can a saddle make a horse lame?

[laceyfreckle]

ok, Lacey has been box rested, and then out while muzzled and now living back out again as the vet suspected LGL last friday due to her being lame while ridden.

she has seemed better.

today she was not lame at all in hand, not lame walking in hand and trotting in hand on a hard surface. and was not lame when lunged in a 20m circle at walk or trot on both reins.

no raised digital pulses, no heat in feet, no odd stance.

however i got my sharer to sit on her with a saddle on and she was lame in a straight line in walk by 3/10 and in trot by 5/10 on both reins.

I got my sharer to jump off, gave lacey 10 min break removed the saddle and got sharer to hop on bareback. I put lacey on the lunge as sharer hadn't ridden bareback much before. Lacey was not lame at all in walk on either rein or in trot on one rein and only 1/10 lame in trot on the other rein.

Now, when the vet came last week i did ask him if it could have been her saddle (which is not a great fit (not terrible just not great) and is being replaced this week hopefully) the vet said he has never heard of a saddle making a horse lame. Although my suspicion is she may have had a touch of LGL anyway but the saddle is now the main reason she is lame.

Can this at all be the case or am i going mad?

btw she isn't being ridden until new saddle comes now anyway and won't be ridden for the next week regardless.

[gordysgirl]

I think that if the saddle fits incorrectly causing pain through back then the horse may well compensate for that by trying to adjust there movement.
Is saddle blocking shoulder movement? If so then the restriction on the shoulder could well cause Lacey to be short in her movement?
It sounds like if she is sound when ridden bareback but not when saddled that the saddle would be a good place to start for sure.

[*Sez*]

In a roundabout way, yes. Back pain can actually manifest as a lameness through the pelvis or shoulder, which was one of the reasons that Sal was inexplicably lame so often while his back was hurting. If the saddle is causing pinching or pain, then that could be your explaination.

[shandy84]

Yes it can, Bags made hers lame when in a wintec which is why I changed. Do you have a new one for definate, if not I have about four you could try on her and see what fits???

[Torny]

Hey,

A poorly fitted saddle can cause much damage and can quite quickly cause manuverable problems fora horse. Over time greater damage can manifest and cause un-soundness.

It may also be the case that the site of discomfort/Injury is exactly where the saddle sits. So when excessive pressure is placed via points of the saddle, the 'lameness' becomes apparant. A bareback rider does not nesscarily cause the same type or amount of pressure points as a saddled rider.

Anyways, hope this helps and also hope you find a solution soon :D

Lx

[laceyfreckle]

Yes it can, Bags made hers lame when in a wintec which is why I changed. Do you have a new one for definate, if not I have about four you could try on her and see what fits???

thank you everyone, just wanted to make sure i hadn't decided it was the saddle if it couldn't possibly be.

shandy - i haven't a saddle for definite although have one in mind. Would be good to see if there is anything else that will fit though.

[shandy84]

Are you around at the weekend and i'll bring my lot on over, even if just so you can check it's the saddle not her perhaps, if not one night next week??

[laceyfreckle]

yes am about at the weekend but am going on holiday on wednesday:)