Post by Loulou on Jan 8, 2012 13:24:13 GMT 1
I have a 17.2hh ISH who has very high withers. I have had him for about 18 months and for most of that time he has had lameness/unsoundness problems.
After spending thousands on vets, osteos, body workers, farriers, barefoot trimmers, medications, potions and pills I think we may have got to the bottom of the problem.
I think it may be to do with his saddle.
He has been looked at by the best vets in the south of France and other vets too and they have all told me that I must just ignore the problem and ride him anyway. To me that is surely a cruelty to ride a horse who is taking a half stride on one leg? When buted 2 twice a day he is better so it is obviously a pain issue. The vets didnt think it was the saddle.
The horse has one shoulder that is much bigger just in front of the wither dip (IYKWIM?) It is very pronounced and so any saddle with a tree seems to fit nicely on one side but is very tight on the big shoulder side. If I get a saddle that fits the big shoulder side then it sits wonky because it is pushed over by the big shoulder. I reckon that the pressure caused by this is causing him to take a half stride on the foreleg on that side.
The owners who I bought him off insisted that I bought his saddle with him as it was made to measure. I thought it was too tight on his withers but after getting a local saddle fitter to look at it they told me to get a good thick numnah under it so I bought a sheepskin and for a time that was ok.
I have tried several other saddles on him and because they dont seem to make any difference to his lameness issues I discounted that being the problem.
I live in very rural France and finding a good saddle fitter is like looking for the holy grail. Even if they do come and look they dont carry any stock to try and so you have to buy a brand new saddle at a cost of £1,500 plus without even sitting on it!
I have just ordered a Thorowgood T8 High wither in the hope that that might help but if it doesnt then I am really in trouble and dont know where to turn next. I cannot afford to go much further with this because I just cannot afford to keep buying saddles.
Does anyone have any ideas about how I can move forward with this? Do you have any saddle suggestions? I could maybe try and borrow one if I ask around but one saddle I borrowed and tried made him hopping lame. It was an Albion K2 Legend which is very forward cut and looking back now must have really pressed hard on his shoulders.
After spending thousands on vets, osteos, body workers, farriers, barefoot trimmers, medications, potions and pills I think we may have got to the bottom of the problem.
I think it may be to do with his saddle.
He has been looked at by the best vets in the south of France and other vets too and they have all told me that I must just ignore the problem and ride him anyway. To me that is surely a cruelty to ride a horse who is taking a half stride on one leg? When buted 2 twice a day he is better so it is obviously a pain issue. The vets didnt think it was the saddle.
The horse has one shoulder that is much bigger just in front of the wither dip (IYKWIM?) It is very pronounced and so any saddle with a tree seems to fit nicely on one side but is very tight on the big shoulder side. If I get a saddle that fits the big shoulder side then it sits wonky because it is pushed over by the big shoulder. I reckon that the pressure caused by this is causing him to take a half stride on the foreleg on that side.
The owners who I bought him off insisted that I bought his saddle with him as it was made to measure. I thought it was too tight on his withers but after getting a local saddle fitter to look at it they told me to get a good thick numnah under it so I bought a sheepskin and for a time that was ok.
I have tried several other saddles on him and because they dont seem to make any difference to his lameness issues I discounted that being the problem.
I live in very rural France and finding a good saddle fitter is like looking for the holy grail. Even if they do come and look they dont carry any stock to try and so you have to buy a brand new saddle at a cost of £1,500 plus without even sitting on it!
I have just ordered a Thorowgood T8 High wither in the hope that that might help but if it doesnt then I am really in trouble and dont know where to turn next. I cannot afford to go much further with this because I just cannot afford to keep buying saddles.
Does anyone have any ideas about how I can move forward with this? Do you have any saddle suggestions? I could maybe try and borrow one if I ask around but one saddle I borrowed and tried made him hopping lame. It was an Albion K2 Legend which is very forward cut and looking back now must have really pressed hard on his shoulders.