back protection?

» » » »

New Topic

back protection?

Posted : 7/2/2009 3:48:54 AM

there seems to be a million products on the market all promiseing the best back protection.. gel, wither relief, felt, and fleece all tell about the same story. my horse is young and still in training and dosent have any known back problems however if you look at his withers and along his entire back bone there are an assortment of scars. if there is any damage at the present i want to prevent further damage. if no damage is there i want to prevent it as best as possible. i dont have much money at the present but if it means a healthier happier horse.... its worth paying the price. i just want to hear your suggestions on what back protection protects the best... your suggestions and experiences will be greatly appreciated

Luckintheshadows

Posted : 7/2/2009 6:29:27 PM

Well, if you're concerned about the scars, have your vet check them out. I'd also suggest a physio to check for any muscular problems.

The easiest and ultimately most cost effective way of preventing back problems is to ensure that your saddle is fitting correctly. The best way to go about this is to try and find a /qualified/ saddle fitter. Now some of them charge, some of them don't, it depends on the person. But truly, all those other things - gel pads/fleeces/etc etc, won't mean anything if your saddle doesn't fit your horse properly.

You say your horse is still young, so it might be that his shape will change over time, as muscle develops, his body changes shape, etc. So it will be the case that if your saddle fits now, it might not fit in say 6 months time, because by then your horse might have changed shape...

So, to recap ':)'

Get your vet to check your horse. And then, depending on what he/she finds, get a /qualified/ saddle fitter to come and check your saddle ':)'

grandmadeb

Posted : 7/4/2009 1:24:07 AM

Yes, yes, yes,a great fitting saddle is the best thing you can do for your horse's back. We have a hard to fit guy and finally had to go custom. His back is no problem now and he is happy: no more bucking, kicking out, and grumpy guy while grooming. We went through 2 saddles before we got the one that works for him.