Western saddles and bad backs

[Peace]

Y'all may have read the discussion some of us were having about whether a Western saddle might be better for those of us with bad backs. I'm thrilled to report that yesterday I spent about a half hour walking around an arena in a Western saddle, atop a lovely gentleman of the quarter horse persuasion, and my back hasn't felt this good in months! In fact, I felt so spry afterwards I was even able to untack and hoist that piece of furniture onto the saddle rack!

Now, I can't say I've done any kind of comparison with English saddles, because yesterday was my first time on a horse since shortly after my car accident a year ago. I was riding English then, and gave it up when my back started to hurt. The mare I was riding, while an angel under saddle, was pretty mischievous on the ground, so I can't say for sure whether it was riding or all that leaping around to avoid hooves and teeth that was the problem :). I'm sure carrying around a backpack full of heavy books at school all year has made it worse.

Anyway, just to get a horse fix, I started this week
volunteering at a hippotherapy center. Yesterday, after we returned from leading the kids around the trails, my lower back was threatening to lock up on me. The therapist noticed, and told me to take B.J., who'd only carried a tiny little girl on the ride, into the arena and walk around. There he stood, in all his Western tack, and I climbed aboard. Y'all should've seen me trying to remember what to do with those knotted reins! Uh, let's see . . . left hand, thumbnail up, right hand goes - where? :D The therapist finally just laughed and told me to use them English-style. She watched us walk, turn, halt, etc., since she'd never seen me ride, and then she left us alone to putter around. Bliss! What a comfy saddle! Next we'll see about that sitting trot!

[Roheryn]

I've just read your post--I've been taking part in a discussion on one of the other threads about back pain and riding. I've just recently started riding western after riding English for some time, because of back issues in dismounting and other things, and now I'm enjoying western riding so much that I'm looking for a western saddle of my own and wanting to learn about reining.

[Skib]

In the States I found I could trail ride for two hours without problem and could have gone on longer. Even though my trial two hour ride in England left me longing to get off.
But I think it is more complicated than just the Western saddle. Three other factors. Riding with longer stirrups (I am told) takes weight off your seat and onto your feet, sparing you back pain. Now in the UK one is told to shorten up one's stirrups when hacking. In the USA riding Western they seem to stay long? So that is better.
The Western saddle puts more material between you and the horse. Personally I like to feel the movement of the horse and move with that. But if the movement of the horse hurts your back, the Western saddle could keep your back more stationary.
And then there is the Western versus English riding. Walking there is little to choose. But it is rising trot which eases my back on bad days and I need to do rising trot to loosen me up so I can dismount. Whereas too much sitting trot and sitting fast canter which would be the norm in Western takes its toll.

[Peace]

Roheryn - thanks for reviving such an old thread.:) It's fun to look back over the years once in awhile, isn't it. I'm glad you're enjoying western. Are you ok with lifting and carrying the saddle, though? The one I'm using with Quanah now weighs 33 pounds, and I find I can't lift it onto his back (he's only 14.3hh:o ) without help - or actually I can, but then my back's too sore to ride the next day.:(

Skib - I agree about the longer stirrups being easier on one's back. In fact, I don't use stirrups at all anymore in walk and trot on hacks - really, in England you're supposed to shorten them? Seems like that would make your seat less stable. Anyway, I still use them to canter I haven't been doing that long enough to work out how to canter without stirrups.:o

But I find the movement of the horse actually loosens up my lower back, and I move just as much in a western as in an english saddle. I post the trot all the time in my western saddle, but I don't think most western trail riders around here do. Which is probably why they all wind up with gaited horses as they get older.;)

[Roheryn]

Peace--I'm OK with lifting and carrying the western saddle I've been using; it's a Cordura saddle, synthetic with a lot of "fabric" or cloth-like material, on the jockeys and fenders and skirts. It weighs less than 20 lbs., to the best of my knowledge. I've looked at another one in a catalogue; it weighs about 15 lbs., but none of the tack shops here carry that brand. I've also been offered the use of an all-leather one, but it's a bit too heavy for me to lift onto the horse's back and settle it there (the horse is 15hh).

General question: Is it acceptable to discuss the pros and cons of different brands here?

Skib and Peace--I feel more secure with longer stirrups riding English and western--just so long as they're not too long! One of the reasons I've previously preferred English, and McClellan, saddles is that I can feel the horse better than with a western saddle. But with the lightweight synthetic saddle I can feel his back very well; and I've been learning to ride more with seat contact and communication than with leg-grip, which is what I learned before. The movement of the horse at walk helps my back in some ways, although I have to be really relaxed for the motion to not cause some twinges in my lower back (ruptured a disk there years ago).
I have seen some riders here on gaited horses sitting absolutely motionless in their saddles at the rack or running walk; it looks stiff and awkward to me. I wish I could try riding a gaited horse to see how the motion of the gait affects my back.

[Esther.D]

General question: Is it acceptable to discuss the pros and cons of different brands here?


Yep :) The main thing we avoid on here is discussing horse dealers as it can get personal and involve potentially libellous statements about their honesty, however comparing experiences of different brands of tack etc is fine, and helpful :)

[Blair Witch]

I agree with everyone. I have a back problem and when I ride English I get really sore. I think it's because the stirrups are too short and is putting strain on my thighs and lower back. When I ride Western I rarely get very sore, especially when I'm loping because it's such a smooth gait.

Personally I find Western is a better alternative for me.

[Roheryn]

Esther.D--Thanks! What I would like to know is, do any of you know anything about Abetta or Wintec western saddles? I am looking for a synthetic western saddle (mainly because they weigh so little and are so easy to clean); the stores here carry only Bighorn, which seem to me to be very good saddles, I'd just like to know about the others for comparison. I can order any of the three online but would like to "try" the first two brands vicariously through someone else's experiences.

[Pink's lady]

in England you're supposed to shorten them? Seems like that would make your seat less stable.

Well, not really. That really comes from riding dressage, compared to hacking. You would need to put your stirrups up a hole or two (from a full dressage length) so you can stand up in your stirrups for gates and ducking for tree etc. I find I need to - when riding flat-work/dressage I have my stirrups so long that my legs are basically in 'no-stirrup' position, but there's no way I could go into a forward seat with them. I usually put them up two holes for hacking (to what most would consider 'general' length). For jumping I'd put them up another 3 holes.

On actual topic - sorry I can't be of any help, but, having had a bad back for 6months after falling off, I can totally sympathise;)

[galadriel]

I strongly recommend against any Western saddle with a synthetic tree. The Western synthetic tree is poorly designed and has some real problems. You can get synthetic Western saddles that have real wodden trees, though, and they're quite light & easy to clean, etc.

With my bad back, I still much prefer to ride English ;) But hopefully in a little while, my back won't technically be "bad" any more, right? Right?

[cvb]

Roheryn

My first western saddle was a Circle Y - very comfy but too narrow when I got my mare. I think it has a ralide tree so may fall into G's bad books !

re: stirrup length - "it depends"... if its so unstable, why don't we do SJ and XC with long stirrups ;) (or ride race horses etc).

Most hacks in UK are more like a slow XC ride - when I've ridden in US (rarely) trail rides have been a lot more... "chilled"... ;)

So it really depends what you are looking for. With shorter stirrups, as long as you are in balance, the joints can act quickly to absorb and go with rapid movement. But it would be very tiring over a long period of time.

[Blair Witch]

I wouldn't recomment a synthetic saddle. I know a girl who bought one and a few weeks later for no good reason the tree broke. She sent it back to Wintec and got it fixed but now she wants to sell it but no one wants it because it broke previously. Can't say I blame them.....

[Roheryn]

I like the Pageant Bridles website.

Thanks for the info on the synthetic saddles.

[Peace]

I've been riding in an Abetta synthetic endurance saddle for a couple of years now. My saddle fitter, who dislikes both synthetics and endurance saddles;) , actually says it's an ok fit for my older horse and recommended I keep it. It is far too narrow for my younger horse - and I believe the synthetic trees tend to be narrower in width in general.

It's fairly comfortable to ride in - my main complaint is that, like so many western saddles, it puts my feet too far forward.

But having read so much about synthetic trees not being very good, I definitely wouldn't buy the same saddle now.

[mandagirl26]

I have a Wintec Cordura western saddle that's very durable, easy to clean... but being a newbie to riding again, my back and bottom get sore after an hour of riding. Could be that the saddle was brand new when I got it from a local auction and it's still being "broken in". I've been advised by a couple of western riding friends to get a seat saver to help with the discomfort. It weighs approximately 18-20 lbs. and is easy to lift on my 14.1 horse or my friend's 16.2 horse. It's also great for the trails because anything that grabs on it (weeds, brambles, burdocks) comes off easily.
Can you believe I got it at auction for $80? I just looked in a catalog and saw the same saddle advertised for $300!!!

[galadriel]

I have a Wintec Cordura western saddle that's very durable, easy to clean... but being a newbie to riding again, my back and bottom get sore after an hour of riding.

The tree used in the Wintecs and many of the synthetic saddles is poorly designed for both riders and horses. For riders, it tilts heavily from front to back; this sets you way back in the seat, putting lots of pressure on the lower back.

For horses, the tree has short, narrow bars without decent flare (digs into the horse's back), has less front-to-back curve than most so it tends to "bridge" and not touch across the middle, and has a moulded-in seat which dips really low and often bottoms out on the horse's spine.

[mandagirl26]

it does have a narrow tree and wider across the back. I use a built up western pad with shock padding, he doesn't mind the saddle at all... no stiffness or nappiness, moves real well.
but in the future i do want a better quality saddle someday...