The majority of training problems relating to the control, balance and direction of the horse are caused by the horse’s discomfort in the area immediately under the saddle.
The problem with saddles is the hardness and unevenness of the panel. All flocking materials over time become unevenly compacted, so creating both high pressure points and areas where the panel may not touch the horses back.
A pressure as low as 1½ lbs. per square inch will in time damage minor blood vessels in both the skin and muscle leading to signs of bruising, hair loss and eventually muscle wastage.
Pressure on or pinching of the withers directly affects the muscles of the shoulder, causing shortening of the horse’s stride and in many cases, difficulty when moving down hill.
Soreness or restriction of the back muscles makes it more difficult for the horse to engage his quarters and so to come on the bit.
Flair® creates a gaseous and totally flexible layer in your saddle. This removes pressure points and increases the sensitivity of the horse to your lower back aids whilst also providing shock absorption for the horse when jumping or engaged in sitting trot (gases can be compressed whilst liquids, gels and solids cannot).
F
lair® allows your horse to move naturally as the muscles of the back and shoulder are no longer restricted by your saddle’s panel.
The picture above shows the softness of a panel fitted with Flair® Air Bags. The valves shown are only used when fitting the saddle, they are removed so that there is no obvious sign that the saddle contains Flair®. Below shows one of two dummy valves that seal the saddle after fitting. The valves are so small that they would normally not be noticed under the skirt of the saddle. The Flair® badge is fitted at the customers discretion.