Crooked horse and saddle problems

Wagtail

Wagtail

Horse servant
Joined
2 December 2010
Messages
14,815
Location
Lincs
Visit site
Does anyone have any ideas how to rectify this problem? I have to sit to the right on my horse with my left stirrup a hole shorter due to my horse's lobsidedness. I thought it was the saddle and so got the saddler out, but he said it was a perfect fit! Hesaid he could put more stuffing in the left panel but that this often caused more trouble due to pressure points. It is not me as my client who has lessons on him has to ride lobsided too. I have had the chiro out to him and she said he was in really good shape skeletally, and that it was a muscular problem. She suggested padding him out on that side but it made no difference and if anything, was slightly worse.

There is no obvious lobsidedness at all.

The horse is not good on the lunge or in training aids such as the pessoa as he is quirky and panics on the lunge (though completely chilled under saddle) so any muscle building work I do will have to be ridden.

A bit of back ground: He's an ex-racer who was kicked in the field on his hock which was operated on. He is 100% sound now and doing 3 - 4 hours schooling a week without problems. His injured hock was the left hind, and the saddle tilts slightly to the left. It is a wintec 2000, but the problem is the same in a wintec 500. He's a really chunky boy and is ridden in a wide gullet, all checked by the saddler. I do not have this problem on any other horse.

Any ideas how I can muscle him up more on the left side (I presume that is where he needs it most as this is the side the saddle tilts towards) would be most welcome. :confused:
 
Hi,

I had this problem. I bought a LeMieux pro-sorb sheepskin half pad, which has inserts so you can compensate for lateral imbalance, you shouldn't get pressure points as the sheepsking is so thick and the inserts are memory foam. Then just did lots of hacking in straight lines. I found doing things to try and fous on building up one side didn't really work, what he needed was lots of slow straight work in a correct outline.

Also fed a topline feed to help him put muscle on in the right places faster.

But I'm afraid you won't like this, the real turning point was when he had to have 4 months off work and was turned away, he lost most of his muscle mass, but still had the chiro to keep him straight, then when I brought him back into work I was starting from nothing.

Good luck x
 
Problems sound slightly different with my mare but she'd built up a massive right shoulder and when I bought her the saddle she came with (M fit - she's now in an XXW that actually fits) used to slip to the left all the time as her shoulder was bumping into the saddle. She's had 2 physio treatments (no more expensive than the chiro) and I can't believe the difference in her - she can bend going round corners, can actually balance herself in trot and is starting to be able to work in an outline. I'd had a chiro who said there was nothing wrong but the physio found loads of muscle stiffness and soreness and you can see the difference in her now. Might be worth a try (you need a vet referral to see a physio but I just rang mine and they just signed and faxed a form back to the physio)
 
Have a look at him from directly behind (stand on a block to be able to see over his bum) are his shoulders symmetrical? Most horses are not as like us they are left and right handed, you will probably find that the top of one shoulder is bigger making a bigger 'dip' behind the shoulder, this will mean that the saddle might lean/tip. Have you had a look at the WOW saddles, they can be altered to allow for this then altered once you get the horse to balance in his muscle. PM me if you need any more info! :-)
 
Thanks everyone. D's Mum - I have only just started doing proper work with him as he had 6 month's off after his operation. I will try doing more straight lines with him though and see what effect it has. He tends to tilt his head to the left a bit and is reluctant to bend right. I guess this is all partof his problem.

Hoppa, I will have look at the pad you mention. Thanks.

Beans, his back looks symetrical, but I will check with a bendy ruler. However, I have noticed that his right shoulder is more muscled than his left, maybe asa result of compensating for his bad hock whilst he was recovering. I'm afraid the wow saddles are beyond my budget right now. I may stand a chance if I could bear to part with my beloved Pessoa saddle which unfortunately does not fit my new boy.
 
Could it be that as a result of his injury he pulls himself foreward with his right shoulder & doesn't generate the push with his left hind? This would explain the increased muscle development. If the hind isn't coming as far through (may only be a small difference) & not pushing properly, it will produce a slight twist through his body.

Wonder this as my girl massively did a hind tendon. After several years off I have brought her back into light work, which she has been fine in for several years now. It has taken a long time to get even push from behind, & I had a simillar sounding problem to yours. I could only really detect the twist when walking (so you can really ask for propoulsion without them rusing to avoid the issue) up steep hills.

May be worth really trying to work on building up his strength that size, ask you physio/osteo/chiro for some gentle streching execises to encourage gait length. It may be only once he is strong again the twist 'undoes' & his suppleness will improve.

I am no vet (or associated profession), but work in engineering so see things in a mechanical/forces kind of way!
 
I may be wrong and barking up the wrong tree here but could it maybe be linked to his past hocks probs-if they have one hock that is weaker than the other i think that could make the saddle be pushed to the horses weaker side, if one leg is slightly stronger then the other.

If it were my horse, I'd get the hocks checked out and make sure that he really is pushing evenly from behind and crookedness and straightness issues can stem from hock probs as the hind end is their engine and if they are not pushing evenly or not forwards they will not be straight themselves so can have a knock on effect with the saddle fit- i'd then get a good saddle fitter to get the saddle evenly balanced, and then maybe physio to check his muscles.

I know exactly what you mean though as my horse has mild spavin for which he has his hocks medicated and it can mean that every now and again he pushes his saddle towards his weaker side- in fact his saddle is being rechecked this week for the very same problem as you are having.

Good luck.
 
pip6 said:
Could it be that as a result of his injury he pulls himself foreward with his right shoulder & doesn't generate the push with his left hind? This would explain the increased muscle development. If the hind isn't coming as far through (may only be a small difference) & not pushing properly, it will produce a slight twist through his body.

Wonder this as my girl massively did a hind tendon. After several years off I have brought her back into light work, which she has been fine in for several years now. It has taken a long time to get even push from behind, & I had a simillar sounding problem to yours. I could only really detect the twist when walking (so you can really ask for propoulsion without them rusing to avoid the issue) up steep hills.

May be worth really trying to work on building up his strength that size, ask you physio/osteo/chiro for some gentle streching execises to encourage gait length. It may be only once he is strong again the twist 'undoes' & his suppleness will improve.

I am no vet (or associated profession), but work in engineering so see things in a mechanical/forces kind of way!
Click to expand...

That makes a lot of sense to me, thank you.
 
K27 said:
I may be wrong and barking up the wrong tree here but could it maybe be linked to his past hocks probs-if they have one hock that is weaker than the other i think that could make the saddle be pushed to the horses weaker side, if one leg is slightly stronger then the other.

If it were my horse, I'd get the hocks checked out and make sure that he really is pushing evenly from behind and crookedness and straightness issues can stem from hock probs as the hind end is their engine and if they are not pushing evenly or not forwards they will not be straight themselves so can have a knock on effect with the saddle fit- i'd then get a good saddle fitter to get the saddle evenly balanced, and then maybe physio to check his muscles.

I know exactly what you mean though as my horse has mild spavin for which he has his hocks medicated and it can mean that every now and again he pushes his saddle towards his weaker side- in fact his saddle is being rechecked this week for the very same problem as you are having.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I think you are right. He has spavin in both hocks, bu the one he was kicked in (and fractured) is his left hock. That is the way the saddle sits towards. I have had him don to Rossdales and a full check after his op and recouperation. He was found to be sound. however, I will take a close look myself at how he is pushing. It looks even fom te side but I think I need to hav a look at him on the straight. Thanks.
 
My horse is crooked, but I know it is due to me as I have scoliosis (a curve in my spine) and I naturally lean to the right. I have a WOW saddle for him that is adjusted to make me sit straight and therefore he doesn't feel my imbalance to the same extent. It'll never be perfect as my problem is a permanent one, but has certainly made a massive improvement over a regular flocked saddle. The WOW saddles don't seem to hold their value very well as they are a marmite saddle - may be worth getting a fitter out to try, see if you like them, if it makes a difference to the horse and to see what parts you'd need, then asking about ex demo or keeping an eye out for second hand parts to make the cost lower.
 
Thanks. Yes, if only we didn't need a new car, and I think hubby may object if I spent his bonus on a saddle :( If money were no object I would probably try the Wow saddles.
 
You're not going to like my opinion, but I don't think something like that can be resolved with ridden work. Will your horse not settle down to long reining? Walking out in hand? what about free schooling if nothing else?

I would get a veterinary recommended physio out, who can do all sorts of treatments with ultrasound, infrared, laser etc.

Oh, and before you get back on him get yourself checked out by a human physio (bonus if its the same one as the horse is seeing), as with the best will in the world if he is the horse you mainly ride, then the muscular imbalance in him is likely to have resulted in an imbalance in you to compensate, and its no good getting back on him and you then unwittingly causing a problem to him again.
 
Last edited:
Naturally said:
You're not going to like my opinion, but I don't think something like that can be resolved with ridden work. Will your horse not settle down to long reining? Walking out in hand? what about free schooling if nothing else?

I would get a veterinary recommended physio out, who can do all sorts of treatments with ultrasound, infrared, laser etc.

Oh, and before you get back on him get yourself checked out by a human physio (bonus if its the same one as the horse is seeing), as with the best will in the world if he is the horse you mainly ride, then the muscular imbalance in him is likely to have resulted in an imbalance in you to compensate, and its no good getting back on him and you then unwittingly causing a problem to him again.
Click to expand...

Thanks, naturally. I'm afraid he has issues with ground work. I have no idea why, and I've never come across it before.He will seem to be going along nicely and relaxed, and then suddenly explode. He can do this sometimes even if you are just leading him, but never (so far) under saddle. It's a pity, as I'm a real fan of using the pessoa and of longreining.

I take your point about me. My back is already aching down my left side!
 
Wagtail said:
Thanks, naturally. I'm afraid he has issues with ground work. I have no idea why, and I've never come across it before.He will seem to be going along nicely and relaxed, and then suddenly explode. He can do this sometimes even if you are just leading him, but never (so far) under saddle. It's a pity, as I'm a real fan of using the pessoa and of longreining.

I take your point about me. My back is already aching down my left side!
Click to expand...


Aah take care of yourself! Loose schooling then? Would he jump out?
 
One of my CB mares came back from stud in France empty. When I put her back into work I had the same problem. I was thrown to one side all the time and like you was forced to ride with odd stirrups.

I sent the saddle back to the UK and was told saddle OK look at your horse.

By this time she had started to develop muscle wastage in one shoulder.

Osteopath's opinion was that she had had an accident, thrown in a fast braking horse box or skidding to a halt in a field. She recommended stretching exercises for her front legs, you know pick up the foot and pull out the shoulder and bending using carrots at each flank to maker her stretch her neck in both directions.
 
Rollin said:
One of my CB mares came back from stud in France empty. When I put her back into work I had the same problem. I was thrown to one side all the time and like you was forced to ride with odd stirrups.

I sent the saddle back to the UK and was told saddle OK look at your horse.

By this time she had started to develop muscle wastage in one shoulder.

Osteopath's opinion was that she had had an accident, thrown in a fast braking horse box or skidding to a halt in a field. She recommended stretching exercises for her front legs, you know pick up the foot and pull out the shoulder and bending using carrots at each flank to maker her stretch her neck in both directions.
Click to expand...

Thank you. That's certainly worth a try. In the meantime I am getting him fitted with a dressage saddle as I think one shoulder is more developed than the other so straighter flaps might help. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top