Andrea Hicks, from the Native Pony & Cob Saddle Company provides advice on saddle care, back pain and horse riding and remedial horse problems.
See below for:
1) Caring for your saddles
2) Back pain and horse riding and
3) Remedial horse problems and related issues |
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1) Caring for your saddles
Good management and care of your saddle will prolong the life and strength of the leather for your comfort and safety.
Recommendations:
Conditioning - using a good leather conditioner on a regular basis will protect, waterproof and feed the leather keeping it soft and supple. This prevents the leather from not only drying out and cracking but also stops too much moisture from getting into the leather. We recommend conditioning your saddle once a week.
Cleaning – saddles should be wiped over after each use with a glycerine saddle soap to prevent the build up of grease and dirt. Don't forget to clean and feed the underside of flaps and girth straps as well.
Drying - if your saddle gets very wet allow it to dry naturally, do not put it by artificial heat. Once dry apply a leather conditioner to the saddle. It may take a couple of applications to bring the saddle back to its former shine.
Checking the saddle tree - it is useful to know how to check if your saddle tree is broken as a broken tree can cause a lot of damage to a horses back. The saddle tree can be assessed as follows:
a) Seat of the tree - hold the cantle against your stomach (abdomen area) and pull the pommel back towards the cantle to see if it flexes (see picture 1). If it flexes so much that the seat creases, and/or there is creaking noise, take it to your local saddler to get it checked.
b) Arch of the tree (the pommel) - see if you can flex the head either in or out . This part of the saddle should not flex. In addition, run your fingers under the arch to see if there is anything sharp there; if the arch is cracked or broken then sometimes metal will be pushing through the leather. If this part is damaged it is also likely to make a noise. If in doubt a competent saddle fitter or saddler should be able to advise if the arch is damaged.If you are have any doubts about the saddle tree have your saddle evaluated by a saddler or competent saddle fitter.
2) Back Pain and Horse Riding
There are a number of reasons for getting backache when riding, it is a common problem that most horse riders think is part of the riding experience, and this does not need to be the case.
When saddle fitting common problems are saddle movement or the saddle not sitting level, either issue can lead to uneven pressure on the horses back and (in some cases) discomfort for the rider.
Dealing with back pain
1. If a rider has a crooked pelvis over a period of time the rider will eventually make the horse crooked to fit their own unevenness, even if their horse had a fairly straight and correct skeletal musculature structure beforehand. The same thing can happen with a straight rider and a crooked horse. To fix the problem it is best to get the horse and rider treated at the same time by a back specialist. If the horse or rider is crooked they will need to be treated by a back specialist before being fitted for a saddle.
2. If horse and rider are both straight in their skeletal musculature structure and the rider gets backache, then the saddle balance and fit need looking at. Saddles that tip the rider's weight to the back of the saddle, for example because they are too tight for the horse, can make the rider's back work very hard to re-address their position causing soreness. In some cases this leads to remedial saddle fitting.
3. A horse with back pain may require a ‘correction’ numnah (or similar) while its back gets better. In addition be aware that, as the horse's back starts to repair, it may become sensitive as the blood flow returns to the damaged muscles.
4. While a horse’s back repairs the saddle will need regular checks, some backs will change in a matter of weeks whilst others may take considerably longer. It is advisable to get the fitter out as soon as you notice any changes. When a new saddle is fitted the horse should be able to move more freely. It is important to work the horse gently for the first week or two. Let it bed in and let the horse get used to being able to move all its muscles in a different way, as excessive work may cause the horse discomfort, even if it’s happy to work hard.
3) Remedial horse problems and related issues
Remedial horse problems can arise for a variety of reasons some of which are avoidable when tack is fitted correctly. The following looks at some of the issues that relate to remedial horse problems:
1. Back problems caused by badly fitting saddles. Over time incorrectly fitted saddles can cause pain, discomfort and muscle wastage; sometimes resulting in behavioural problems, lameness and poor performance.
2. White hairs and/or damaged tissue and glands. This can be caused by ill fitting tack. White hairs can be damaged hair follicles where loss of pigmentation has been caused due to pressure from ill fitting tack. This pressure can also have damaged tissue or sweat glands. Other potential impacts of ill fitting tack are muscle atrophy and even behaviour problems.
3. Uneven muscle development or muscle atrophy either through injury or a non balanced/crooked rider.
4. Arthritis, or similar degenerative conditions, and ongoing health issues that cause the horse or rider to compensate in his or her movement and result in the saddle being moved to one side whilst being ridden.
5. Oedema – this can be caused by pressure of a pivoting saddle and once rectified this can take a few months to go down
Will a Remedial horse recover to full working fitness?
Sadly not all horses do repair, however, with the help and patience of a saddle fitter and appropriate specialist for the condition in question, along with a trainer and caring owner many horses do improve (and some completely repair). As a horse develops more muscle in damaged areas it may become sensitive as blood flow returns.
It sometimes helps to give equine massage whilst a horse repairs, and to practise stretching exercises (carrot stretches, etc) with it every day. White hairs can disappear over time with a correctly fitted saddle, but it will take a coat change for this to happen. If a horse has had chiropractic work to straighten out unevenness, this may need repeating in a few months to keep on top of the problem.
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