Uneven topline - ideas please

[archiesmum]

Pre-warning... this might get waffley!! My 9yo exracehorse mare has very uneven topline where she is built much more on her offside of her wither compared to her near side. I have only had her since April and she was uneven when I got her and wasn't in much work. She isn't very supple over her back and I do get her a McTimmony treatment every 2-3 months as she does seem to be unable to keep her pelvis 'in' for very long. Because she is wonky, I am finding the saddle slipping over even after having the flocking added to level it up again (November time so the flocking has seemed to have settled again) and girthing differently to prevent it pulling over - using straps 1 and 2 on the the near side and 1 and 3 on the offside. The saddle slipping over is obviously not helping her back or topline development and it gives me back ache along with saddle paranoia! I fear it's becoming a vicious circle!

So, to the point of the post... what exercises have you found to build up uneven topline? We try and school 2 or 3 times a week with the aim to hack atleast once a week and pessoa once a week, although all of this is weather depending. She finds schooling very hard work but we try our best and we are working on being straight and forwards, and round if we get the straight and forward. Would lunging over poles help? I completely understand this is a long journey and I want to get our foundations right.

As a temporary measure has anyone come across and thin pads that could help even up her wither hollow? I was thinking of the Le Mieux pro-sorb saddle cloth but they only do dressage or close contact options and mine is a GP :-/ Her saddle fits well on her built up side so wouldn't want to bulk it out much. The other option the saddler came up with was to make the tree wider to be able to pad it out more but I dread to think how much that would cost!

Thank you for reading and all ideas are welcomed

 

[Cowpony]

Get the vet to investigate her back. A slipping saddle can be a sign of back/lameness problems, and flocking the saddle or building up the numnah is treating the effects but not the cause. My mare had a slipping saddle and proved to have a back problem. She had cortisone injections and when I brought her back into work the saddle no longer slipped. She is also much straighter.

 

[gunnergundog]

Basically, your horse is lacking straightness....which is one of the fundamentals. This is due to either incorrect schooling and/or a physical problem. You need to get to the ROOT cause of the issue, so get a VET out in the first instance and if your chiro is telling you that she in unable to keep her pelvis in for any length of time, then get yourself a better one or get her to better explain herself and then if she can't, replace her !

 

[Goldenstar]

This is a job for the vet .

 

[hihosilver]

This is a job for the vet .

yes get the vet.

 

[archiesmum]

Calling the vet has been in the back of my mind especially as she is insured. Will give them a call tomorrow. Thanks you

 

[Jo1987]

My lad was not noticeably lame when his saddle started to slip over to one side, he did in fact have side bone, ring bone and a fair few other arthritis type issues which were causing him to move in a rather unique way! At 19 and after a tough life before I bought him he could unfortunately not be straightened out and is enjoying the retired life, and ambling about the field he is STILL not noticeably lame.
I think you are doing the right thing calling the vet!

 

[TheMule]

I advise you read this excellent article- http://e-venting.co.uk/2014/12/sadd...-part-3-dr-sue-dyson-what-causes-saddle-slip/

 

[exmoorponyprincess1]

Your horse isn't straight - I had a similar issue with one of my Exmoors and the saddle only made the problem worse. Hasn't your back person given you exercises to do to help build the muscle correctly? Mine did. She also forbid me to put said saddle back on! So we did lots of carrot stretches and long reining (with roller not saddle) and completely changed what I rode in when I did get back on...have gone from having back lady every few weeks to twice a year for "normal" maintenance and a pony who carries herself beautifully now

ALSO - your back person should be working with the permission/knowledge of your vet as far as I am aware...mine certainly won't look at a new horse until she has spoken to our vet about it and she always sends them a copy of her post visit report for reference.

 

[shmoo]

Hello Archiesmum, as the OP's have said I would involve the vet. My ex-racer was exactly the same, same circumstances, same problem. She was eventually diagnosed under x-ray.

Hope its nothing serious

 

[alainax]

Agree with the others about getting her checked over medically first. If that comes back clear then with correct schooling it's very possible to even her up.

My boy was lopped sided, could only canter well on the one rein etc. we schooled about 3 times a week, with some hacking in between. The schooling we focused on stretching, suppleness and straightness. Saddler checked him 9 months later and was very complimentary about how even and well muscled he now was.

Check out Sylvia lochs weight aids workshops and books, as quite often a lop sided horse will try to tip you do their good side, which could be helping the saddle to slip. For the horse to be straight, you have to be straight. Straightness isn't as simple as it sounds, but lots of correct schooling, not just in straight lines, but with shoulder in, travers, leg yeild, being able to yeild spirals etc. once you can move the shoulders and hips around independently with your seat and leg, you will then be able to get them to line up nice and straight. It will be hard for her at the start to have a new way of going, but allow her to stretch lots, and should soon even up