You should be legitimately asking yourself, “why
am I looking at this website, and why is a veterinarian maintaining a website
about saddle fit and saddle fit problems?”
The answer is, because it is all about the horse’s muscles and saddle fit has
a profound effect the muscles it contacts. I refer to muscles as the
forgotten system. Veterinarians involved in performance problems and
lameness tend to think in terms of tendons, ligaments and joints. After all,
those are what show up as injuries and require treatment.
However, consider that muscles and their response to appropriate innervation
is what determines which bones will move and there-by how the joint will
respond to the efforts of work. The tendons and ligaments respond according to
the amount of tension or lack of tension and the stresses put into and onto
joints according to one anatomical structure – the muscles - those in action
or those muscles failing to be appropriately in action.
We all recognize that a very badly fitting saddle can be a torture device to
the poor horse. But what many do not recognize is that what seem to be
relatively minor saddle issues gradually affect muscles and their ability to
function properly. An insult to one muscle works progressively to spread that
insult to another and yet another muscle in a chain reaction. That chain
reaction will affect way of going, performance and foot conformation. Carried
to its logical conclusion it will cause firstly, performance deficits and
progress subsequently sub-clinical lameness (not very visually evident, but
manifested by “just not moving right.”). Eventually the problem will progress
to outright lameness. At this point this line of thought may seem exaggerated,
but articles that will be posted to this website to explain this phenomenon.
Lameness that can be attributed to having started with saddle fit include
suspensory issues, tendon strains and bows, carpal fractures, degenerative
disease of knees (carpal joints), hock and stifles.
Please read, “About Me” to understand how and why I, as an equine
veterinarian, involved in performance horse work became obsessed with the
necessity for good saddle fit.