How can you tell if the saddle is causing problems?

I don't see anything "digging" into a horses side that isn't going to cause pressure. It should maybe sit against the horses skin but not make a definite indentation. It would help if you can take pictures of the saddle, certain things like the digging into her and causing the indentation and possibly another conformation shot with her looking forward so we can really see what shes like. Maybe an overhead view?

Hi Cyndi, a couple of things that occur to me...

I had trouble with Z's Cheyenne slipping to one side and I often felt that I had one stirrup longer than the other. Turned out his pelvis was out - he had his left hip lower than his right. I got a good chiropracter to sort it and the saddle didn't 'slip' any more.

Having said that... I sold my Cheyenne eventually as I've been doing much more jumping and it just felt like there was too much movement going on with it. The hairs under the saddle would be very crinkled when I took it off. Also I was worried that his back was dropping - now that may not have been the fault of the saddle alone but it did mean that his withers and spine became more prominent and I couldn't risk having pressure on the spine. So I went back to my old treed saddle and became very conscientious about getting him to stretch down while riding. There is now no movement and his back is filling out again.

I miss the comfort and the feeling of sitting 'in' the horse with treeless and the added sensitivity but I'd be cautious about going back. I'm sure they do wonderfully on many horses but there will always be a small percentage who don't suit them. Definately go out and start begging for saddles to borrow - it's good fun

And another thing... re Sydney's point about the flat spot, I now have one of these girths:

http://www.robinsons-uk.com/products/Productdetail.asp?ProductCode=31432

The buckle strap slides back and forth through the 'D' so you can have one buckle slightly higher than the other to allow for the natural curve of the belly. I think it's a really nice idea as Z doesn't have much of a flat spot and I always felt bad forcing the rear buckle up to match the fore. Don't know if you can get them your way but they aren't very expensive and probably someone in the UK could ship to you.

Hi Boho!

That girth looks really neat. I will have to google it and see if I can get it out here. I know what you mean about matching that rear buckle to the front one - I don't like doing it either. But if you leave it, it's so much more loose than the front.

Not sure what to do about the saddle issue. I will have to see if I can find anyone around here who is willing to loan me a saddle.

I got on Fanny bareback the other day, and then yesterday I just let her graze, but stood on things higher than her when she walked by, just to rub her back and test her to see her reaction, and she usually moved away from me. She just doesn't want anything to do with being mounted.

My vet is a chiropractor. I would like to have him check her out, but his initial visit is over $200, which I don't have to spare right now. Looks like I will be spending a lot of time just doing groundwork for a while, which isn't a bad thing anyway. I want to start doing the Hempfling groundwork, so this will be a good opportunity. Perhaps his methods will help me build up her back muscles and so on. More importantly, I hope his methods help build the trust we need, so that she actually invites me to get on her.

Throwing in a deep thought here ( as usual! )
Is it Fanny really not wanting you to get on, or is it you not REALLY wanting to get on? She is tuned enough to you to pick that up. I bet if you were suddenly attacked by a wild dog while doing ground work Fanny would stand like a rock while you scrambled on and then carry you to safety!! (or kick the dog)

just a thought...you have to know yourself

Cyndi, if you couldn't find one of those girths get a western cinch and get someone to sew the buckles on to the metal fittings. I know my farrier does sewing and something like that would cost about 15$ to modify. A lot of cobblers (shoe repairmen) will repair/modify tack for you.

I was thinking about this today and saddles sliding around. I had a hard time finding a saddle that fit Indigo well before I got my wintec and natural ride bareback pad/saddle. The way I explain saddle fit is like a pair of shoes. A good pair will fit well with a relatively thin sock. If a shoe is too big sure you can put on thicker socks but it will be sloppy and probably strain other parts of your body to walk in them. If the shoe is too narrow or small putting on a wool sock is not going to remedy the problem. It has to be the saddle. You can get girths, saddle pads, (socks and insoles for shoes ) but in the end it should fit and not slide around with as little other stuff as possible. Just like shoes.

Too bad you weren't closer I know I have 8 saddles of my own and know many other people with a bunch of different saddles.

Try mounting Fanny from the other side. The whole reason why humans started mounting on the left of the hose is because the big majority of us are right handed. Right handed people, especially the millitary where riding really started to become refined, all carried swords on their left side. To avoid possibly stabbing the horse they mounted on the left. Makes sense right? I don't think you are carrying a sword so I would go ahead and say mount on the other side.

What about a mounting block? I recently started using one regularly on Indigo who would let me mount then have to take a few steps. Since I now throw my leg over her back she isn't getting strained because I am not putting weight into one stirrup. Mounting from one side creates uneven muscle development. It's the number one thing I see when I am called to do a massage on a regularly ridden horse is the muscle development differing from the side they mount and the side they don't. It does more harm than good. Try mounting from both sides regularly.

Jackie, you are probably right in so many ways! I want to get on Fanny SO badly, yet part of me feels that something still isn't quite right. I think there is still an underlying trust issue between us. It doesn't take much to cause a setback with her, so I have to really think about my body language and even my thoughts. I am learning. Very slowly, but learning.

I will also admit that I was a lot more confident at Jason and Kathy's, just knowing that someone else was there to give me advice when I needed it, and so on. We'll get there, but it'll just take time. Part of me enjoys doing my own thing without someone watching me, yet part of me really enjoys being with other like-minded people.

Thanks for making me stop and think!!

Sydney, I was thinking exactly the same thing about modifying a western cinch! It would give me a chance to try out a mohair girth too, because I think my local tack store has western mohair cinches. I'd just have to remove the pin from the buckle on the cinch. There is even another tack store not far from here that does repairs, so I'm sure she could set me up with something too! She's got all sorts of buckles and things on hand. I sew, but I think I'd rather leave something like that to someone with experience.

Eight saddles??!! And they're all yours? I'll have to let my husband know that it's okay to have more than one saddle .

I prefer to use a mounting block, and use one whenever I can. I will also try mounting her from the other side. Makes sense. I try to dismount on the right, but it's not the same as the weight when you mount. I think I used to mount her from both sides at the old barn. Don't know why I stopped.

Yeah eight and they are all mine. One is going to the theraputic riding school near me who is in desperate need for a new saddle for a VERY wide cob. Too bad I already promised them it or I would have sent it to you for a try. I can also harness 4 horses Collecting tack is a serious obsession I tell you. I can never sell any of it because I do use all of it at one point or another. It's def. ok to have more than one...or five.

A dear friend of mine who has had 2 hip replacements (Shes 75 btw) had my friend's dad make this this mounting block that is stirrup height for her horse. She just swings her leg over. I am a bit more nimble I just scramble up a gate or use the wheel hull on the trailer to achieve the same thing. But the point is there are a few older and problem backed horses at this barn. A lot of the owners began using this block, as ridiculous as it looks because it's HUGE. It has made a huge difference in a lot of horses and how they react to mounting. I am inserting a picture of Naigen standing next to it. She was 13.3 you can get the picture how big this thing is but it's very helpful. The purple "staircase" is it and you can see the normal two step block in white to the right. It's also convenient for people watching you ride/train as bleachers lol! When my nephews come with me here they all perch on it until it is their time to ride or help out.


Actually a funny story about that block and the only time I fell off, before I even got on my old mare Naigen. The lady I was talking about with the two hip replacements wanted to ride Naigen so I obliged. She was worried about how Naigen would react to how tall she was above her so I said I would mount her first. I stood up on the block towering above Naigens head, who stood perfectly still, went to half bend down to put my leg over her without plopping hard on her back and woop, landed on my butt on the other side in the sand. Naigen turned her head looked at me and I swear I could read that horses thoughts "your a moron!"

I already use steps - partly because Trelawny has put on another growing spurt and is somewhere up around 19hh now - so pretty difficult to get on from the ground - partly because I just am not as flexible as I used to be!! (especially with a current neck injury)
I use a set of old steps that used to be the entrance to a barn before it was converted - the steps are higher than Trelawny's back so its very easy to slip on his back with minimal hassle - but I have learnt to use any type of raised platform otherwise I would spend more time on the ground than on board - especially as a lot of the gates we have to go through are too low for me to reach!!! (Or is it that Trelawny is too high !!)

lol I couldn't imagine! I guess thats why they use quarterhorses for ranch work rather than Shires lol!

Those old stairs look like a great mounting block!! I used a wood block again last night and went for a bit of a bareback ride again.

Jo, I can't imagine getting on a horse that is 19hh!!! At this rate, you won't have to worry about getting off to open gates, Trelawny can just step over them!!!

i know what you mean!!!! I hadnt realised how much he's grown this year until he had his teeth done last week...... its the first time he's been in his stable for months - I cant reach up to groom his bum anymore - and I'm quite a tall person!!!