Re: RC: Horse's sore back

[Lucy C Trumbull <elsie@foothill.net>]

> Carol Meyer Cdm1680@aol.com:
> Recently I went on a 7-hour trail ride. Unfortunately, my horse's back was
> sore after this ride. I realize this is a very long ride but would like to
> do it again sometime and wonder if anyone has any suggestions as to how I
> could prevent his sore back. I use a Bob Marshall Sports Saddle and Skito
> saddle pad. Would a Supracor pad solve this problem? Thanks for your help.


Carol

Whereabouts was your horse's back sore? Shoulders? Loins?
Was he accustomed to the distance and the type of terrain 
you were riding on, or did you spring it on him? <g>

The reason I mention this, is that if your horse already had 
a weak back that needed strengthening, regardless of the type 
of saddle or saddle pad, he's likely to be sore if he's suddenly 
asked to "go" for 7 hours without having been worked up to 
such a distance...

I have a long-backed gelding who came to us with some back
problems. After rides, he was definitely sore in the loin
area - when you poked him with fingertips in this area, he'd
bounce downwards :(

We gave him some time off, and then started him back with 
lots and lots of walking up and down hills to get his back
strong (he wanted to gallop up every hill, so he thought this
walking was very dull). We also worked on getting him to drop 
his head (he was the King of Hollow Backs) and rounding and 
collecting better.

Since then he's done 4 x 50s with no back problems - in a
Sports Saddle and Skito - and now my 200 lb husband has 
started conditioning him for LDs (in a SS with a Toklat
pad). My husband isn't the world's most balanced rider yet 
(he's working on it), so I'm careful to check the horse's 
back after each ride and make sure problems aren't brewing. 
So far, so good.

Of course, not knowing your situation, it could be a saddle
fit problem - but it's worth thinking about the whole horse
as well. Let us know what you think's going on.

-- 
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Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@foothill.net
Repotted english person in Garden Valley (Sierra Foothills), CA 
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