Saddles & Saddling Part II
The Saddle is a rigid piece of tack that is used by the rider to communicate to the horse. It connects the horses' structure with the rider. How it fits the horse determines how the horse moves and how it performs. Ill-fitting saddles contribute to all kinds of behavior problems and lameness problems also.
It is YOUR responsibility as a horse owner and/or rider to make sure your tack fits properly and comfortably on your horse. It's up to you to remedy any problems.
Saddles can cause back pain for your horse by a poor fit, by improper positioning, lack of the riders balance and/or skill. Other factors can be mouth pain possibly from an ill-fitting bit, teeth problems or rough hands. Uneven hooves can also cause back pain for your horse.
Signs indicating back pain are so numerous, there is not enough space here to list them all. In general, an unhappy horse will signal that he has problems and something in not right. If you suspect that you have an "unhappy horse", begin by inspecting your saddle. See my article How Should My Saddle Fit My Horse?"
Please Don't Think You Can FIX the PROBLEM by Adding Padding This seldom works because the pressure caused by excessive padding is increased thus causing muscle atrophy. It can be compared to putting on thick socks inside a pair of shoes that already are too small.
Part III of Saddles and Saddling will continue and be in Next Month's (December) Article.
Continue to check at HorseLoversHeadquarters.com for these future "Feature Articles":
Bridles and Bridling;
The Equine Digestive System;
Feeding Your Horse;
First Aid;
Keeping Your Horse Healthy-Horse Health Problems-Equine Vaccinations;
Skeletal Structure of Equines;
Foot Trimming;
Equine Dentistry;
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