Riser pad? Prolite? suggestions?

[Beatrice5]

I have been asked to help excersize a lovely mare who is an unfortunate shape.

Her owner is a young chap who is devoted to her but has limited funds. She is currently in a narrow synthetic saddle that I think sits far to low to her very high withers. But also has a very narrow gullet for a horse of her size and therefore not helping her muscle wastage on her back.Her back is severly lacking muscle and she is your typical aged ex racer skinny thing .

I would like your advice as to weather she would be better in my wintec which is wider with a prolite or riser pad so she can build up some muscle or if I should try and lift up her current narrow synthetic saddle?

If she were mine I would get a saddle fitter out and spend out on a decent saddle but I have 3 of my own to clothe and feed etc and can't stretch to do this for another horse but at the same time would like to help her.

 

[Birker2020]

I have been asked to help excersize a lovely mare who is an unfortunate shape.

She is currently in a narrow synthetic saddle that I think sits far to low to her very high withers. But also has a very narrow gullet for a horse of her size and therefore not helping her muscle wastage on her back.Her back is severly lacking muscle and she is your typical aged ex racer skinny thing .

I would like your advice as to weather she would be better in my wintec which is wider with a prolite or riser pad so she can build up some muscle or if I should try and lift up her current narrow synthetic saddle?

I had the same kind of scenario with my previous horse. He was in a wintec saddle and had high withers. His saddle fit was medium but in order to raise the pommel off the withers I had to put a narrow gullet in. So now he had the saddle off his withers but his shoulder/back muscles were compromised.

So I went back to the medium gullet but bought a front riser pad. All was well for a number of weeks until I noticed a gradual change in him, resentment to being ridden, worry about being mounted, biting whilst being tacked up, etc.

Had the chiro out and she said due to me using the riser pad all my weight had shifted and the back of the saddle was actually digging into him and that was why he was so sore.

Lesson learnt. So decided to buy a secondhand leather saddle for my current boy. BUt I hear what you say about your limited funds so that is out of the question.

So I would advise trying to lift up your current saddle.

My horse has put on piles of weight since having his suspensory injury so I have a piece of gamgee which sits between the back of his saddle and saddle cloth to try t make the saddle sit correctly until he losing the weight off his shoulders a little. I started with two pieces but now have one. If you look at this video on You Tube of him coming back from injury you will see how the pad works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U93TkaYep0