Author Archives: Jay McGarry

Should You Shim?

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To shim or not to shim; that is the question! How, when and why to use them, however, creates a lot of confusion. Moreover, there are so many types of corrections pads to choose from. There are pads to give … Continued

Saddle Placement

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Saddle placement really seems to flummox people! I can’t tell you how many times, when evaluating saddle fit photos, I see the saddle girthed in the wrong spot. It is by far the most common mistake and it can really … Continued

Bridging

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Recently, I have had a lot of questions about saddles bridging and I have seen a lot of discussion about it on the COTH forums. There are many different thoughts and theories about the causes; what is considered bridging and … Continued

A Flicker…

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Some of us have those lightbulb moments when we finally “get it”. However,  most of us experience more of the flickering bulb moments; those moments when we have glimpses of what we want to achieve. They start out as fleeting … Continued

Fitting the Human

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We have written many articles on fitting the horse and not so much on fitting the rider. I had fully intended to post a different article that I had written but I have had a lot of questions recently on … Continued

Going Backward

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There are so many aspects to saddle fitting that the process can be a bit daunting. Many know that the saddle needs to be the correct width for the horse. Some understand that the front of the saddle comes in … Continued

Planning Ahead

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For many of us, winter signals the end or the slowing down of the show season.  We have more time to kick back, review the past year and establish new goals and plans for the upcoming season. With the pressure … Continued

Changes

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Change is a challenging concept. It can be hard to accept yet we are faced with it all the time whether we like it or not. We are faced with change at work, in the environment, physically, socially and emotionally. … Continued

Filling In The Holes

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Just when you think things are going well, crash…the building blocks come tumbling down. In a perfect world, we slowly build upon our successes and ideally, carefully balancing one learned skill upon the next. The end result should be a … Continued