The Saddle Horse industry seems to have a negative ­public ­image among riders of other ­disciplines, with stories of abuse and ­mismanagement rife in these ­circles. SA Horseman visited Jireh, a Saddler breeding and training centre in Tiegerpoort, where 16 Saddlers are trained and managed as competitive show horses.

Cobus Oosthuizen and his wife, Marga, owners and managers of Jireh, have been ­involved with breeding and training Saddlers for the last 12 years. Cobus is chairman of the Equestrian Saddle Seat Association of SA, and vice-chairman of the Northern Saddle Horse Union.

Training and abuse

So what does Cobus have to say about the training methods used with Saddlers? “There are people who use methods I don’t ­personally use, but at the top level of any discipline, the horse is pushed to perform to the best of his abilities. It would be ignorant to say that ­Saddler trainers are the only people to ­pressurise their horses.

“The potential for abuse is always there, but that is not to say that all Saddler trainers ­employ these methods. I think people have that image of us because they don’t understand the breed or the classes in which we show them. Yes, there are stories of people treating Saddlers badly, but the mainstream Saddler community would condemn those methods.”

He adds to this that a member of the Saddle Horse Association found guilty of animal abuse may be fined or banned from the association. During shows, strict drug testing is enforced, and a lame horse is not allowed to compete.

There is also a “no blood” rule, meaning that a horse showing signs of bleeding anywhere on his body is disqualified. “A performance trained Saddler is an expensive investment, and correct training and management is critical to ensure long term success in the show ring.

“A horse that is fearful, in pain, not in ­optimal health or overworked will not perform to the best of his ability, a definite disaster for his show career,” reminds Cobus. He continues to say that building the horse’s confidence and maintaining his spirit and “sense of self” is part of creating the desire to move expressively.

The “look”

I found it interesting that a Saddler is ­encouraged to “look” when he’s ridden, since an eager, alert expression with ears pricked forward is the complete picture that is sought after. “An unhappy horse will not prick his ears or have the vibe and presence that a horse ­enjoying his work will, and that a horse ­cannot be forced to do – it’s the fruit of correct ­training,” explains Marga.

So how do they manage their show ­Saddlers? Each horse’s training and ­feeding schedule, shoeing and paddock time is ­individually ­catered for in order to bring out his best ­according to his temperament, ­natural ability and age. A physiotherapist also ­regularly sees to the working horses.

A typical work schedule consists of six days work with Sundays off. The horses are all long-lined, lunged, driven and ridden, and before a show, more emphasis is put on working on the type of class the horse is ­entered for. Marga makes a distinction ­between the type of work she focuses on when she’s schooling as ­opposed to “show” riding.

“We use our dressage school and indoor passage to work on suppleness, response to the aids, rhythm, balance and discipline,” she says. “Schooling work includes ­dressage ­figures combined with backing, spins and ­basic ­lateral work, working the horse in a ­lower frame than I would when showing them.”

In the oval show ring, Marga sets the horse in a higher frame, and works on fitness, speed, movement and developing the spark and ­energy she calls “presence”. She maintains that both these aspects of training under ­saddle, together produce the end result that she aims for.

The training sessions are kept short, ­usually lasting 10 to 20 minutes, in order to keep the horse eager and positive mentally. After being worked, the grooms hose the horse down, walk him cool in hand and give him a chance to relax in the paddock before bringing him back to his stable.

The horses at Jireh are “let down” for three months of the year, depending on their show and inoculation schedule. During this time they’re not shown competitively, but spend more time working on lungeing, schooling, riding out and giving the horse a chance to relax. This changes the horse’s feed, exercise and shoeing requirements, but Marga believes that this break does the horses’ minds good – when they start showing, they are eager to perform again!

Correct shoeing

Shoeing is a critical aspect of a Saddler’s ­management. The angles and length of the hoof is carefully worked out for each ­individual in order to complement his natural movement and encourage bigger, bolder steps. Cobus personally oversees the shoeing of his horses in cooperation with his live-in farrier, and believes that a horse must be comfortable in order to be confident in his stride and remain sound.

“If the way he’s shod hampers his stride or causes pain, you lose correctness and ­fluency of movement.

Since our judges look for ­expressive, bold movement, among other things, ­incorrect shoeing would put the horse out of the placings.”

You may think the Oosthuizens’ ­empathic approach to Saddler management may mean that they’re not competitive, but their tack room is lined from wall to wall with rosettes that they have won at various shows. Their daughter, Ruda, has won the champion 18-year and under South African five-gaited ­children’s ­riding horse in Bloemfontein, and received her Protea colours for riding five-­gaited ­Saddle Horses three years in a row.

The goal

Ruda says that the philosophy of a good ­Saddler trainer mirrors the principles that all classical trainers employ, ­excepting that the end goal of the training is ­different to that of another discipline. According to her, the goal of training a performance Saddler is to create the best movement and carriage that an ­individual horse is capable of, whereas ­another ­discipline would perhaps focus on speed ­(racing), ­jumping ­ability (show ­jumping), or ­stamina (endurance).

“People must also remember that not all Saddle Horses will make the grade as performance horses, and those who don’t display a natural talent for performance, tend to move on the other lower moving Saddle Horse classes like the pleasure or western classes, or change disciplines ­altogether,” concludes Ruda.

The Oosthuizens’ dedication to and ­respect for their horses’ mental and ­physical well-­being, reflects not only their quest for excellence as horsemen, but also their love of the horse, with the horse’s needs being set at top priority.