saddle crisis - please help

C

crazyhorse37

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 May 2013
Messages
74
Location
South Devon
Visit site
Any help, advice, suggestions would be gratefully appreciated. I have an older mare with arthritis. For the last 3 years we have been plodding about in walk bareback. I have 3 saddles, none of which fit. We have seen a number of saddlers, all of whom agree that a 'conventional' saddle will not fit her.

I have tried a couple of treeless saddles, but whilst they were great, they slip back as the rigid pommel at the front wants to sit where I would be and they just keep on slipping back.

I am currently considering a wow saddle (any positive or negative comments on the fitters in the SW would be welcome). I have considered a free'n'easy or reactor panel saddle, but am concerned that the points to attach the seat onto the panels will create pressure areas. I have also heard about balance saddles but really don't know much about them, again any info and thoughts would be welcome.

Here are a list of the problems that we have to see if anyone knows of anything that would be able to overcome them:
- dipped back (though not extreme)
- muscle wastage (from her way of going due to her arthritis and age)
- high withers (due to dipped back and muscle wastage)
- asymmetrical shoulders (her anatomy rather than muscle wastage)
- big movement in her scapulae and shoulders
- due to the arthritis in her back legs she has altered her walk pattern, meaning that instead of flexing through her stifles, she swings through her back. This means that she gets lateral movement through her spine
- I have become rather accustomed to riding bareback as I feel close to the movement and can feel the back muscles so well that I can tell when she is having problems with her arthritis and so I can change her meds/work load quickly in order avert problems quickly. However I understand that this won't be quite the same, I would like as much closeness of feel as possible.

Any suggestions of saddles etc. would be gratefully received.
 
If treeless is better for her, then would a breastplate not be sufficient to prevent it slipping back? I'd also try using a non slip pad if you can get one to fit the shape of the treeless.

There was a video on yout tube ages ago that showed how to shim a saddle for a horse with a severely dipped back, it was western, but I'd imagine the principles would be the same, If I come across it I'll post it.

Here it is, although I can't imgaine that there would be much feel through so much padding. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr-Qkh9PKYo
 
Last edited:
I recently took on an older mare with almost exactly the same issues as yours looking at that list! I would agree about trying a breast girth. I nearly went down that route but then found that a Libra (yes, cheap n cheerful but well made) plus a Haf pad solved the lot in one go. It's shimmed at the front due to her muscle wastage. It doesn't have a rigid pommel so you have a lot of flexibility. Really comfortable and good feel, I was riding bareback for a while and this is the next best thing. Not the prettiest but looks ok once you're on board and sounds like you're looking for the best for her, not for the show ring!

But you definitely need a really good pad with it for spine clearance, I didn't like the look of their own. Oh and safety stirrups but that's fairly common for treeless.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Touchstone, have tried shims etc. Had a couple of treeless fitters out and they gave up as well! Unfortunately non-slips don't work either as the slip is due to shape and movement, so it pushes the saddle back. You just end up with a load of pulled out hair on the pad! She is such a tricky one.

Thanks Nudibranch, so good to find others with the same position. I'm sure there must be others out there, her problems are certainly not unique. May look at the Libra's. Had a barefoot and tried a treefree as well.

Will look at allsaddlesolutions and balance saddles, what are the latter like, I have heard of them before, but the website is a bit of a mind field.

Thank you all for your help. Any further thoughts/ suggestions gratefully received.
 
Last edited:
Have you looked at Strada Saddles at all?

You can ring Ilga and have a chat with her, her saddles are based on tree "shapes" and then you have gel pad "flocking" that warms and moulds round your horse

My tricky TB loves hers!
 
I have a balance saddle for my mare, it's the zenith model. The mare damaged her stifle at the age of 17 and I was told to retire her. I spoke to my insurance and they paid for a course of physio and it was the physiotherapist that recommended that I tried one of these saddles. It not only allows her to move freely but is also easy to fit to her very high wither[typical Weilkopolski shape]. I use the saddle with the wool saddle cloth, gel pad and a remedial 1/4 inch T bar pad to give her loads of room over her wither. With gentle exercise the mare was back in light work 9 months later and now at the age of 24 is exercised 5 days a week for about a hour and is very happy. Just shows what a bit of patience and tlc can do.
 
Many thanks for suggestions, will look into strada and balance saddles :)
Typically she's currently out of work again :( she's gone lame in 3 or 4 legs with the hard ground. My poor old girlie.
 
Try using a Wow 'H girth' with any saddles that slip back/forward .I recommend the soft version as it is much more comfortable for the horse. The benefit of them is that they do not need to be done up tightly at all and are very comfy for the horse as they distribute the pressure more evenly.
 
Not sure if you've tried a Kent and masters high wither saddle? My horse has high withers and a bit of a dipped back. He had some muscle wastage in front due to his old saddle not really fitting. I actually went for the k&m cob saddle as the square cantle design means the front bars are set a bit further back than in the gp. It fits him well - I have padded it out to allow him to fill out in front which I am sure he has and I've reduced the padding. I swear his jumping is better - he doesn't stop now, and I just feel he moves better through his shoulders. He's 22 now - I do wish I made the saddle change earlier though as only got it about 2 years ago!
 
I have seen the H-girth and have had lots of heavy sale pitch from wow and free'n'easy saddles about how she needs one as her saddle will slip forward given her shape!!! My concern is that the skin between the H straps will get pinched? as well as the fact that her saddle slips back, not forward? What has your experience been?

Total contact saddle sounds interesting, do you have any experience of it. The site won't even let me look at the pictures of it :(

Not looked at the kent and masters either, thanks :)
 
I've had a reactor panel for a month now and 'touch wood' no issues with a very sensitive flower :) (had to give up with normal treed as he was changing shape so quickly)

my physio's 25 year old has had one since 6 years old which was what made me approach them.

He would certainly let me know about it if the discs were causing pressure points :) - the tree of the saddle meets the panels under where you sit so the weight is not just all on the discs.

The people that fit them have been really helpful, i brought second hand from them,they were happy to take it back at any stage (just backed horse) with a hire charge deduction. it was expensive though (if you do go down this route and get one off ebay make sure you ask for the ID number and check with the company as some counterfeit/stolen ones around)
 
crazyhorse37 said:
Total contact saddle sounds interesting, do you have any experience of it. The site won't even let me look at the pictures of it :(
Click to expand...

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=596925&highlight=total+contact+saddle

ETA
total-contact-saddle---izzy.jpg
 
Last edited:
It might be helpful if you could put up photos of your horse, her back from different angles, where your saddles are sitting and ideally a video of her moving. There are loads of us who like thinking about saddle conundrums. :)
 
Ppp uses total contact. Doesn't own another saddle, uses it for hacking jumping schooling xc etc. I use a treeless but a cheap one. I know everyone says not to touch them but I got mine on ebay seller equine wholesaler or similar I can never quite remember anyway if you search 'treeless jumping saddle' his are the foreign ones about 155 quid. They're actually a fairly straight but gp or vsd. My saddler and physio are happy with weight bearing. B1 came back from slipped disc in it and jumps meter plus in it. I've used it on camel shaped tb, heavy cob, sports pony, 16hh ish and the old dear who's 33 and a very odd shape. All went lovely in it. Would recommend him, though after seeing some foreign ones I would be careful with any others, I think I got lucky.
 
Flame_ said:
It might be helpful if you could put up photos of your horse, her back from different angles, where your saddles are sitting and ideally a video of her moving. There are loads of us who like thinking about saddle conundrums. :)
Click to expand...

Anyone know how to post photos from windows 8? Was trying to copy and paste, but can't copy anymore, at least not the old fashioned way! Argh!

So glad people are keen to have a look at my little lady's back :)
 
Sounds exactly like my boy, but he has arthritis in his spine not his hocks. When I was riding him occasionally between vet visits I had him in a solution saddle. It was either that or his old little kent and masters saddle which we would pad out with a griffen half pad and it would sit sweetly between his high wither but in front of where his back dips.

The solution saddle is great when padded accordingly but you do need a good fitter to see to it regularly as they can do more harm than good.

ETA: I've also been told I'd never fit a conventional saddle to him without some form of padding will try and post a photo in a bit.
 
If you upload your photos to an album in your Horse and Hound profile, we could look at them there.

Or, if you have photobucket (or similar) you can post the IMG code from there into the H&H reply box and the photo will show once you've posted the reply.
 
I had almost identical problem with my mare, tried all sorts, ended up with a Cashel saddle, it will conform to the horses shape but gives some cushioning.
Not very pretty but keeps the feel of bareback but with more comfort for you both. Good price too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top