What reactions can a horse have to an ill fitting saddle?

What reactions can a horse have to an ill fitting saddle?

When being ridden, a horse that is reluctant to go forwards may be trying to avoid pain from a saddle that is pinching at the withers. Poor saddle fit can lead to the horse planting, refusing to trot, stopping at fences and so on. Bucking is a common side-effect of an ill-fitting saddle.

What does croup high mean in horses?

Croup high conformation on a horse means that the horse stands taller over the croup than the withers. It is often seen in thoroughbreds for running fast and driving horses for pulling. A horse that is croup high naturally puts more weight on the forehand making the rider feel as though they are riding downhill.

How do you know if a saddle will fit your horse?

Take a look at the saddle on the horse. You should be able to stick two of your fingers between the saddle gullet and your horse’s withers. The saddle should have even contact along both sides of the bars. After girthing up, your saddle should look even on the horse’s back, not tipping up or drooping down.

Why is my saddle lifting at the back?

Check the Panel Contact A saddle that looses contact in the middle of its panel could be too narrow causing the saddle to bridge and creating 4 point pressure. A saddle lifting off significantly at the back could be too wide and increase tightness around the horse’s shoulder and may lift and catch the rider behind.

What happens if a saddle is too wide?

When a saddle is too wide in the front, it can sink down over the withers. This takes the saddle out of balance by making the pommel lower than the cantle, which in turn carries more pressure over the front of the tree (at the withers/shoulders) than a saddle with a properly sized tree.

How do you tell if a horse is built uphill?

First we locate the lower cervical curve and the LS joint, and then we draw a line from point to point. If that line is parallel to the ground, the horse is level built. If the line slopes upwards (left to right), the horse is downhill built, and if the line slopes downwards, the horse is uphill built.

What is the horse’s croup?

In horse anatomy, the croup refers specifically to the topline of the horse’s hindquarters and surrounding musculature, beginning at the hip, extending proximate to the sacral vertebrae and stopping at the dock of the tail (where the coccygeal vertebrae begin). Below the croup is the thigh or haunch.

What size saddle do I need for a 16 hand horse?

Under 16.5 inches — You probably need a 15-inch seat size in an English saddle. Between 16.5 and 18.5 inches — Look for a 16-inch saddle. Between 20 and 21.5 inches — Try a 17-inch saddle.

What is a clear indication that a saddle has been placed too far forward on the equines Withers?

When a saddle is too far forward, it pinches the withers and restricts the shoulders, resulting in the horse not moving its front end out of the way (over reaching and forging). If you can see the horse right after it has been ridden, look for where there is no sweat under the saddle.

Why is my saddle rocking?

If a saddle is sitting low in the front, causing it to rock or bounce behind, siding in shims in the front on either side will solve the problem. If a saddle is twisting or falling off laterally (to the left or right), often sliding a shim in the front on the side it falls down on will solve the problem.

What is a high croup horse?

CROUP HIGH HORSES. Croup high conformation on a horse means that the horse stands taller over the croup than the withers. It is often seen in thoroughbreds for running fast and driving horses for pulling.

Will my Thoroughbred fit in a saddle?

The conformation of most Thoroughbreds prevented a perfect fit from almost all saddles available on the market; yes – including our own. Stereotypically Thoroughbreds have a long high wither, hollows either side of the withers immediately behind the shoulders, and have a rising top line (croup high).

Why does a saddle have a deep rear gusset?

On a rising top line (croup high) horse a deep rear gusset would drive the saddle into the muscles behind the shoulder. The ‘driving in’ action is exacerbated when a horse in movement belly lifts and its back rises.

What is the best saddle for an ex-race horse?

Historically a high headed, narrow tree with a deep rear gusset would be used on an ex-racehorse. However the Thoroughbred throws us an optical illusion making the deep rear gussets an error. The top of the wither at T3/T4 is very high; however the points of the saddle are going to sit around T6/T7 depending upon their conformation.