Saddle/Horse Issue

[ThreeWBs]

Hi all - I'm a bit stuck..

Background: Fine, 16.2 (late bloomer) 2014 WB, broken last year, had Nov - mid-Feb off. He's 1 month back in work; mainly hacking, in-hand raised pole work, ridden once a week in arena (15-20mins only) ridden in W, T & C. He's becoming stronger and more balanced. Wow saddle professionally fitted. He is very short coupled. Ridden in 17'' panels (he would be better with 16/16.5'') with an 18'' seat. He still has a lot of growing, muscling and filling out to do.

Issue: Horse has weak stifles, especially his right hind. He compensates through the left back, but drops his right pelvis too. We're doing lots of hacking to improve this, but virtually every time we ride, the saddle slips to the right. The slip is not horrific, but enough to tip you off centre. Would it be a good idea to try some other saddle brands, or will this be the same slippage situation as the Wow?

Is there anything I can do to improve his hind strength. I fear if I continue riding, he'll be very one sided and uneven!

Would chiro or physio be best for this situation?

 

[Leo Walker]

I think all saddles will be an issue if hes moving wonkily. I'd go for an osteo first to make sure he is straight then a physio who can treat and give you a rehab plan.

 

[SpringArising]

Are you sure it's not you? Probably my worst riding habit is inadvertently slouching to one side when I feel I need to compensate for my horse, which makes him for uneven, which makes me compensate more! I never have the problem going bareback!

I would also say there will be times when the saddle will slip to one side or the other - it's all part of them changing weight/shape etc. It's difficult to get it right all the time!

 

[be positive]

I have just had similar and part of the resolution was to get the girthing arrangement correct, saddle slipping to the right was helped by having a girth with no elastic that was on the back straps on the left and front two on the right, the asymmetric set up was recommended by the saddler and made a real difference, once the horse was not restricted by the saddle slipping it was easier to get her straight and the muscles were improving quickly with the better work we could then do, horse also stopped tensing up when being saddled.

 

[ThreeWBs]

I have just had similar and part of the resolution was to get the girthing arrangement correct, saddle slipping to the right was helped by having a girth with no elastic that was on the back straps on the left and front two on the right, the asymmetric set up was recommended by the saddler and made a real difference, once the horse was not restricted by the saddle slipping it was easier to get her straight and the muscles were improving quickly with the better work we could then do, horse also stopped tensing up when being saddled.

His girth has no elastic (fixed buckles). He's also in a dressage saddle with 2 straps. These straps are movable to suit the horse, which has already been done.

 

[ihatework]

It’s difficult to really know/advise.

If the horse (or you) are fundamentally wonky then saddle slippage is likely to be an issue whatever you ride in.

I’m fairly pro WOW, I think they work very well for some horses. I’d say the downside to them is that the fitting is so fine tuned that if they aren’t quite right, then they feel disproportionately bad, and you can get quite a lot more movement than a conventionally flocked saddle. So it might be that a flocked saddle allows you to ride the wonkiness issue straighter, easier. Or it could just exacerbate it. You will only know by trying.

I’ve got a big horse who was quite weak and a little crooked when I started working with him. My WOW looked to fit him well, but it just pinged me about too much and I couldn’t maintain a strong position to help me work him. I liked the saddle on 2 other horses but it didn’t work for this one. He was much better in a flocked saddle.

 

[sbloom]

I would check in with chiro/osteo for you and the horse, chat to the fitter about your concerns and do some intensive in hand work such as straightness training (www.straightnesstraining.com). A different saddle might indeed work, it might not. A highly recommended fitter, if necessary a specialist for your type of horse, might be a good way to go to see if anything else works better.

 

[scats]

Is it definitely the horse and not you? I ask because I had a saddle slipping to the right problem and it was me.

 

[ThreeWBs]

It could also be me! I'm visiting the osteopath tomorrow to see how out of line I am!