Muscle wastage behind the withers- saddle issue

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EquestrianFairy

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I had a back lady out today and she told me what I had thoight for the past few weeks, my mare has muscle wastage in the pockets behind her withers (out of work for 3 years).
The saddle is causing tightness here, I have the saddler out tomorrow anyway but she feels the saddle is probably too wide because there is no muscle to help accomodate it where as when there is muscle there it would be a good fit.

The issue is how do I solve this in the meantime? I have the saddler out tomorrow but I don't imagine he could flock it enough to to help? Or can he?

Thanks
 
It is better to have a saddle too wide as your saddler can recommend a pad and then let the muscle develop. Bet yours recommends a half pad while your mare is muscling up...
 
The thing is that you don't want to fill the pockets too much with flocking as then there is nowhere for the muscle to build up and fill the space, some judicious padding/shimming will probably help in the meantime as well as correct in hand/lunge work.
 
Thanks both. She's currently ridden in a Bartl half pad anyway although it's looking a little old now so I doubt it has the same 'bulk' as it should do, then just a thin saddlecloth in addition.

I wonder if he will recommend that gel eaze pad I've seen?
 
My remedial saddler recommends Polypads for this - I have a double thickness one at the minute as my horse has been 'growing' into his saddle, she says they are the best type for letting the muscle move, and said to stick to natural fibres where possible.
 
Try also the LeMieux pro sorb, they do a plain one (no sheepskin) for about £50 with removable shims front and back. Its lovely quality too.
 
I usually fit a wider saddle than the width of their withers requires and flock up as much as I can retaining the softness in the panel, it doesn’t need to be too firm and even use a soft wither pad to gain the extra height up off the horse. This allows freedom of movement around the trapezius and helps the rhomboids develop unimpeded.
 
That's exactly what my saddler prefers to do as well.
He came yesterday and noticed that the saddle needed more flocking in front as it was tipping forward a tad, no doubt the reason for the tightness and in addition, it was the 6 week check up as well so the flocking would have settled since.

Hopefully this solves it, she hasn't complained but I get my saddles checked every 3 months along with their backs to make sure I nip any issues in the bud ASAP.
 
You can still use the wider saddle just buy a shim numnah and adjust the fit with the shims, you may need a few to lift the saddle at the front but make sure the saddle is level so you may even need to shim the middle and back to level it out to start with then as she fills out you can take them away, don't let a saddler fit a narrower one to fit the wastage as this will make it worse spoken from experience, Lavinia Mitchell fits saddles with this concept have a look on her website there is much information on muscle wastage.
 
It's ok, he never fitted a narrower one. He just added some flocking and double checked the back was still remaining flat etc.
I'm going to have him back again in a few weeks to double check it just incase.

The muscle wastage was because she's had around 3 years off work turned away.
 
A thick pad wont' do enough, polypads really aren't that thick, not for a remedial fit like this. I highly recommend Mattes sheepskin pads, you need to trim and sculpt the shims (I have videos on YouTube that will give basic guidance) but you ideally need a good fitter to work with. I'm not a great fan of the shim system in the Le Mieux pads, and do not like the gel risers, then are the wrong shape for most issues.
 
I would use a front riser pad. I used a wintec one for my TB who had been out of work for 2 years and had dropped over his withers. The front riser filled in the gap where there was no muscle, kept the saddle up off his withers until it built up. There was still padding at the back of the riser to stop it dropping and putting pressure at the back.
 
I used a Suber pad when I bought an older mare with muscle wastage behind the withers. I am pretty sure her previous saddle didn't fit at all. It worked well and she regained it despite being diagnosed with PPID! Some people don't like them as they can feel a bit bulky at first but if you don't have massive knee rolls and shims they work well.
 
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