RE: Re: Fw: was CTR: slipping saddle now muscle loss

["Kathy Mayeda" <kathy_mayeda@atce.com>]

I struggled and struggled with this same issue for over two years.
The only thing that cured it for me and my horse was the ReactorPanel
saddle.
I am not a rep for the saddle, but I do love the saddle.  The panels
do overlap the shoulder by about 1", but this is by design to eliminate
the pressure of the saddle bumping into the area behind the shoulder.
After two weeks with my new saddle, the area behind the wither started to
noticeably fill in!

You may be lucky enough to be able to find a padding and saddle combination
that works.

I tried several different pad types, bought several different
used saddles, screamed everytime I put on a saddle that fit the week before
and then for some reason, doesn't fit now!  Tried creative shimming,
crocheted
a little behind the withers thingy to lift the saddle out of the "pocket"
but
the pocket kept on getting deeper and deeper due to muscle wastage.  I have
even had some professional saddle fit and bodywork consultation to help me
work with this issue, but a fitting now would not be fitting later.

I also had to do some muscle rebuilding on my horse, but any muscle
building I did would be negated by riding with a marginal saddle fit.

It is sooooo frustrating to go thru this process. I finally got over it
and now I can really RIDE!

Kathy & Beau









-----Original Message-----
From: KLyn [mailto:alecman@alltel.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2000 9:35 PM
To: Rides 2 Far
Cc: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: Re: Fw: was CTR: slipping saddle now muscle loss


Thanks for your response.
The saddle I am using is an all-purpose english saddle and I alternate
with
an officer's field saddle.  My father suggested that changing the
rigging on
the field saddle may correct where the saddle sits on the back.  I am
skeptical, however........the saddles never slide too far forward, going
down a hill they end up in the correct spot however, because I ride in
an
extremely hilly area, both saddles end up settling on to the space on
the
back about an inch behind the end of the mane, and that is where they
stay!,
unless I dismount and re-adjust. The saddles settle behind the shoulders
(to
allow for free movement) and end up in the indents on either side of the
withers (towards the rear of the horse).  Am I making myself clear on
this??
So, I have minor bumps on his back where the front trees of the saddle
presses into that area.  Tonight I tried a thinner fleece on the back
with a
closed-cell foam on top, cut out at the pressure points to "try" to lift
the
saddle somewhat but allow the spots where the saddle causes pressure to
have
less coverage.......does this make sense?  I also tried a breast collar.
The saddle definitely stayed in place better and even on the couple of
steep
hills we do.......the saddle didn't seem to slide as
much......however.......I only ended up riding a short while because of
the
humidity.  I suppose experimentation is the key.  The shim idea sounds
interesting......I don't like using the closed-cell foam because of
"breathe-ability" which is why I am considering a Toklat with the
pockets
for inserts.  Any other suggestions are greatly
appreciated..........Thanks
again for the response!

Kelly from SW PA
-----Original Message-----
From: Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>
To: alecman@alltel.net <alecman@alltel.net>
Cc: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Tuesday, August 01, 2000 5:19 AM
Subject: RC: Fw: was CTR: slipping saddle now muscle loss


>My saddle now > slides> back into the spaces on either side of the
wither
>that were > previously
>> "fat" I had not used a breast collar previous
>.if  the saddle is causing pressure bumps on either side of the
>withers,
>will > a breast collar do the trick or just mask the problem??  I use a
>thick, synthetic pad and am wondering if I >should invest in a Toklat
>
>I'm not sure how a breascollar will make any difference at all. That's
to
>keep a saddle from sliding *back*.  Why would your saddle be in front
of
>the hollows by the withers? That would be on top of the shoulder
wouldn't
>it? Sounds like yours is falling down or forward.  The problem with
>weight bearing in the area to either side of the withers is that it's a
>slope.  No matter what, it's a real pain to try to distribute weight on
a
>slope.  I'm not good enough to tell you how to solve the problem, but
>maybe I can at least give some hints.
>
>First, I'd expect a crupper to help more than a breastcollar.  When you
>go downhill the only thing to hold a saddle back is the shoulderblade
>unless you use a crupper so it seems to me it would cause your saddle
to
>get farther forward than is optimal.
>
>Also, as far as the inserts thing goes.  I use a Toklat that has a
place
>for inserts, but instead I made myself a sort of portable shim pad.  I
>took a sheet of felt...about 1/4-3/8" thick.  I cut one shim that lays
>all the way over the back.  It's about 8"-10" deep on the sides, and
>cutback where it goes over the back.  Then, I cut 2 more shims that can
>velcro on each side to stack it if I like.  Each one is maybe an inch
or
>so shorter than the one below.  I used to use the foam shims from
>Ortho-Flex when I had booties on my saddle, but now this is what I use.
>I just try to level up my saddle with them, so if it looks as if it's
>doing a nosedive, I'll add a shim.
>
>Angie
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Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
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