Why firm 'Treed' saddles do not fit and why some horses act up while being saddled. Any easy fix with some simple bodywork you can learn.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SADDLE DOESN’T FIT YOUR HORSE, AND HOW TO FIX IT

~ by April Battles, Holistic Horseworks LLC

“What does your horse do when you approach him with the saddle? How do they behave when you put the saddle on their back? Do they stand happily still or do they pin their ears, swish their tail or want to bite or kick? Watch their eyes closely, as well as their body language the next time you approach them for tacking up,” says April Battles of Holistic Horseworks LLC (USA), “are they pulling their nostrils up and slanting their eyes, or evading by wanting to walk away or refusing to stand still?”

Understanding the horse’s body and the impact of misalignment can go a long way to creating a happy equestrian and equine partnership. As a follow on to her previous article “Why saddles don’t fit”; Ms. Battles aims to inform riders on how to tell if their saddles don’t fit their horses properly, and perhaps more importantly, guide them how to fix the problem. Firstly, how to make your horses’ asymmetrical back become symmetrical.

“When you consider there are approximately 205 bones in most horses’ skeleton that are all moving working parts, it’s easy to realize the impact that just one misalignment of any of the musculoskeletal system can cause. The adverse effects are invariably the main cause of tendon, suspensory, hoof issues, mysterious lameness or the painful kissing spine syndrome among others,” says Ms. Battles. “By way of demonstration I invite you to tie your horse on a flat surface and stand on a bucket a safe distance behind him or her. Look down the spine, from tail to wither. Is the wither sitting off center meaning not directly under the mane? Is one side of the rib cage lower? Is one shoulder unevenly developed i.e. one slopes more than the other or one bulges noticeably more? Is one side of the rump/hip area higher than the other side? If yes, these are sure signs of misalignment in the body which is the direct cause of a saddle not fitting properly. Imagine trying to fit a straight, tree-filled saddle onto a misaligned body; it would never fit properly. Imagine the discomfort and pain it would cause when girthed up tightly as it forces the horse’s body to conform to the underside of the saddle. Not unlike asking you to put on a pair of stiff dress shoes a size too small and asking you to run a marathon in them. It’s easy to understand now why a proper fitting saddle can be difficult and expensive to find, and why some good horses will buck when you ask them to canter under saddle, or not want to go forward; this stems from a very good reason it’s painful for them to do so. Knowing this who would want to ride a horse that is in pain?”

Over the past two decades of doing Equine bodywork, Ms. Battles has found that 99% of behavioral and training issues, and problems in the body arise from the misalignment of the 1st rib under the point of the shoulder, at the base of the neck where C7 (cervical spine) ties into T1 (thoracic spine). “All nerves serving the head, shoulders and foreleg are situated deep in that area. Any blockages here negatively affect the blood supply to the muscles, and energy flow to the hind end. This can lead to excessive muscle tension which in turn overloads the tendons and ligaments of the lower leg. Amazingly, imbalances can be seen in this area in foals as young as 4 months, putting strain on the C6 and C7 vertebrae and impinging the surrounding nerves…. can this be the cause of Wobblers syndrome?”

The misalignment of the first rib has deep rippling effects on the horse’s body with additional consequences. Ms. Battles explains, “With the 1st rib being stuck, the horse is unable to move his shoulder

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freely or correctly; as in the case of ‘leg movers’ or horses that don’t move through the body but only move their legs. Often the horse cannot pick up a canter lead on the side that is misaligned due to the tensions in the legs, muscles and fascia. This leads to low/high heel syndrome that farriers and barefoot trimmers are trying to rectify. When a horse stands on one low heel and one high heel 24 hours a day, everything above the hoof is shifted out of alignment. It also affects the movement of the horse. Issues arising include only connecting to one rein, inability to take a canter lead, heaviness on the forehand.

“Add to this the school of thought where trainers encourage riders to ‘train the imbalance out of the horse’ by repetitive schooling, to build up the so-called weakened muscles, can have dire consequences. This repetitive and often painful movement in the misaligned body that cannot move properly; over stresses the joints, causing premature arthritic conditions in horses under 8 years of age. Side bone, ring bone, and arthritic hocks and knees are prolific in the sport horse world today; the result is excessive stress on the whole skeletal system; resulting in poor hock and stifle function and weak hind end as well as medial and lateral differences in the hind hooves. The knock on effect of the stressed skeletal system is a stressed muscular system causing tight, acidic muscles and dry fascia. The organs cannot function properly due this pressure.  When the organs are not functioning properly the meridians become imbalanced and the proper processing of nutrients is compromised, thereby compromising the structural integrity of the horse.”

Ms. Battles’ own experience with her endurance horse Tikki is what lead her to study several different healing modalities. Keeping Tikki supple, balanced and healthy through 2000 miles of competition in 2 years, with no Vet pulls for metabolic problems or lameness, is a new record to be proud of. This led her to create her unique holistic body work system called Equine Musculoskeletal Unwinding therapy. “You want to work towards constantly maintaining skeletal alignment, muscular and fascial softness and suppleness and balance throughout the meridians. A horse is extremely sensitive – they can feel a fly on their body and can feel your heart rate and energetic presence up to 30 meters away from them. If they are put into work regimens to meet the fitness demands of the competitive sporting circuit, their whole balance is crucial to their health, happiness and success. And more importantly their longevity. The cost of one therapy session could save you thousands on vet bills, which could have been avoided by keeping the horse’s body in alignment. Top athletes throughout the world receive body work daily to avoid tendon and ligament injuries. Applying the same care to your equine partners could see you adding 10 extra rideable years together with your horse.” She teaches all this to horse lovers globally with no prior experience necessary.

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About author: April Battles is a holistic horse therapist, whose areas of expertise include developing and teaching Equine Musculoskeletal Unwinding therapy; a blend of Osteopathy for deep myofascial muscular and skeletal releases, Craniosacral therapy, massage therapy, bio-energy therapy, equine kinesiology, acupressure and Reiki. She is a certified Instructor for Quantum Relief of horses and humans, as well as a certified instructor for Ting Point therapy. For more information visit www.holistichorseworks.com