Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Mostly wishful thinking but there are things you can try.  Contact 
Marilyn and see if she can adjust the saddle at all, maybe with shims. 
If not, there are 2 saddle pads that say they correct saddle fit: one 
made by Len Brown and the other by Port Lewis.  Your horse's back may 
have become "dippier" because of not-good saddle fit.  If a saddle 
doesn't fit well, the horse can't fully use the muscles along the spine 
and they atrophy, causing "dip."  The dip can also develop when a horse 
is allowed to be hollow/upside down/uncollected.  In that frame the 
horse does not use it's abdominal muscles with the result that the 
topline muscles atrophy.  Then the saddle bridges even more and it 
becomes a vicious circle.  A treeless saddle might seem to fit better 
but it won't correct the atrophied muscles by itself.  You will have to 
make sure whatever saddle you use allows free and correct movement of 
the back from shoulders through loin and then use exercises to 
strengthen the abdominal and back muscles and to teach the horse to work 
in a better frame.
Laney
	

Jennifer Fleet wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have a question about using an Equipedic pad with a saddle that bridges.
>
> I ride in a Desoto saddle (which I love as far as MY comfort) but have 
> recently noticed that after 2 years of riding my gelding in it, it has 
> started bridging on his high-withered, dippy-back which I suspect has 
> gotten "dippier" - or maybe I just never noticed it bridging before. 
> I've never had bad back scores.   I confirmed the bridging problem by 
> sprinking talcum powder all over his back, setting the saddle in place, 
> then lifting it off and looking at the pattern of powder on the 
> underside of the saddle.
>
> I was also noticing that I had sweat marks behind the withers and over 
> the loin, but none in the middle part of his back.  The area behind the 
> withers also had roughed up hair after a ride, like there had been rubbing.
>
> So...I just got my new Equipedic pad today and went for a little ride. 
> After, I untacked and studied his back.  I now have sweat in the middle 
> area, although not quite as sweaty as the front and back.  The hair in 
> the area behind the withers was smooth this time, not all ruffled up.
>
> I then studied the dirt marks on the underside of the brand new pad. 
> Again, definitely more dirt in front and back (could be from movement of 
> shoulders and hips?) but I do have a faint dirt pattern in the middle, 
> with even more dirt in a 2" strip on either side of the spine. The last 
> time I checked this with a clean, white underpad, I had no dirt in the 
> middle, but plenty front and back.
>
> Is it really possible for a pad to improve a bridging problem, without 
> adding shims or bridge pads?  It seems like it might be helping, from 
> what I saw tonight.  I haven't ridden a real long ride yet, but the 
> sweat and dirt patterns from this short ride seem better.  Does this 
> mean it's really helping even out the pressure?  Seems to good to be 
> true, and you know what they say....
>
> I've been thinking about buying a treeless saddle to solve the saddle 
> fit problem, but now I'm thinking I might be able to stick with my 
> Desoto.  Wishful thinking?
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Jennifer
>
>
>
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