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4redheadmares

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me and my homebred mare have recently got our bottoms in gear and started training "properly" ..she is 8 yrs old and always been fairly straight forward but i have never really asked much from her until lately. i regualry use physio and chiro and dentist etc etc and she has never had a days lameness in her life. i started of riding in a wintec adj isobella saddle and never really had any issues with it but after progressing i changed to a well known air filled saddle with i have had refitted 3 times in the last 6 months. in this time a few behavioral issues have arrised and each time i have had it refitted i also had the physio/chrio check her over and its always showing up sore behind the saddle and then often down the hamstrings. when she works well she is fab but it has become more and more regular now where she will reach a point where she wont really go forward and now to the extreme will go into canter but rock on the spot but will not go forwards...she is the type of mare that will tell you there is something wrong and this is now what shes doing. for arguements sake i tried 2 different saddles on her and the result was pretty impressive she was like a different horse so i am pretty sure the behaviour is from the previous saddle and will now have to get the back lady back out to try and make her feel better...however when i went for a lesson in the new saddle the behaviour reared its ugly head again. has anyone had any experiance of this?? i think i have not explained very well im just so pissed off with myself as always thought had done the best by her but now looks like im back at the drawing board :(:(:( also she is fed on a non sugar diet etc as if has ulcers and was always girthy until i changed saddle she has now stopped that.
 
Could there be another physical issue? I've got one going in for X-rays and a bone scan next week, as about 4 weeks ago she started very similar to what you describe above.
If nothing comes back, I will then check for ulcers I think.
 
Well maybe there's still a sore point on her back from the other saddle, a bruise maybe. The wider the gullet the better (up to a point obvs) and you might find you just need to go easy on tender areas until her back settles.

Glad you got rid of well known air filled saddle... I hear more bad than good with those.

I've been there with my youngster... three saddles later and whilst we did have a time when her memory kicked in and she anticipated pain in canter we also had tantrums. All but over now and she goes well in no.3
 
i am hoping and praying that is just bruised and i have thermal imadging coming on mon also. had a fantastic ride on sat but yesterday was a definite NO from the mare so frustrating ..i have definitely gone for a much wider gullet now but just dont think ive found something thats wide enough inront...im even considering going back to the good old wintec for now
 
Hope you get to bottom of it. I agree it is hard to find good wide headed saddles. Have you tried Lavinia Mitchell? It's kind of her speciality.
 
i will have a look into them, she isnt a difficult shape just i think she prefers a wider saddle and maybe can lift one up off the back for time being (with out sounding stupid)
 
Sometimes it's never about the physicality of fitting, its about the personal comfort of the mare, like yours mine is definitely very good at telling me what's what when it comes to what I use even down to not standing still when I bought a very expensive girth but not to her ladyships liking. Brought out the old cheap string girth instead and she stood like a rock. You sound like you have a great relationship with her so hopefully you will get a good match soon.
 
My poor saddler spent a good hour trying to work out what my mare didn't like. In the end we put shims under the back of the saddle which seemed to suit her.
 
If the new saddle wasn't a terrible fit, but wasn't the best either, she could have got initial relief from it being a different saddle and not pressing on whatever sore spots she's got from the 1st saddle. But then during the course of the lesson the new saddle could have started causing it's own problems for her, so the bad behaviour returns.
 
its like the case of the chicken and the egg i suppose, if i can wipe the slate clean with physio i can hopefully see what occurs from a new saddle or if it is an under lying problem
 
4redheadmares said:
its like the case of the chicken and the egg i suppose, if i can wipe the slate clean with physio i can hopefully see what occurs from a new saddle or if it is an under lying problem
Click to expand...

I'd be inclined to agree. Good luck let us know how you get on :)
 
so since my last post i have had the thermal imaging done it it has come back completely normal which is great but still does not answer any questions .. physio booked in today so will see what she finds.
 
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