Saddle Fit

So.  There has been a bit of an issue getting the video clips onto this blog, which is why I have postponed blogging longer than I should have.  However, Chase and I have started our journey again, focusing mainly on follow the rail which when I get the video issues sorted out I will be posting a blog on that.  I decided to post this particular post as we have run into a battle a lot of horse people face-saddle fit.  So here is Chase's back.

Here is Chase's back with his saddle on.

There are no shims in this photo-it was our very first ride out in forever.  I had put his lovely brand new purple and black saddle pad on him, coupled with his brand new fabulous thinline half pad.  The thinline pad made a huge difference from the last time I had ridden him, and my little sister rode him while being led that day too-she could also feel the difference in the movement of his back.  However, as I began to ride regularly again, as I love spending time grooming him and giving him a massage before each ride-I noticed that he began to get SORE.  In two spots, particularly, and his stifles as well.

So two areas which-massaging one with an electronic hand massager helps the other so they are inter-correlated-have been made sore by riding.  Right behind his withers and the area where his back comes up.

There are other things involved here-if you look, you can clearly see his rounded shoulder, and the hollow in his back.  You can also see a dip in his withers and a sharply dropping croup.  

So the rounded shoulder suggests that he is protecting himself from the front of the saddle, which implies that it is blocking the shoulder in this area.  This is also supported by the fact that there is a dry spot there after riding.  I did feel around when the saddle was on him, and there was a place where it wasn't making contact with his back in the middle.  Looking at the image and the line drawn-I can see why.  No saddle can make even contact with that shape.  Then again, Parellisaddles.com states a good point-a horse's back in motion is going to change shape from when the horse is standing still. In this particular case, I think it's probably time for me to completely re-assess.  Re-find where the max extension of his scapula is, and move the saddle back and shim it.  When Chase moves, he will lift his back at least a little-and if I can free up that shoulder I think that hollow in his back may be a non-issue over time.  

Well, that's all for now.  Ta Ta!