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Re: [RC] Ain't doing right - long - Chris PausAs someone else has said, if there is a white spot and thickening around her withers, the saddle does NOT fit right. And the spot being on only one side indicates that maybe you are not riding centered, but putting more weight on one side.
The damage to muscle and nerve endings happens long before the white hairs start to show up.
Your horse has been very stoic. Some of them are about pain. Others will dump us on our sorry butts rather than be ridden in a poorly fitted saddle.
Remember that a saddle may LOOK right, but be very wrong. It may seem ok for short rides, but when you get into longer distances, or different gaits, it won't work.
Yes, your horse was stretching and moving to try to get more comfortable.
Imagine yourself going on a hike all day. You've got a backpack on and it's digging into your right shoulder. You move this way, you move that way. You shift things around trying to make it more comfortable. When you finally get the dang thing off, there's a lump where the constant digging occured.
The problem may not be entirely saddle fit. It may also be riding. I THOUGHT I was a balanced rider until I broke down and went for some dressage lessons. The instructor put me on his lesson horse on a lunge line. I didn't get reins for quite a while. OMG, I had no idea how unbalanced i really was and how much I was balancing myself on the horse's mouth via the reins.
If this were my horse, I'd do several things.
1. REALLY REALLY check saddle fit. Buy or borrow a Port Lewis impression pad, or hire a reputable saddle fitter.
2. Get the horse some chiropractic care with a reputable veterinary chiro. Make sure the person is certified with the AVCA.. the ONLY accrediting association in the country for veterinary chiros. There's a lot of fly by nights out there masquerading as chiros.
3. Get yourself some chiro care. It's likely that you have been out of balance because you also are "crooked."
4. Get someone to give you some lessons on the lunge line to work on centering yourself while you ride. Your horse will thank you immensely and you will find that the long rides are much easier to do.
Your horse may have good metabolics now, but as the discomfort progresses and you add up the miles, the discomfort is going to start affecting other body systems.
Good luck.
"Whisper words of wisdom, let it be." The Beatles
Chris ----- Original Message ---- From: "syreino@xxxxxxx" syreino@xxxxxxx Her saddle seems to fit okay – but she does have a touch of thickening around a white spot on her left wither area that showed up recently. She’s never showed any indications of a poor saddle fit otherwise, she’s never been reluctant to trot or canter, she’s never been so stretchy and uncomfortable. ur
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