09/21/2026
The Highly Sensitive Horse 🐴
Have you ever met a horse who seems to FEEL everything, and overreact to EVERYTHING?
The horse equivalent of a Highly Sensitive Person! The "princess and the pea" of the equine world.
I've met my fair share of these horses over the years, and let me tell you, they can be absolutely EXASPERATING for their owners!
With most horses, I can make a meaningful improvement in comfort by changing a saddle pad, adjusting a shim, or swapping out the cinch for something with fleece. Sometimes a relatively small adjustment makes a world of difference for the average horse.
..But then there are THOSE horses.
The ones who need everything to be JUST RIGHT.
The saddle has to be perfect. The pad has to have the softest fleece available. The cinch can't have any exposed metal buckles. The pressure distribution has to be perfect for the way THEY want it, not what is "typical." The balance of the rigging. All of it.
For these horses, "close enough" simply isn't close enough.
And while it can be tempting to dismiss their reactions as behavioral, these horses often teach us something important: Just because a saddle looks acceptable to us doesn't necessarily mean it feels acceptable to the horse wearing it.
One of the main questions I ask clients when I'm going through a saddle fitting analysis is, "Is he sensitive, in ANY sense of the word?" Sensitive to materials or textures? Allergies? Thin skin that is prone to galling, or "scrubbing" (where the hair shafts get broken off)? Is he a Thoroughbred, ... or an Arabian? ... Or an opinionated red mare? (Much love to the red mares!)
They're not the easiest horses to fit, but they certainly keep us humble! And usually end up teaching me something.
And to the owners of these exceptionally sensitive souls: I SEE YOU! I know you've probably tried seventeen different pads, three cinches, and contemplated selling everything and taking up gardening. 😂
Sometimes, the smallest details make the biggest difference. Patience, and learning to 'listen' to what they're telling you through subtle changes in body language or attitude, can be the key to finding their comfort.
The Right Fit Equine — Because "comfort" isn't one-size-fits-all.
