Help needed, lovely pony turned into a monster

[helen2410]

Hi All,

Just looking for some advice please. We bought a lovely cob pony last September for our daughter, she'd had him on loan for a while and they're suited really well. Bought a nice new saddle in January this year, last week we had the saddle fitter out to check it and it needed widening and re-flocking, since then he won't stand to be tacked up, tries to kick me but not my daughter, the yard owner can get the old tack on but not the new saddle, he won't let my daughter on when he's in his new saddle. Rang the saddle fitter straight back and explained and after some to-ing and fro-ing she's agreed to come back today. Question is - what am I looking for today, I don't expect that this behaviour will stop as quickly as it started or am I wrong in that?

Any help would be much apprecited

Thanks

Helen

 

[JillA]

If you can get here (TF9) for tomorrow evening I have a top class saddle fitter giving a lecture on what to look for when checking the fit. Message me for details - as a quick summary there is a Youtube video (not by the same person but similar lines). Sadly not all fitters are as good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffsz53UwLF0

 

[Shay]

It definitely sounds like the new saddle doesn't fit and is hurting. If you trust the saddler to try again then see if they will adjust it. If not find another saddler who can do the work. The longer you persist in something that hurts the worse he will be.

It does take some time before they forget that the saddle hurt. Someone once said it takes 7 good experiences to overcome one bad one. I don't know how true that is - and it will also depend on pony's temperament - but its not a bad place to start. Good luck - I hope you get it sorted out.

 

[helen2410]

Hi,

thanks for the answers, the saddle fitter came back this afternoon and saw a little of what he's started doing, seemed a little better today, the explaination I've been given is that the saddle had been hurting fr a while and it's coincidence. Strange that a drawing was done today and she's suggested maybe trying other saddles on him now! We'll see how it goes I suppose

 

[Shay]

I'm afraid I don't entirely buy that explanation. Ponies do remember saddle pain and can be annoying for a while after the pain has gone. But they don't behave well in pain and then start to act up "by coincidence" when the pain goes. It might be worth seeking an opinion from your instructor and possibly from a Physio? New ponies do go through a "new pony horrors" phase although you've had him over 6 months and I would have expected to see some horrors sooner than that if that were the cause. But the grass is coming through and some ponies do the "spring horrors" thing too. There could well be more than one reason so it would be worth getting other opinions too.

 

[Sukistokes2]

If the pony is ok in all other respects and does not seem "wound up" by the spring grass and is only playing up when the new saddle comes out then it says to me that the pony does NOT like that saddle. The fitter can say it fits until she is blue in the face but the pony he says no!! I would be looking for a second opinion on the saddle and also be getting out a recommended, qualified back person/vet to check if there is a back problem. My pony has made a fuss about a number of new saddles all of which "fit" him much better then the saddle he was being ridden in. The difference being that saddle was short, horses/ponies will put up with some things but not others and my pony does not like his saddle long or even just right. Get him a slightly shorter model and his away. They are all individuals and a fitter should listen to the horse and rider as well as fitting by route.

 

[wkiwi]

I would consider using the old saddle in the meantime while sorting out new saddle/saddle fitter etc.
In regards to how long they take to get over it, this does depend on the horse's temperament a bit; as well as how long it has been in pain for. Some horses will remember saddle + pain, while others seem to just accept the pain has gone and are good as gold as soon as a different saddle is on.
A horse i know had a violent reaction to its own saddle after rapidly putting on weight while owner on holiday; it had been going very sweetly before this and protested strongly for two days in a row about the saddle (similar sounding to yours). Owner changed to a different saddle and it was back to normal within five minutes at walk, and within about 10 minutes at trot, and been good as gold about the saddle since. As Suzistokes said, they are all individuals and some will put up with anything, but others definitely let you know when something is wrong! If only they could say it in English...