How to make a saddle comfortable with a horse with poor toppling

[Rosiebelle]

I am having some saddle and back issues with my new horse. He came to me very poor and has now picked up lovely. He is 19 so battling the age game with his muscle tone along his back. Following a saddle fitting I purchased thorowgood T8 saddle. He has a lot of muscle wastage in front of his withers. The saddler has suggest to put in a wider gullet and I have purchased a prolite pad to support the front of the saddle. It just doesn't feel right on him. And now he is getting sore muscles on his left hand wither. It does make me feel very tipped forward.

I am at a loss on how to help him. Anyone got any tips on how to help him.



Thanks

 

[Auslander]

I am having some saddle and back issues with my new horse. He came to me very poor and has now picked up lovely. He is 19 so battling the age game with his muscle tone along his back. Following a saddle fitting I purchased thorowgood T8 saddle. He has a lot of muscle wastage in front of his withers. The saddler has suggest to put in a wider gullet and I have purchased a prolite pad to support the front of the saddle. It just doesn't feel right on him. And now he is getting sore muscles on his left hand wither. It does make me feel very tipped forward.

I am at a loss on how to help him. Anyone got any tips on how to help him.



Thanks

Tricky to comment without seeing horse, or saddle - but from what you say, I'd be inclined to think that the saddle is too wide, so its tipping forwards, and the points are digging in. You really need to get the saddle fitter back out asap

 

[Rosiebelle]

Thanks Auslander that is my feeling. I might change it back just to see how we go. Saddler being organised to come out again.
I know he will change shape a lot once we start working. Just getting him comfortable now is tricky.

 

[BethanT]

Sounds like a remedial saddle fitting method, which has worked wonders for my boy over the last two years. I know they aren't conventional methods, and some will disagree with that style of fitting - fitting wider then using pro-lites and shims. But if I look back at the templates that have been taken over those two years it is amazing to see how he has changed shape, with muscle rather than fat. Add to that his way of going has massively improved.

But be mindful that you will need a bit of room for the muscle to develop, as if you have that good fit for him now when he is stood cold, it won't allow the muscle to grown as it could restrict blood flow to the muscles during work, and end up causing muscle atrophy. Then the cycle continues really.

I would still get the saddler out as it definitely doesn't sound right. It may be a case of the flocking needs altering which should be able to be done on site. Or it may be the saddle all together. I really didn't get on with a Thorowgood that I had, I felt perched on it all the time.

 

[Shady]

Have you considered a treeless saddle ? when i got my horse he was a round barrel of lard who'd been stuffing his face for 2 years, not a rib in sight and no muscle anywhere really. Impossible to fit so i went treeless and it was the best decision i made for him and for me. He loved the freedom of movement and i had him checked regularly to make sure all was well, he built up slowly and went so well that iv'e stayed with a treeless, first a Trekker and now a Barefoot, might be worth borrowing one and see how you both go in it

 

[Rosiebelle]

I am looking into treeless saddles just worried his back isn't very strong at the moment so needs some support.

 

[ozpoz]

Don't look at cheap treeless saddles. They are not likely to help a horse with sore muscles and wastage. Find a good physio who can suggest excercises for him, and make sure your fitter is qualified. If you needed a wider fit, but then put in a pad, it would make the fit narrower. I have a Solution Smart and it helped my old boy who came with similar muscle wastage - it is now refitted to my new boy and he loves it too. Good luck, it can all feel like a minefield!

 

[Orangehorse]

My horse is 20 now and couple of years ago I noticed that he was losing his top line and I thought the saddle might be digging into his shoulders a bit. I got out the saddler who said that the saddle was still OK, but she put a prolite pad underneath, just to lift it up a bit. He has been fine since, and the physio says he has no back issues at all.

It meant that I had to buy a longer girth and it made him a bit more difficult to get on as he as "grown."

 

[Nudibranch]

Google Suberpad. They really are very good. Worked wonders on an older mare I bought.

 

[jhoward]

I would not be putting a saddle on and padding it out for my own want of riding I'd spend the time working the horse from the ground on Long lines .

For the record the one horse I ever really need to get going under saddle ( he was 18.2 a rescue and had very high withers,we used a racing saddle on, mostly because we knew he could be a tit, but no saddle was going on him at the time, and we needed him start doing long and low hill work.)

 

[pansymouse]

My saddle fitter sold me a thick (c.15mm), dense wool felt pad to use whilst I am building topline back up after mine lost a lot of weight and condition mid winter. She's now back up to weight and the topline is progressing nicely. She tells me the pad prevents any damage or pain in the back whilst the horse is building back up.

 

[cremedemonthe]

Old way is to have a wither pad, not a new thing been going on for years. I will send you an article on having a saddle fitted OP might give you some pointers, Oz (Saddler)

 

[sbloom]

Ground work such as Straightness Training would be a really good idea. Padding up a slightly too wide saddle can be a very good way to go but the fitter must see you ride to check the balance for the horse and for you, and check lateral stability. If you have issues on one side then the saddle is probably sitting off to one side.