RE: [IceHorses] Creating Templates of Horse's Back

[Robyn Hood]

Hi Judy,
This is another good article by Dr Ridgway.  While most horses tend to have
diagonal lowness (low shoulder and diagonally low hip) and that makes the
saddle slightly easier to fit, it is a bigger challenge when the horse is
laterally low - low shoulder and hip same side.  In these cases the rider
will constantly feel the saddle going over to one side.  That is made even
worse if the riders collapsed side is the same as the horse's low side.  You
can tell which side collapsed (or is contracted through the ribs) because
that on that side the rider may have a tendency to lose her stirrup or have
it feel a different length than the other side.

Robyn

Icelandic Horse Farm 
Robyn Hood & Phil Pretty
Vernon BC Canada
www.icefarm.com

 

Re: [IceHorses] Creating Templates of Horse's Back

[Judy Ryder]

> CREATING TEMPLATES OF YOUR HORSE'S BACK FOR SADDLE FITTING
>
> By Dr. Kerry Ridgway


More from Dr. Ridgway:

Saddles are for obvious reasons built symmetrically, so when placed on a 
horse with muscle hypertrophy (enlargement) on one side, the tree rotates 
diagonally into a position in order to establish similar contact pressure on 
both sides of the "wither pocket."

Torque of the saddletree, however, may make contact and place excessive 
pressure on one side of the lightly covered thoracic spines and leaves more 
open space on the opposing side.

Pressure exerted in areas close to bone (with little muscle covering) result
in a significant magnification of the pressure. The result of this 
unilateral pressure is pain, and loss of ability to perform bending and 
lateral movements.

The pressure can also create chiropractic joint issues in the thoracic 
vertebrae of the withers. The shoulder that is "bulged" laterally may strike 
the edge of the
panel or bar as the scapula moves through its range of motion. This can 
create significant muscle bruising and serves to further twist the saddle.

Because the opposite shoulder typically has more slope, the saddle may tend 
to fall or slip to the sloping shoulder side of the horse.

This is a second reason for pressure on the thoracic spinous processes.

The problem of slipping to the side is particularly troubling if the croup 
is also involved and is lower on the same side. This is can occur when a 
high/low conditions exists in the hind feet as well.

More often, however when the horse is observed in motion, one side of the 
croup raises more on one side than the other it relates to, muscle balance, 
chiropractic or joint issues in the hind limbs. Regardless of cause, it 
creates an even worse scenario for slippage when combined with shoulder 
asymmetry.

You can read the whole article here:
http://www.ultimatesaddlesolutions.com/site/1558746/page/848484


Judy
http://icehorses.net
http://clickryder.com