As a horse lover and rider, proper horse gear is very important to your horse. If buying a quality saddle and other gear that properly fit your horse could be expensive, unfortunately it is the key component for both you and your horse enjoying the horseback riding.
Mark Himmel, a longtime member of the Charlie Russell Backcountry Horseman, rode 189 miles in the foothills and mountains last year. Mark also repaired horse trails with the group and took extensive fun horse rides.
Mark said, “As a trail rider, I need a solid saddle built for the comfort of the horse first and then for me as a rider; the saddle got to fit the horse’s back just right, because if it gets tender, I’d have a miserable horse that might not want to go, and I don’t get those miles out on a trail”.
Mark Himmel expressed his luck of buying a top quality used saddle at an auction for $500, but he would expect to pay up to $3000 or more if he bought it brand new.
“It is not unusual for some horse owners to spend as much for their saddle as for their horse,” Mark explained, “you get what you pay for, and cheaper saddles might just hold up for about a year or less. When a saddle breaks down, it can sag and put pressure on the horse.”
Billy Carol Smiley, a former trick rider and rope twirler, totally agreed. She offers horse riding lessons and teaches gymnastics.
Billy said, “It’s extremely important for the horse to get a proper fitting saddle, often fitted by professionals at saddle shop. A saddle which doesn’t fit right can hurt the horse if the saddle rubs the wrong way, the horse might buck the rider.”
Kelly Manzer, a veterinarian, said, “It’s natural for horse riders who look for a saddle that fits them well, but the most importing thing is for the saddle to fit the horse properly.”
There are several ways to detect the saddle problem when a saddle does not fit the horse properly. This includes abnormal behavior as the horse pinning its ears back, grinding its teeth, tossing its head and swishing its tail or the horse’s unwillingness to stand still when being saddled, the horse perhaps even biting or kicking.
There may also be lasting, chronic signs of a bad saddle fit. It includes pressure sores, loss of hair or even the whitening of hair where the saddle rubs. A horse may also sweat on one side and not the other if the saddle isn’t fitting well.
Another major horse health problem is when the horse saddle slips. Research has shown a significant link between the saddle slip causes by the horse hind-limb lameness.
There is a link between the horse saddle slips and its lameness found. The clinical studies have revealed consistent saddle slip in some horses with hind limb lameness, even when the lameness is fairly subtle and difficult to detect. Saddle slip in sport horses is a well-recognized problem that can occur for several reasons, including asymmetry in the shape of the horse’s back, riders sitting crookedly, and ill-fitting saddles.
The head of Clinical Orthopedics at the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust in Britain, Sue Dyson, had also observed that saddle slip may occur because of hind limb lameness.
The research was undertaken by intern Line Greve and Dyson at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, and was presented at the recent British Equine Veterinary Association Congress.
The study assessed 128 horses of varying size, age and type.
url http://billycooksaddlesblog.com/horse-saddles-reviews/
Ron