I love it when I get a phone call from a friend asking me to put a question out to my readers. They see what great advice I get and need some of their own.
Saddles? A friend of mine has a saddle she purchased about 4 months ago. Her horse started acting really sore in her back a few days ago. The barn trainer is pretty sure its the saddle not fitting correctly and now its starting to make her sore.
There's a two part question to this post.
First it was suggested she get a custom saddle made for her horse. When she called our local saddle maker he stated he starts at $3,000.00. UGH! She's a mommy on a budget like me. Is there any other cost effective solution for her? She is a single mom doing an awesome job by providing the opportunity to ride for her two daughters. But $3,000.00 is a bit out of budget. I know you can get your horse measured for a saddle, but it also comes with a pretty big expense. Any suggestions would be great!
Second once you have a horse with a sore back from a saddle what are some tips to help the soreness improve? Are there any home remedies you have used to help with the pain and to make the recovery speedy?
Thank you in advance to all my readers for your suggestions. She will feel very blessed by your responses!
How quickly they will recover from a sore back depends on how much damage is done (physically and mentally). Hopefully the discomfort was noticed right away and there wasn't any nerve or muscle damage. There are several stretches that are wonderful for releasing tension in the back and loin. Bodywork (massage, chiropractic, acupressure) are all wonderful tools to help repair damage and help regain correct muscle memory. But first and foremost, the ill fitting tack needs to be retired and new correct fitting tack should be brought in... you DO NOT need a custom saddle that costs 1000's of dollars... you just need a saddle that fits 95% or better =D Contact a professional saddle fitter or bodyworker that offers saddle fitting. There are so many options of saddles out there, a saddle fitter will know the right direction to point you to. After you find tack that fits correctly, you may have to re train the horse to move out correctly (not hollow or high headed or guarding it's back)... Ill fitting tack WILL create a brace through out the horses entire Topline, you may need some bodywork to jump start the repair process =D Good luck to you and your horse.
ReplyDeleteThank you for giving you expert advice. It's nice to have people giving input who have a lare amount of knowledge in this area.
DeleteI agree with Topline Massage Therapy LLC. Nothing is going to improve if the same ill-fitting tack is used after the horse receives acupressure, massage, etc. Horse's bodies can change A LOT, especially if the horse was young, underweight, or under-muscled when she first started using this saddle. Her horse may have filled out and just needs a saddle that fits his body now, not necessarily a custom saddle (especially if he has growing to do, weight/muscle still to gain!). This is a VERY important point for horse owners to keep in mind. It is always important to check saddle fit periodically. Coming off a winter break definitely warrants a saddle check as well. Massage and acupressure could be a great way to help get her horse feeling better, as well as continue to help her horse continue to develop muscle by increasing circulation.
ReplyDeleteMoney is a issue for many horse owners and riders, but there are affordable options available. Ensuring that your horse has well-fitting tack and is as pain-free as possible should be #1 above all else, and will also keep him sound and working a lot longer!
Best of luck to your friend! I definitely recommend getting someone to help that is knowledgeable in saddle fitting ASAP and a massage couldn't hurt! :)
Elite Equine Sports Massage Therapy
Thank you! Having limited knowledge in proper fitting saddles this will be a huge help.
DeleteThank you so much. This just sucks seeing your baby in pain.
ReplyDeleteI understand the concern about the cost of having the horse fitted but in the end a cost upfront of a saddle fitting can save A LOT of money in vet bills later down the road. My horse was showing some soreness in her shoulder, I decided to have some body work done (chiropractic and acupuncture). During one of our sessions the vet had aske me to bring my saddle to make sure it was fitting properly, to my surprise the saddle placement was contributing to her soreness. I was putting the saddle to far forward which was impeding her movement. The saddle itself was a fine fit for her though. I also had the vet inspect my husbands saddle and come to find out the tree in that one was twisted (we are thinking because it was left in the truck in the hot sun and was sitting just slightly crooked). Anyway, it was an upfront cost but I learned so much in saddle fitting and feel much more confident for knowing if a saddle is a closer fit than I ever did before. I strongly believe that it is worth the cost. I agree with the two comments above to, in that horses change and you need to check your saddle fit periodically.
ReplyDelete