This year has been the on and off again year of riding for me. Sean finally recovered from his January injury and surgery only to have me get injured thus incurring more time off. Subsequently, once we were back under saddle, weeks later, he wound up with a terrible hematoma in his foot and there went another several weeks.. The lack of work and following stall rest impacted his topline and consequently, his saddle fit and attitude.
It has taken me a long time to build some muscle on the “greyhound”, as my vet described Sean, and the angles of his Thoroughbred body increased with the time off. Sean seems to prefer a more generous width as opposed to feeling confined so I have ridden him in a more generous saddle with a correction pad. However, I was starting to see dry spots and some crankiness from my goofy, usually fun loving TB. Recently I took a lesson with a visiting clinician and decided to use my “show” correction pad, which is a square sheepskin pad that uses shims. Of course, I forgot that I hadn’t used that pad since Sean had changed condition and consequently, he started pawing, bucking and wanting to rear. Let’s just say he is not the stoic type. Luckily, my trainer ran to the rescue and gave me a pad like the one I usually use with the correct shim set up. Things instantly got better. Lesson learned from that experience!
In a situation like this, one must evaluate each symptom by itself to figure out the root of the problem. The first thing I did was to do a flocking adjustment. My saddle was flocked to fit a horse that had been in steady work for quite a while. Fast forward to the lack of work over a long period of time and it was clear that the saddle was too wide. After the flocking adjustment, the fit was far better and the dry spots disappeared and Sean was moving better but not quite as good as usual.
Many people often attribute diminished movement to saddle fit but it can be more than meets the eye. I knew that because Sean had been so “one legged” for an extended period of time that he was most likely locked up and uneven in his pelvis and needed a chiropractic adjustment. I’m a firm believer in chiropractic therapy for horses as I have seen how it can literally change the movement in moments if done by a skilled practitioner.
Sean is happier already. The only other issue I want to address with him is ulcers. Ex racehorses and show horses are very prone to ulcers and I have treated him before for this. Again, what may look like a reaction to a saddle when girthing can often be sensitivity to the pain from ulcers. LIke many, I don’t usually scope but treat for a few days. I have always seen a change in behavior in as little as three days and that indicates that the meds are having a positive effect. Of course, I work with my vet on the dosage and length of time but it is very helpful indeed.
In conclusion, when your ride is not what it should be and your horse is irritable, not moving as well as expected, etc., evaluate the issues one by one instead of attacking everything at once. Fix one thing or rule out the possibility that something is an issue before moving on to the next. Keeping notes or a training journal can be helpful as well so that one can stay organized in getting to the bottom of the issue.