Asymmetric shoulders - wwyd

B

bellatrix

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 December 2010
Messages
174
Visit site
My mares right shoulder (as you look behind) is smaller than her right. It's been like this since we bought her. Chiropractor thinks the asymmetry stems from her 'misaligning' her pelvis....but since I was told this I've read that it's actually not possible for a horse to misalign their pelvis?

I've had 3 saddles fitters, a chiropractor and a physiotherapist to have a look at her. One saddle fitter didn't even take into account the asymmetry at all, one told me to use a Prolite pad with shims to fill the gaps in and the other said that all horses are slightly asymmetric and not to worry about it :confused:

Her saddle does slip to the right, and in turn I'm guessing this could damage her back muscles and has previously, according to the physiotherapist, made it a little sore. I'm currently thinking about getting a Korrector air pad and adjusting it to suit the shoulders? Any thoughts on that?

She's just had 3 months off to see if it made any difference and it hasn't. I've contemplated taking her to the vets for a work up and I've discussed this with a vet. I've heard that insurance companies will not pay out if the vets do not find anything so you're left with a bill of thousands if they don't find anything.

My friend has a Heather Moffett saddle that I can borrow to see if it makes any difference; I was thinking as it's a soft tree there would be more flexibility allowing her shoulder to build up.

So what would you do if you were in my situation?
Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, what did you do?

A picture of her shoulders. It's not the best but I can only get a picture fro m behind like this when she's eating.
38F06F55.jpg
[/IMG]



:)
 
What I did do was buy a Prolite adjustable shims pad. The saddler fitted the saddle to this pad to ensure it didn't slip (it slipped to the right). The chiro suggested walking over poles raised at one end so the weaker shoulder had to work more than the big shoulder.

Everyone I consulted said it was normal/not unusual.

I could have had the saddle adjusted but I preferred using the Prolite and it worked well. Now she just has low withers rather than low withers and squint shoulders :rolleyes:;)

I also had it suggested the rider is checked out too for squintness. I had only just bought her so if it was the rider it wasn't me ;)
 
Not sure where you are based but the Animal Health Trust are doing a mass survey of the effect of slipping saddles on horses. Why don't you look on their website and see if they are coming to a yard near you. This is free and involves them assessing your horse both being trotted up and under saddle (they are coming to my yard on the 13th January). Not an answer to your question I know, but your situation may help to get to the bottom of this in the end.
 
I'm in exactly the same position as you except my boy's right shoulder is bigger than his left. I've been looking into shims and the wow korrector - the wow site reckons the smaller shoulder is the stronger one though which I can't get my head around!
 
We had the same problem but with correct work and getting him to use that shoulder more it did improve. Sometimes though it can be a sign of another lameness in another limb ( opposite hind). AHT are researching into asymmetry and saddles slipping.
 
There's another thread on this today, do look it up - it IS normal for there to be a mild asymmetry in a horse, but it is not correct that a saddle slipping is normal and the fitting process should all be about correcting that slippage. In mild cases the perfect saddle will get rid of it, in moderate cases asymmetric girthing is often successful - shimming is the only method in my mind that is suitable for more severe cases, flocking asymmetrically should only be used when the asymmetry turns out to be permanent, which is rare.

I only work with the Mattes correction system for remedial fittings - I'm no great fan of air, or foams as shims, and using air means you are introducing an unknown - many horses and many riders don't get on with at all. Mattes pads are the best around, and the shims are felt which is stable and shock absorbing with no bounce.
 
My horse has this problem, I have always struggled slightly with the saddle slipping and sitting off centre because of it.
Until I can get a new saddle (it's not a big issue for us) my saddler advised me to adapt my girthing. On the side the saddle slips to I use 2nd & 4th straps, on the side with the big shoulder (left) we use 3rd & 4th.
It does seem to make quite a difference.

Horse can be quite fixed on left side & I really have to make him bend and flex both ways, hoping it isn't a sign of anything going on in rh hock now.
My horses tend to be a bit fixed to the right anyway, because I suppose I am right handed, and I do very little schooling, the inclination when hacking is to have horse flexed to the right.
 
I agree largely with sbloom. However, I am a fan of air ; but I only have my own experience to draw that from and sbloom is significantly more qualified for their opinion ;)

I have an assymterical mare; a WoW saddle has helped no end, as the air is adjusted on a regular basis and the shoulder can move underneath the panel better. I have found te system very good for an easy adjustment process- no new saddle, no pads with shims to move around on a regular basis etc.

However, I knew the horse is question appreciated air flocking already. I so agree about addin unknowns.
 
sbloom said:
There's another thread on this today, do look it up - it IS normal for there to be a mild asymmetry in a horse, but it is not correct that a saddle slipping is normal and the fitting process should all be about correcting that slippage. In mild cases the perfect saddle will get rid of it, in moderate cases asymmetric girthing is often successful - shimming is the only method in my mind that is suitable for more severe cases, flocking asymmetrically should only be used when the asymmetry turns out to be permanent, which is rare.

I only work with the Mattes correction system for remedial fittings - I'm no great fan of air, or foams as shims, and using air means you are introducing an unknown - many horses and many riders don't get on with at all. Mattes pads are the best around, and the shims are felt which is stable and shock absorbing with no bounce.
Click to expand...

If the bold bit was in reference to what I said, I meant I was told by the vet, chiro and saddle fitters that asymmetrical shoulders were normal/not unusual, not that it is normal for a saddle to slip.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top