Let’s Talk About Asymmetry
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
David Kempsell is the co-founder and Managing Director of First Thought Equine Ltd, the company behind WOW Saddles, Flair, FreeSpace, Korrector, and Duskin Saddles.
He is also a qualified saddle fitter with The Society of Master Saddlers (SMS), bringing scientific precision, logical design expertise, and problem-solving skills to saddlery - all grounded in a lifelong passion for riding and upholding the highest standards of Ethical Equine Performance.
In 2026 we attended the Horses Inside Out Conference, where the central theme was asymmetry.
One thing became very clear: no one truly has all the answers. The why, the how, and even the what of asymmetry remain complex and, at times, contradictory. As one excellent speaker commented, the more they searched for certainty, the more confusing the subject became.
What we do know is this: asymmetry is never about one thing.
It is about three interconnected factors:
The horse
The rider
The saddle
The horse will not be symmetrical.The rider will not be symmetrical.The saddle, however, must begin life symmetrical: but in order to work correctly, it must often become asymmetrical in a thoughtful, sympathetic way.
The goal is not visual symmetry.The goal is symmetrical loading.
This blog is not a peer-reviewed scientific paper. It is something different. It is knowledge drawn from years of observing, adjusting, intervening, and consistently seeing improved outcomes when we do.
It is evidence-based through repetition, results (both practical and scientific) even if not formally published in a journal.
Understanding Ourselves First
We often describe the rider as a loosely strapped rucksack placed on the horse’s back.
No human is perfectly symmetrical: and why would we be?
Our internal organs are not arranged symmetrically.Our brains do not function symmetrically.Most of us are dominant on one side. Very few people are truly ambidextrous.
Let’s break this down into layers.
1. The Skeletal Layer
The first level of asymmetry lies in our skeletal structure.
As we grow, bones develop under the influence of genetics, loading patterns, injury and habit. It is surprisingly common for limbs to end up slightly different in length. These differences may be small, but small differences matter when you are sitting on a moving animal.
2. Muscle and Associated Tissue
Dominance influences muscle mass, strength and even bone density.
A tennis player develops more muscle and bone density in the racket arm. But long before they ever held a racket, their brain wiring predisposed them to favour that side.
Limbs can often be described as either:
Static (stabilising)
Dynamic (mobilising)
A right-footed footballer kicks with the right leg (dynamic), while the left leg stabilises the body (static). In snowboarding, this is described as “regular” or “goofy.” One side leads, one side stabilises.
Interestingly, dominance is not always cleanly matched. Someone may be right-hand dominant but left-leg dominant. It is uncommon: but it exists.
These patterns create predictable asymmetries in muscle tone, stability, and control.
3. Habituation
Repetition changes the body.
Occupations and hobbies shape posture:
Office workers
Drivers
Manual labourers
Musicians
Riders themselves
Sustained postures shorten certain muscle groups and lengthen others. Over time this alters skeletal alignment and movement patterns.
The body adapts to what it does most.
The problem is that adaptation does not always equal balance.
4. Trauma and Injury
Injury is inevitable over a lifetime.
Fractures can alter limb length or function.Muscle trauma can create long-term protective patterns.Even old injuries that feel “resolved” can leave subtle asymmetries in posture or loading.
The body remembers.
And when that body sits on a horse, the horse feels it.
Why Does This Matter?
Returning to the rucksack analogy:
If a rucksack is unevenly loaded, it pulls on one shoulder more than the other. Over time, that creates strain.
The same applies to the rider–horse partnership.
When a rider loads one side more than the other: whether through skeletal difference, muscle dominance, habit or injury: the horse must compensate.
Over time this influences:
Limb loading
Muscle development
Movement patterns
Long-term soundness
The horse will habituate to the load it is given.
If that load is asymmetrical, the horse adapts asymmetrically.
The Role of the Saddle
The saddle begins symmetrical.
But if it remains rigidly symmetrical in the face of an asymmetrical rider and horse, it can actually magnify imbalance rather than resolve it.
The saddle’s role is to mediate between two asymmetrical bodies and create symmetrical pressure distribution.
Not visual symmetry.Not theoretical symmetry.Functional symmetry in loading.
Sometimes that requires subtle, intelligent asymmetry in the interface.
Where We Stand
We do not claim to have solved asymmetry.
What we do have is:
Years of observation
Independently tested pressure mapping
Consistent intervention
Measurable improvement in outcomes
That is not academic theory.
It is 30 years of practical evidence.
And it continually points us toward one truth: You cannot eliminate asymmetry. But you can manage it.
And when you manage it correctly, both horse and rider perform better, move more freely, and stay sounder for longer. That's the ethos behind WOW Saddles.
A truly harmonious partnership begins with perfect balance and symmetry
WOW make the world’s only saddles with seatbone support and Flair™ air flocking, providing the ultimate saddle balance by correcting asymmetry in both horse and rider.
