Mare becoming difficult to put the saddle on

[freeformuk]

I echo what Iron Maiden and Spiggly have said. If a saddler is recommending a narrower saddle, it's certain that the horse has lost muscle and the saddle has been the probable cause and if you follow that route, you will be making matters much worse. In actual fact what it possible is that your horse may have needed to move to a wider saddle some time ago as the muscle loss suggests that the current saddle may not have been wide enough. Work encourages increased muscle, not decreased muscle and those hollows and dips seen around many withers are not a sign of fitness or loss of fat.

Ground work is very underated and it would be time well spent and money saved if you could build your horse back up before saddle shopping. Horses need good healthy back muscle to support a saddle and the weight and pressure we riders transmit through that. Any restriction will result in reduced blood flow which means reduced oxygen to muscles when they most need it which starts the downhill spiral resulting in atrophy. I do beleive that many dipped backs are the result of ill fitting saddles preventing the horse from using themselves as nature intended.

 

[kookoolaalaa]

From what i have heard on here, a 'medium' or 'narrow' saddle on a horse with 'high withers' just means the saddle fits the muscle wastage beside the withers and not the horse.

It seems that very few horses are truly medium or narrow. Do you have any pictures of her without her saddle?

Hope this works - i have tried to upload a picture!

 

[kookoolaalaa]

I echo what Iron Maiden and Spiggly have said. If a saddler is recommending a narrower saddle, it's certain that the horse has lost muscle and the saddle has been the probable cause and if you follow that route, you will be making matters much worse. In actual fact what it possible is that your horse may have needed to move to a wider saddle some time ago as the muscle loss suggests that the current saddle may not have been wide enough. Work encourages increased muscle, not decreased muscle and those hollows and dips seen around many withers are not a sign of fitness or loss of fat.

Ground work is very underated and it would be time well spent and money saved if you could build your horse back up before saddle shopping. Horses need good healthy back muscle to support a saddle and the weight and pressure we riders transmit through that. Any restriction will result in reduced blood flow which means reduced oxygen to muscles when they most need it which starts the downhill spiral resulting in atrophy. I do beleive that many dipped backs are the result of ill fitting saddles preventing the horse from using themselves as nature intended.

Could it also be that the horse has not lost muscle, been in a wider saddle and should be in a more narrow one?

 

[kookoolaalaa]

There's also stuff you can do to help her dipped back & encourage her to lift it, riding her in a saddle that doesn't fit might have made the problem worse. It sounds as though howshe is now might not be how she should be, if that makes sense Perhaps it might be an idea to do some exercises to get her back the way it should be before you spend a lot of money on a saddle that might not suit her long term.

ETA - has she seen a chiro? There is a good one based at Wetherby who comes to S Yorks

what exercises do you recommend? The saddler had a quick check of her back , although not an expert and said she was ok! If you could send me the Chiros number that would be good! x x x

 

[JOJOBA]

Im originally from South Yorks and my 'professional' saddle fitter fitted this monstrosity to my horse:

It was only when I learnt more (I was a young teenager when this happened) that I saw how truly appalling the fit was. I even got the saddler back telling her the flocking had gone and that I didnt think it fitted anyway and was told 'just put a pad under it, that's the same as flocking anyway and is cheaper', despite the fact I told her I would pay whatever was needed!
To be honest I think finding a good saddler is a VERY hit and miss thing - so I learned to fit saddles myself and also went treeless!

I hope your saddle fitter isnt my old saddle fitter!!!



Re; your problem. First thought - saddle fit, second - unhappiness being ridden (sore teeth?), third - internal discomfort (ie, gastric ulcers).

xxx

 

[Iron Maiden]

I would recommend this chiro

http://www.back-in-balance.co.uk/back_specialist.htm

She spotted a pelvic problem in an old horse of mine that the vet & 'back man' had got completely wrong. As for back lifts - there are various moves you can do to get the horse to lift their back, although I tried one on P once & nearly got flattened, I must have dug in a bit too much Longlining is great to get the horse to lift its back & develop muscle without the inconvenience of a rider

 

[Spiggly]

Could it also be that the horse has not lost muscle, been in a wider saddle and should be in a more narrow one?

It is possible, but as i said before, i believe that an increadibly small minority of horses can be ridden in narrow or medium saddles. From the look of your Horse, she is quite chunky and muscular up front, and certainly isnt the 'finer' type of horse i could see in a narrow saddle.

Besides, if there are dips beside the wither, this is muscle atrophy. It is far more likely to occur in a too narrow saddle, rather than her having a too-wide saddle and magically now becoming narrower.

I would seriusly consider a second opinion, because if you get it wrong and ride in a too-narrow saddle you could ruin her back to the point where it would take years to put right.