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Wide Spinal Channel: The Saddle's Panel Channel Must Be Individually Adapted to Your Horse
Forget the rules of thumb: a sufficiently wide spinal channel (often also called the panel channel) is a very important aspect of a correctly fitted saddle and helps to:
With an Iberosattel®, you can be sure that the saddle fits your horse - for healthy riding and a harmonious relationship between rider and horse.
- prevent pressure on the spine
- promote freedom of movement
- prevent long-term damage
With an Iberosattel®, you can be sure that the saddle fits your horse - for healthy riding and a harmonious relationship between rider and horse.
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The Important Role of the Spinal Channel for Your Horse's Health
The padding of a saddle has a continuous recess in the middle. The job of the spinal channel is to keep the pressure of the saddle away from the spine and the accompanying supraspinous ligament: the saddle panels must only rest in the region of the long back muscle, which can properly absorb and distribute saddle pressure.
Pressure on the spine and the supraspinous ligament must absolutely be avoided along the entire length of the saddle, as must - when the spine bends - lateral contact between the vertebral processes and the saddle panels.
A saddle that does not ensure this is a source of pain for the horse, leads in the short term to poor posture, tension and reluctance to move, and in the long term to damage to the spine.
Pressure on the spine and the supraspinous ligament must absolutely be avoided along the entire length of the saddle, as must - when the spine bends - lateral contact between the vertebral processes and the saddle panels.
A saddle that does not ensure this is a source of pain for the horse, leads in the short term to poor posture, tension and reluctance to move, and in the long term to damage to the spine.
A spinal channel that is too narrow presses on the spine and the supraspinous ligament and causes tension and long-term damage. — Protect Your Horse from Spinal Damage.
How Wide Should a Sufficiently Wide Spinal Channel Be?
Rules of thumb like "four fingers wide" won't get you far here - the spinal channel absolutely must be individually adjusted. The horse's spine and supraspinous ligament can be easily distinguished from the back muscle by feel, so determining the necessary width is nothing overly complicated.
All the more shocking that many horses are ridden with saddles whose spinal channel is clearly far too narrow. Panel channels that are too wide occur less often, but are equally problematic: such a saddle wastes bearing surface on the back muscle, may press on the outer ribs below the muscle, and often sits too low, so that when the back arches, painful impacts occur between the saddle tree and the spine.
All the more shocking that many horses are ridden with saddles whose spinal channel is clearly far too narrow. Panel channels that are too wide occur less often, but are equally problematic: such a saddle wastes bearing surface on the back muscle, may press on the outer ribs below the muscle, and often sits too low, so that when the back arches, painful impacts occur between the saddle tree and the spine.
An Iberosattel® Adapts to Your Horse's Back
With all Iberosattel® saddles - even the affordable entry-level models in the Classic Line - we always adjust the width of the spinal channel individually.
Most saddle manufacturers only offer saddles with fixed, stapled or sewn panels. With such models, the width of the spinal channel can no longer be changed once the saddle is finished.
With the Comfort Pad, our patented saddle padding with a wide, back-friendly bearing surface, Iberosattel® has found a better solution: the Comfort Pad is freely suspended under the saddle tree. This means the width of the panel channel can be changed with minimal effort - both during the initial fitting and later, for example when the horse builds up or loses back muscle.
Most saddle manufacturers only offer saddles with fixed, stapled or sewn panels. With such models, the width of the spinal channel can no longer be changed once the saddle is finished.
With the Comfort Pad, our patented saddle padding with a wide, back-friendly bearing surface, Iberosattel® has found a better solution: the Comfort Pad is freely suspended under the saddle tree. This means the width of the panel channel can be changed with minimal effort - both during the initial fitting and later, for example when the horse builds up or loses back muscle.
Your Iberosattel® adapts to your horse's back. A wide spinal channel enables freedom of movement and healthy riding. — The Spinal Channel Must Be Individually Adapted.
At a Glance - How Our Saddles Guarantee Spinal Freedom for Your Horse
With an Iberosattel®, the saddle adapts to your horse, not the other way around:
Benefit from many further adjustment options as well, from gullet width, to the saddle tree, to the bearing surface.
- sufficiently wide spinal channel along the entire length of the saddle - no narrowing of the channel towards the back
- during saddle fitting: individual adjustment of the spinal channel width on ALL Iberosattel® saddle models
- saddles with Comfort Pad: panel channel width can be adjusted at any time
Benefit from many further adjustment options as well, from gullet width, to the saddle tree, to the bearing surface.
Our Customers Appreciate Their Iberosattel®
Elke D. on an Andalusian Mare: "For my horse it is now relaxed riding..."
"I use the saddle on every occasion - dressage, small jumps and on the trail - and I am totally satisfied. Everyone who got to try the saddle was just as delighted as I am."
Jacqueline F. on a Friesian Gelding: "I can recommend Iberosattel® saddles 100%..."
"Really competent advice from Patrick and Birgit Thoma! After extensive test riding I decided on the Amazona Dressage Comfort in black with red piping and stitching. To this day I am delighted and keep recommending it. My Friesian no longer has any back problems, because the wide Comfort Pad is wonderfully gentle on the back. The saddle is in use 3 to 4 times a week and to this day still delivers what it promises."
We Measure Your Horse's Back - At Your Location
In addition to advice, our service naturally includes measuring your horse's back and the individual saddle fitting of your Iberosattel® to your horse. To make sure the saddle really fits, we come back for a follow-up check after purchase.
Interested in an Iberosattel®? Contact us if you have any questions, simply by phone or via our contact form.
Interested in an Iberosattel®? Contact us if you have any questions, simply by phone or via our contact form.
Hotline: 09179 / 964117
Shoulder Freedom with the EWF System
World first: no head plate on the horse
More freedom for the withers and shoulder: by integrating the head plate into the saddle tree, the EWF system offers more lateral freedom for the withers and more freedom for the shoulder (no plate to interfere with the shoulder cartilage sliding under the saddle).
Soft, Wide Bearing Surface for Your Saddle
For wide horse backs: the Comfort Pad for your saddle
The Comfort Pad by Iberosattel® widens the bearing surface of your saddle and ensures that the rider's weight is better distributed across your horse's entire back.
This reduces pressure by up to 50% - an important plus for your animal's health and comfort!
Comfort Pad for optimal pressure distribution of the saddle.