“One of the first things I realized when I began tweaking the inner workings of my saddle was that a seemingly miniscule change could make my horses go very badly. The first of this sequence, an all-purpose saddle, fit many different types of horses and was a resounding success, as was its successor, the Equilibrium jumping saddle.įor a variety of reasons, Tad began investigating the inner workings of his saddles the tree and panels specifically, the event he cites as the beginning of a long and passionate career as an innovator. His involvement with saddles began after the Olympic games, when he developed a sequence of his own saddles that were manufactured by an English saddlery. He won two gold medals at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City, then went on to win two gold medals at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal- all at the age of 21. To ride in a beautiful manner, mimicking the 'masters', is so much easier on a soft, supple and compliant partner."Īgain, it begs the question: how much of a horse’s resistance at any moment is the result, at least in part, of saddle discomfort? How would we know and how much difference could be made? Could changing what a horse experiences in the back be the catalyst for an upward spiral in overall performance?Īs a young man, Tad quickly rose to prominence in the Eventing world. "This is especially problematic in the equitation ring. "It's hard to look your best on a horse that's tense or stiff, crooked or inverted" says Tad. What stands in the way of this? Education certainly, but also resistance, that phenomena of non-compliance and struggle that all riders experience. What if this kind of riding, this relationship with a horse, was within the realm of possibility for more riders of more average abilities? The universal qualities of relaxation, carriage, balance and harmony were so abundantly apparent they would have been recognizable to anyone. Horses, when ridden by these 'riding masters', exhibited a series of qualities above and beyond their way of going even under their Olympic riders. What an opportunity this was to witness and experience riding at its very best! Within a few years, Tad would be at Gladstone himself as a young rider, selected to work with the legendary Jack LeGoff, coach of the 3-day eventing team. Raul, a brilliant teacher, would often take his young riders to Gladstone to watch the master work with his Olympic riders and horses sessions on the longe line working on the basics of seat and position, sessions of flat work and cavaletti followed by gymnastic jumping exercises. I travelled to his workshop in Ruckersville, Virginia, to learn about his groundbreaking innovations that may one day change the way we ride.Īs a young rider, Tad was brought up on a diet of classical riding principles under the tutelage of Raul deLeon, a devotee of Bertalan deNemethy, the legendary coach of the US show jumping team. They are his insight into the mystery of the relationship between a saddle and a horse’s back. These horses live on Tad’s farm in a highly controlled environment so as to ensure the accuracy of his results. He has conducted over 4500 experiments using feedback from a group of horses that are wholly dedicated to saddle testing. Tad Coffin has dedicated the last 28 years to answering these questions. How would the riding experience change for us and for them if a saddle actually helped a horse move and carry himself in an ideal manner? What if a saddle could actually be therapeutic? Is the current norm of saddle design and construction the very best we can come up with, or is there a possibility for something better that might create a paradigm shift in our approach to riding and training? Many horses are stoic when it comes to back discomfort but others are highly sensitive and express their displeasure through a variety of resistances. It's difficult at best to know what horses experience when being ridden what sensations they feel in the play between rider, saddle and their back. It is evident that some saddles work better than others on any given horse, but is not always clear exactly why. The saddle is among the oldest and most vital tools to an equestrian, yet the relationship between it and a horse’s back remains a mystery.
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