Advice please! Back / tack / freezemark issue.

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Please bare with me... this could be long. I am in quite a pickle with my darling boy and I don't know where to start.

Basically he's only 4. We were out hacking 4 weeks ago and he bucked me off which prompted me to get his back looked at and saddle check made. I also bought a new, elasticated both sides girth as his old girth was only elasticated one side and was causing / not stopping saddle slipping and twisting on his back.

Anyway. Back check showed considerable tightness in his back end and I was told a repeat visit would be needed. Done that! Tightness also found over his withers. 5 days after first visit he was freezemarked so left it 2 weeks until his second visit. 2 days after 2nd visit I rode him for 15 minutes in (yet to be checked) saddle with new girth to see if situation with slipping was any better. It was but I decided not to ride again until saddle fit had been checked.

Saddle fitter came out on friday, took template of his back and gave advice on what gullet to fit to his saddle based on this, before looking to see what was in saddle already( he didn't fit saddle originally). We were both shocked and horrified to discover that the gullet was 2 sizes narrower than the smallest he would recomend - that would explain the wither pain then! and no, he absolutely DEFINATELY hasn't changed shape since the saddle was fitted. I have compared templates.

But what is really concerning me now is that when the saddler tried to girth him up he did a big 'dog stretch' (legs out front and stretching through his back) saddle fitter, very observantly says - 'hmmm... thats not a very good response!' No S**T shirlock!! but proceeded to ask me to get on and try saddle with new gullet. I did and My boy was a lot more sluggish than usual but I couldve put this down to a number of things so didn't worry too much. Saddle was taken away to be re-flocked and returned to me yesterday. So I decided to try it on him last night and I had a real nightmare trying to get it girthed up but with perseverance I did and he walked the best he's ever walked round the yard with it on. This morning I tried again and had much less of a struggle to get it girthed up and just did a little lunging with it on.

Now I am obviously very worried. He's only 4 and I really don't want problems going forward.

I'm thinking it could be:
1) His back - still in pain? or
2) the girth - it's an airborn atherstone - maybe it doesn't feel as nice as his padded leather one from before? or
3) His freeze Mark - can they still cause discomfort 3 weeks on? or
4) his saddle - which has been re-fitted to him.

Advice?

I'm going to call back lady to come out for repeat visit.
Look at a different girth - where do I start?!!
Freezemark? any advice?
Saddle? - ARRRRGH!

Apologies if I don't make sense. Please ask away but be mindful that I have acted in accordance with the advice of the proffessionals I have employed (back lady said to get on and ride) Freezemark people advise one week off work... etc. Plus I have applied common sense.
 
Is your back person properly qualified, I have never had my horses backs done without a full check including the saddle and in your case my physio would not have let the saddle on a horse if it did not fit. So possibly consider another back person as yours seems to have only done a partial job by missing the probable cause.
 
Fair point. But yes she is a qualified Chiropractic - one of only 30 in the UK with her level of qualification and while I understand your point she (as I was) was under the impression that the saddle was indeed correctly fitted to my horse and just in need of it's post fit re-flock. Unbeknownst to me at the time I had a crap saddle fitter originally and I am utterly dissapointed that she fitted a saddle so poorly yet convincingly that it was ok and would 'settle'. She is not a saddle fitter and doesn't proffess to be but has given me lots of helpfull advice for helping my horse's back problems.
 
So now the saddle fits, the original girth should be ok as the saddle should no longer slip, be careful you do not over tighten. I would treat it now as remembered pain/ discomfort and go back a step just lunge or do exercises that encourage relaxation for a few days.
Get him stretching his topline when tacked up and before/after work do the carrot stretches with him, he probably just needs to get his confidence as he has been carrying a badly fitting saddle for some time and now, even though it is correct, things will feel rather odd to him.
It is probably not worth trying to do anything about the original fitter, they will just say the horse has changed shape.
 
be positive said:
So now the saddle fits, the original girth should be ok as the saddle should no longer slip, be careful you do not over tighten. I would treat it now as remembered pain/ discomfort and go back a step just lunge or do exercises that encourage relaxation for a few days.
Get him stretching his topline when tacked up and before/after work do the carrot stretches with him, he probably just needs to get his confidence as he has been carrying a badly fitting saddle for some time and now, even though it is correct, things will feel rather odd to him.
It is probably not worth trying to do anything about the original fitter, they will just say the horse has changed shape.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

I don't want to use original girth though as it is only elasticated one side rather than two so I believe the pressure is uneven and causing saddle to be lopsided - as proven with my test ride in new girth before saddle check. But nevertheless I'm not sure new girth is 100% comfortable for him so I guess I was asking if anyone can recomend a girth that is elasticated both ends that might be better.

It could be remembered pain so I do plan on taking it easy for a couple of days and see how we go...
 
For the elasticated girths I was looking at a couple of shires ones in my tack shop yesterday. The anti-chafe overlay girth was the one I was looking at and it seems nicely padded and soft on the inside but its a synthetic leather wipe clean jobby, although there's another one thats elasticated both ends and has a removable neoprene backing so would be nice and soft.

http://http://www.barnstormers.co.uk/acatalog/Girths_and_Accessories.html

They're all here if you wanted to have a look.. :)
 
I don't think you need to worry too much about his back and saddle now that they are being sorted out. It sounds as though he was expecting discomfort last night, but the fact that he was better this morning ather than worse means thsat he is realising that the saddle might not be such uncomfortable after all.

The problem is that you can't tell your horse "Right, we've got a new saddle and the back lady has sorted your soreness, so it's all going to be fine!" He has to discover this for himself.

I had a "githy" mare who had everything checked out but just didn't like her girth. After spending loads on different girths I eventually discovered the Flexi-girth, and she loves it! well, she doesn't try and bite my arm off anymore!

They have a website if you google the name.
 
My mare is freeze marked in her shoulder. It took 6 months to look fully healed, if I can call it that ad 8ish years later it still goes scabby
 
To avoid problems with freezemarking always have it done on the horses shoulder. It also ensures that the frezemark can be seen while the horse is being ridden.

If problems persist then get a specialist equine vet to take a look at your horse and see if there is a problem.
 
In my experience freezemarks can take a long time to be fully healed. I always have mine done on the flank area now as it's the area I've seen the least reaction and quickest healing with good results on the mark
 
Try a sheepskin girth cover. It makes a huge difference to my girl. She also prefers girths with a wider middle section that is cut out around the elbows, so I generally use anti-pressure/belly girths or stud girths (all covered in sheepskin).
 
Thanks for all the help and sugestions. I'm not sure how helpfull being told to have my horse freezemarked on the shoulder is. It's a bit late for that! ut it is usefull to know that it could be the cause of his sensitivity.

I was thinking of getting a sheepskin girth cover as this new girth is thinner than the last and must feel different. But I will also consider an alternative girth. Keep the girth sugestions coming.

Thanks again
 
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