Re: Saddle fit & the Horse

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Darlene from WA makes an excellent point about the fact that the rider has to
RIDE right, no matter how well the saddle fits, etc., and that is all too
true...

However, in all the sea of articles about balanced riding, saddle fit,
chiropractic care, etc. (all of which are important, don't get me wrong) I
never see anything about SELECTING A HORSE WITH A GOOD BACK! I've been
vetting rides for 17 years (and rode them for ages before that) and believe
me, we are seeing an epidemic of back problems out there, despite the fact
that riders are paying more attention now than ever before to balanced riding,
saddle fit, chiropractic care, and everything else they can do to keep their
horses healthy. Why are we seeing this? In the years I've been around this
sport, I have seen a big change in horse conformation. We have always seen
the cast-offs from the show barns in this sport, but now the show ring has
been breeding for a long horse that looks like a sausage and can hollow his
back to stick his neck straight up and his nose in the air. Heck, when they
get their ideal, it will be able to drown in a rain storm, it will have its
nose so high in the air! What are the implications here? This type of
conformation simply cannot carry weight efficiently for long periods of time
because the long back and weak loin make it difficult (if not darn near
impossible) for the horse to round his back! Remember all that dressage
stuff? Well, it is real, and if we ride horses that are handicapped in that
department, they are real projects. What's more, I don't care how pretty his
legs are, once his back starts to hurt he is not going to travel efficiently,
and he is going to put a lot more stress on those legs. First the back, then
the suspensories, etc.

Sorry to ramble on, but the moral of this story is--when horse shopping LOOK
AT HIS BACK FIRST! You know and I know that the Bedouins started with the
legs, but then they never had to contend with the aftermath of the breeding
for the American Show Ring!

Happy trails, and may you all have a great '98 season.

Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians--Oregon

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