without considering rider position, and vice versa. The horse back is a dynamic system where rider postural patterns become established through habitual loading patterns. A well-fitted saddle compensates for some rider asymmetry but cannot correct significant postural problems. Welfare-positive management requires simultaneous attention to saddle fit, rider biomechanics, and horse back muscle development. Physiotherapy — both for horses and increasingly for riders — addresses the physical patterns that drive harmful loading. The growing field of equestrian biomechanics provides evidence-based tools for this combined approach.