|
|
 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
   
Location: Pacific Northwest | I have an appendix mare with fairly high withers in comparison to the rest of her body. Most winter blankets don't fit her right, and I know her previous owners had a problem with it too because she's got a white spot in the middle from where they rubbed her. I found one last winter that finally fit her across there, but it was hard. And she lets you know if she doesn't like a blanket...after wearing it for a few days she'll pin her ears and bite the air when you start buckling it. With the last blanket she finally stopped doing that.
Obviously she's not wearing a blanket right now, hasn't worn one for months. She also hasn't been ridden, she's had about two months off and I've just recently started free lunging her again (no saddle). I had her massaged/adjusted last night and she's still really sore across her withers. She looked like she wanted to bite the lady's face off when she started working that area.
So I guess my question is, what can make a horse sore in their withers? Is it just poor saddle fit or could a problem in their neck/shoulder/somewhere else lead to sore withers? Previous injury? She was on the track for 3 years, and she's got a huge scar on her tongue that no one can explain, so who knows what other injuries she had there.
And for those of you with horses with high withers, did you have to get a certain saddle or pad? She doesn't show obvious signs of my saddle not fitting...she's relaxed when I saddle her, the sweat pattern is even, and she's not a witch when I ride her.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2014-07-08 12:49 PM
|
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| If she is sore on top of the withers I would get an X-ray to rule out fracture.
Saddle fit, saddle pad, and blankets can all cause sore withers.
For a horse with high withers like yours, I use a high neck turnout, I have had luck with amigo, and gladiator.
For saddle pad I want one contoured to fit, I custom made a 5 star when it was still wells and it fit my high withers perfectly, when I wanted one the exact same when it became 5 star, I didn't get what I ordered and sold it immediately. I have had luck with csi pads, there is no pressure on the top of the withers period and I don't have to adjust the pad.
For saddles, I find the Martin crown c regular tree fits these horses perfectly, mine has a higher wither then yours she runs in a 10 gullet and I have had no problems.
I would also look at the pozzi with a 10 tree |
|
| |
|
Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | Second what Cheryl said. My gelding has pretty high withers and when I took him to Martin saddlery to get him fitted for a Crown C I mentioned something about his high withers and assumed it was caused by him having so much race blood in him. They said that was *partially* it, but mostly due to poor saddle fit for so many years. I wouldn't say that his are sore, but I know his muscle structure was in poor shape due to poor saddle fit. I ride in 5 star pads, but do use shims for the saddle. I would suggest just making sure you run your hand under the saddle ever so often and make sure the pressure is even on her.
Hopefully the adjustments help her (I know I can get cranky when the chiro is working on me!) and she will be feeling better quickly. Best of luck to ya!
ETA: I started out in a 7.5" gullet with a 3/4" pad, then moved up to a 8.5" gullet with a 1" and now I'm back down the 3/4" 5 star. Once we get down to 1/2" pad I'll move him up to a 9.5" gullet. I have no doubts that he will be at least 10" gullet before he's done filling out his wither area.
Edited by Longneck 2014-07-08 2:30 PM
|
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 639
Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | I agree with above posters. My horse has high withers as well. I use a 5 star pad w/ a Martin Crown C w/ 10inch gullet. I had to shim at first while he built up muscle in this area. It is mostly caused by atrophy from poor saddle fit. So don't worry, yours can get better too! |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1115
| Schneider's Saddlery has some great blankets with wither cut outs for horses like yours. As for the saddle pad, are you pulling the pad up into the gullet of the saddle before cinching? This prevents the pad from being pulled down tight over the withers by the saddle when you are cinching up. |
|
| |
|
I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | Hmm sounds like I need to be looking at Martin Crown C saddles! |
|
| |
Folks on-line