would a Flair saddle help a horse with kissing spine ..

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Does anybody have experience of using a FLair saddle on a horse with kissing spine and do you think it would benefit them at all.

The physio has recommended I get a new saddle for my horse as she currently has a wintec which seems to be putting pressure on her back. Does anybody have experience of using a Flair saddle with a horse with kissing spine and would it help relieve the chance of soreness at all ...
 
We have a horse in our yard who has KS but it is managed with physio and he is also under vet supervision. I will ask her - she put hers into a treeless saddle but it doesn't always seem to stay secure. No idea if that is the horse or the saddle. What did your vet suggest as well? and do you have a master saddler you can talk this through with?
 
I have a horse with kissing spine and I think that either she would be able to be ridden in a well fitted saddle or she wouldn't. Most of the pressure comes from out weight, saddles are an attempt to distribute the weight a bit.
Has your horse been diagnosed by xray and what treatment has it had?
 
My knowledge of kissing spines is fairly minimal, but is it possible that a 'Free 'n' Easy' saddle would work?

They're incredibly comfortable to ride in and easily adjusted, and focus on ensuring even distribution of weight etc

just a thought!
 
It hurt my mare to have me sitting on top of her, but it particularly hurt her to be asked to backup, and sometimes it seemed to hurt her to ask her to work in anything other than a straight line. So at the least I'd be wanting to try saddles rather than buy, but it all depends on what is happening with your particular horse.
 
My mare has been classed with mild kissing spine, it affects 2 vertebrae and has been treated with a lot of work on the pessoa and 7 months ago she had cortisone injections when she was first diagnosed by the vet and xrays. The vet did mention that she may need cortisone injections again at some point. I have a master saddler coming to try out some saddles and discuss alternatives and it was her who mentioned the possibility of using a Flair saddle. I bought my mare to event at a low level which the vet thinks she is perfectly fine to do as long as I maintain her back and keep her working long and low.

At which point do I decide that she needs the injections again ..
She Show jumps and XC and absolutely loves it, I foolishly dropped the pessoa work off thinking that she was now ok but she seems to be quite sore whether its the saddle or the fact I don't make her work forward I've no idea.
I bought an equimassage pad for her which I have just staring putting on her daily for 30 mins and have started up the pessoa work with her and will get her a new saddle fitted on Saturday, I don't want her to be in pain and if she needs cortisone injection again then I'm quite happy to do that but at which point do I decide she does.. my physio goes mad at me when I say she has kissing spine she says they may be close but does not have kissing spine just needs to work forward more, confused now!
 
HATE flair/cair/air saddles.

The thing about air is that it moves out of the way, so in an area of extra pressure where you need extra padding the air just moves and you are left with nothing to protect the horse. I’d avoid them like the plague kissing spines or not. A well made correctly fitted flocked saddle would be far more beneficial.
 
Could you post up what your saddler says? as this is an interesting post. The horse at my yard also does low level eventing happily too. Also with regards to the equimassage - did your vet suggest that?, again please post how you find it. I really like the idea and it makes sense but (for myself with horses who are fine) it might just be me being a bit too free with money I don't have as don't need it!
 
Luci07 said:
Could you post up what your saddler says? as this is an interesting post. The horse at my yard also does low level eventing happily too. Also with regards to the equimassage - did your vet suggest that?, again please post how you find it. I really like the idea and it makes sense but (for myself with horses who are fine) it might just be me being a bit too free with money I don't have as don't need it!
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It was the saddlers suggestion as she says it might relieve some of the pressure from her back, but there have been a lot of problems with losing the air apparently, I know that they have stopped stocking wintec (which i currently have) as they think they put too much pressure on horses back.

I started using a Back on Track rug on her first at the suggestion of the physio which seemed to help her.
I have just started out with the equimassage I found that she was looser when I had it on the warm up the muscles setting and she seemed to love having it on, whether it actually makes any difference I guess I will find out in time, I'll keep you updated!
 
I tried it on my KS horse and although I found it a bit weird to start with I liked I but he def. did not and I stayed with a flocked saddle.
 
I use a Fhoenix Vogue saddle (not on the KS horse, she had to retire). The thing about them is that they have "memory foam" in the construction, which distributes impact and weight. I have some bits of the foam about at home and if I put my hand on the floor and some foam on top my OH can stand on my hand, so it really works!
I don't think you'll want to go treeless, but I'm wondering if you would be able to use some sort of pad under whatever saddle you choose to help your horse's back. With one of my other saddles I use a pad that had gullets each side where you can put inserts. I replaced the inserts supplied with some memory foam, which was expensive, but certainly the horse seems to have a very happy back.
It's a thought anyway.
 
Dizzle said:
HATE flair/cair/air saddles.

A well made correctly fitted flocked saddle would be far more beneficial.
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I tend to agree with this, cair goes flat, panels tend to be hard , flair moves about and can lose air.
As long as the saddle fits well, the horse's back (skin) is hard enough to be able to sustain the contact of the saddle on it, the channel is wide enough to allow freedom of the spine and the panel has enough of a bearing surface to spread the load then it should be ok.
 
I have a horse with kissing spine who goes brilliantly in a treeless saddle, put a saddle of any other kind on and it's a completely different story! I do love riding on a treeless saddle and can't get used to riding my other horse who has a normal one!
 
Jaycee said:
I have a horse with kissing spine who goes brilliantly in a treeless saddle, put a saddle of any other kind on and it's a completely different story! I do love riding on a treeless saddle and can't get used to riding my other horse who has a normal one!
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I have never heard of a treeless saddle, who makes them?
 
If you google "treeless saddles" you will find lots of info, stockists, manufacturers, etc. They are very different to ride in as it is almost like riding bareback, but they do make you feel very secure and Oooh sooo comfy! The other bonus is that compared to a conventional saddle they weigh almost next to nothing!
 
Dizzle said:
HATE flair/cair/air saddles.

The thing about air is that it moves out of the way, so in an area of extra pressure where you need extra padding the air just moves and you are left with nothing to protect the horse. I’d avoid them like the plague kissing spines or not. A well made correctly fitted flocked saddle would be far more beneficial.
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A agree
 
Heather Moffett is about to release a new saddle design that looks like a conventional saddle but has a flexible tree rather than the soft tree in the fheonix and vogue saddles.

I am patiently waiting for their release! There will be synthetic and leather models avaialble in dressage and GP in black or brown. Got to Enlightened Equitation Forum for a photo and more details of the saddles and their release.
 
I'm not a fan of air in saddles - at higfh pressure, and once you sit on it it is at high pressure!, air will bounce. Some horses like it, come cope with it, and others hate it. I think the kissing spines bit has no bearing on it.

I just heard today from a long standing client that her horse was diagnosed with kissing spines and a sprained SI joint. She had had me out to check the saddle a couple of times after behavioural issues, so after I confirmed it was fine, she got vet checks and here we are! Her horse is now going superbly in a traditional well fitting treed saddle, now he's had the injections and been rehabbed.

If pushed, I'd opt for a flexi panel saddle as it has so little pressure anywhere near the spine, and allows so much shoulder movement it will help a little.
 
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