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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| Long story short, had two Vinton saddles for my husband, I as using the original one we had on a horse we sold, so ended up selling that saddle. We had been using the original on his horse for probably 2 years with no issue, we assumed the saddles had the same tree, but now think the first saddle had a custom tree as I can't seem to find another with the same flare in front (I am not sure Vinton can't be bothered with calling or e-mailing me back). So anyways, he has been using this new saddle since about February, he only rides the horse once or twice a week at the very most on the trails. His horse recently within probably the last 3 months started wringing his tail going down hills, twitching his skin around his withers. My husband checked the saddle several times and said nothing was wrong. I finally checked it myself after seeing dry spots when he pulled his saddle off and it was most definitely pinching his shoulder. My husband was putting the saddle a bit too far forward on the horse, so we slid it back some and he had rode him twice like that, the horse seemed happier. However I then noticed the horse had white hairs right behind his shoulder blades, which I assume was not just from those last two rides he took in two weeks time, but from earlier rides. We haven't ridden the horse in 3 weeks. My husband feels terrible for scarring the horse, but is insistent he is going to make this saddle work with a different pad. I've been through 14 saddles with my new horse and still riding bareback, so I can see why he doesn't want to give up his saddle, but I just don't see it working for the horse and I am out of ideas to try for his saddle. I had ordered a PRS pad for him that I just put on him yesterday, all it did was make the whole saddle fit worse, so scratch that idea. He thinks it might be okay since we've moved the saddle back off the horse's shoulder some and made the horse happier, but I am not too sure. Where the white hairs appeared are not on top of his shoulder blade, its back about 3 inches to where his shoulder blade would extend when you pull his leg forward... so even moving the saddle back when he standing, its still going to hit his shoulder blade when moving correct?
Edited by Buckles 2014-11-16 7:34 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| Also wanted to mention the horse's topline has started looking bad since spring. We moved them from PA to VA last winter, so new pasture and also can't get the same feed here, so I assumed it was nutritional. I've tried new feed for them, but haven't noticed any difference, so now I am wondering if it was the saddle all along. | |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
  
| My horse lost his topline after I bought him. I tried a lot of high quality feeds and they helped only minimally. I found out my saddles didn't fit so I bought one that I thought fit, only to realize it didn't either. Finally contacted Meleeta Brown who asked for pictures of my horse's back and then sent me one of hers to try. I dudn't ride for 4 months, changed his feed up and that is when I noticed his topline was coming back. After only a couple of weeks riding in a correctly fitting saddle, his topline has changed even more and I can feel him lift his back up instead of him dropping it. So, yes I believe a bad fitting saddle can wreak havoc with a horse's topline | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| If a saddle doesn't fit, no saddle pad will correct that.
Also no one should assume that since a saddle is made by the same person/company they are the same, as times change, tree makers change, etc.
I would try and get the horse conditioned then get a saddle to fit | |
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