Does Your Saddle Truly Fit Your Horse?

Over the past few weeks, I've learned more about saddle fitting than I ever imagined.  There are as many views about saddle fitting as there are riders.  One thing I know with absolute certainty, is that a saddle does not fit properly makes for a very unhappy horse, and understandably so.  Harley had put on muscle in his shoulders from all the riding and schooling we had done, and I had no idea it changed the fit of his saddle.  Here is a photo of how my saddle flares out at the bottom front panel, so that when I tighten the girth and the panel is pulled down against his shoulder, the top pinches into his withers.

I have a professional saddle fitter coming out to see if my saddle can be altered to correctly fit Harley.  I am hoping it can be done, but if not, I will definitely invest in a saddle that fits him perfectly. 

Fortunately, my saddle has a Gullet Exchange System, which means that different width gullet plates can be put in the saddle to make the tree wider or narrower as needed.  When I bought my saddle, I also bought the 2 next wider gullet plates, with the idea that schooling and training would bulk him up.  There are no guarantees that a wider plate will make the saddle fit him, as the angle of the plate also has to be correct, but I remain optomistic.

The photo to the right is my trainer's saddle; it fits him much better and conforms to the slope of his shoulder.

Will let everyone know how the fitting turns out.  Meanwhile, I have a much happier horse now that I am using a saddle that does not pinch.  Harley and I are working on coming back to strength and fitness gradually and carefully.  Soon we will be back to schooling, and hopefully doing ground poles soon on our way to jumping.

Equine Chiropractic Treatments

The last month or so has been relatively unproductive, due in large part to the southern California area receiving record rains and cold weather.  However, Harley and I have made a huge breakthrough, not in our riding, but in his physical and mental well-being.  I have known since I bought him that he was very protective of his right side, always turning to look at me even when I just combed his mane.  Over the past couple of months, Harley had become more and more girthy, pinning his ears when the saddle was placed on his back, and fussing a lot when the girth was tightened. 

Everything came to a head a couple of weeks ago when I rode Harley, and noticed he seemed very tense, not his usual happy self, and I just knew something was wrong.  Then, while trotting across the ring, Harley put his head down and bucked me off.  He had never bucked while I was riding him before.  He continued to buck all the way to the gate.  My trainer told me he was literally standing on his head and twisting his back end sideways.  Fortunately, I was not hurt, just had the wind knocked out of me and a bit sore.  After turning Harley loose in the round pen to buck a few more times, and replacing the set of reins he had broken, I got back on him.  He still felt very tense, so I only rode him for a few minutes.  The next day, he had a very sore shoulder so I did not ride him.  Over the next week or so, I noticed that Harley seemed depressed, stayed at the back of his stall and did not come to the gate to greet me.  Finally, after about a week, he perked up a little, and seemed to enjoy taking walks, but something just wasn't right.

I decided to call an equine chiropractor, Dr. Jenny Johnson, V.M.D.  She was recommended by my vet, so I made an appointment.  Dr. Johnson came out and first watched Harley walk and trot away from and towards her.  Then she did a preliminary examination, feeling all of his joints, his spine, and skull.  She found several misalignments in his vertebrae, and also his withers, a hip, and an elbow.  The most "out of whack" area was at the very top of his neck, behind his ears.

Dr. Johnson proceeded to adjust Harley, and he was surprisingly good about it.  After the first few minutes, I could tell that he knew she was helping him.  He was so relaxed when she finished that he wouldn't move, just stood in his stall with his ears up looking happier than I had seen him in weeks.  Dr. Johnson also looked at Harley's saddle on his back, and informed me that it was not fitting him properly, flaring out at the front of the flap and digging into his wither/shoulder area when the girth was tightened, especially on his right side.  He has more muscle there now than when I first got my saddle.  That explained the sensitivity on that side of his body.  We made an appointment for her to come back in 3 weeks, and she left us with instructions to hand walk only for 2-3 days, and exercises to bend his head, without moving his neck, to loosen up the poll area.  From the day of his appointment on, he has been a new horse, walking out freely, loose and relaxed, and his old happy personality was back!




So relaxed, his ankles are crossed!


Yesterday was day 4, and I rode Harley bareback.  I could not believe how relaxed and calm he was, how loose he felt, how big his stride was.  It was like having a brand new horse.  My trainer noticed right away how relaxed he looked and how much bigger his walk was.  I rode him again today, still bareback, and he was even better.  I have to have my saddle flocked to fit him, but fortunately, Jane's saddle fits him perfectly and she has graciously agreed to let me use it until mine is corrected.

Vet exams in the past had revealed no injuries so no treatment was prescribed, and several massage sessions had not made any noticeable difference. I was told he was tight in his shoulders and back, which was obvious, but the cause was never addressed.  I think massage is a temporary "bandaid" that relaxes the horse for a little while but does not deal with the root problem, so the muscles tighten up again and more massage is needed, sort of a never-ending cycle that doesn't fix the problem.  Chiropractic treatment actually addresses the problem, works to fix it, and prevents the problems from becoming chronic.  I would consider massage as a supplement to the chiropractic sessions, but only by an experienced equine massage therapist recommended by my vet and the chiropractor.
I would strongly recommend anyone considering equine chiropractic and/or massage to have your horse examined by your vet first to rule out injury or illness. Dr. Johnson would not work on Harley until I had spoken to my vet first.  I am very happy to have found a chiropractor for Harley who not only was recommended by my vet, but who will work with them as a team.

Visit Dr. Johnson's website at http://www.equineshockwave.com/vetchiropractic.html

Roads and Tracks

Last Wednesday, August 4, was the first lunging lesson where Harley just walked right from the start.  No bolting, bucking, tearing around.  When Jane asked him to trot, he cantered a little, but slowly and only about once around, then dropped to a trot, and the rest of the lunging was excellent.  My ride after was a bit more eventful, with Harley taking off at the canter briefly, but he slowed down when asked, then picked up the canter again on his own, cantered much more slowly and calmly, then trotted when asked.  He did spook at something rather energetically at one point, but then calmed down and trotted nicely on contact.  

I recently mentioned to my trainer, Jane, that Harley is much more relaxed when I ride him around the ranch, outside of the ring, and that he picks up the trot with no head raising and trots along like a trail horse.  She suggested I do more trotting on the roads and trails, and he loves it.  He carries his head low, and seems really happy.  We are still working with Harley on relaxation, and it will help to do the things that he enjoys and is relaxed doing.

So, today, August 8, we went outside the ranch on a real trail ride.  Although Harley had never been off the ranch property before, he walked out eagerly, looking around at everything like a tourist.  In spite of a big scary stone gateway, cars coming around blind corners, and a mini-tornado (dust devil) that almost blew him sideways, Harley was a real champ.  He had no problem being in the lead, walking past strange new things, and went up and down fairly steep trails like he'd been doing it his whole life.  In this photo, Harley is practicing for his next trail ride/dust storm :)

Not only is this kind of activity good for Harley physically, working his hindquarters on the hills, but it is priceless as far as helping his mental state.  He learned today that it is okay to be afraid, and if he is brave and trusts me, everything will be okay.  I think he would walk anywhere for me, and I couldn't be more proud!  We will be doing these trail rides 1-2 times a week, weather permitting (not too hot, or raining), and I can not wait to see how this experience transfers to our next lesson in the ring.

Lungeing with a Purpose

Jane has begun lunging Harley to help him eventually accept contact through side reins.  In his former life, lunging was used to wear him down and tire him out so a child could ride him.  I'm fairly certain that side reins were used to force his nose down, and he has frightening memories of that time.

Jane begins by walking Harley in a small circle, widening out gradually and encouraging him to move away and independently from her.

At the beginning of each lunge session, Harley sticks his nose in the air, as though he needs to reassure himself that his head is not strapped to his chest.  Jane never starts the lunging with side reins, they are only put on when he is relaxed and ready for them.

The first 2 or 3 lunge sessions, Harley did gallop around and buck at first, as though he did not know it's okay to walk on a lunge line and thought he had to tear around like crazy, but each time he galloped less, and at his third session, he did not buck at all, and trotted much sooner.  By his 5th session, he barely cantered and there was no bucking at all.  Notice in the photo below, Harley is very relaxed and stretching down on his own.

Harley was finally ready for side reins.  His first session with the side reins went very well.  I was concerned that he might panic, as side reins were badly misused on him in the past, but he barely reacted at all.  Notice how much slack there is in them; they are never to be used to force a horse's head down, only to keep it straight.

Jane has the side reins very loose, so Harley feels the weight of them on the bit, but no restriction.  He does raise his head a bit, and then lowers it almost to the ground, I think to make sure there is nothing that is going to restrict or trap him.  Once he has been reassured that, as Jane says, "It's his head and he can do whatever he wants with it," he relaxes and trots nicely.  After three successive good transitions, Jane changes direction, and then after three more good transitions, Jane ends the lunge session, and invites Harley to come to her.  Sometimes he walks right to her....other times, he makes her wait :)

Then I ride him, and his back is very loose and he is very relaxed. We walk a few patterns, circles and loops, and then trot, and the last 3 lessons we have cantered.  Each canter session is more relaxed and quiet, but we still have a long way to go.

All of the above photos were taken during the same lunging session.  They demonstrate the difference you can make in your horse by lunging him properly, using the right equipment, and allowing the horse to feel safe on the lunge line.  I highly recommend Jane's Lunging for Longevity video.  It will change your horse's life, and yours.

We will be lunging Harley 2-3 times a week, as consistency is the key to success.  I think lunging is going to be a great tool to help Harley break through all the bad memories, and realize that no one is going to fight him or hurt him, because lunging is on his terms and he can make his own decisions.  Empowering him that way is just what he needs to help him feel totally safe and comfortable when he is lunged or ridden.

Dealing with Injuries

The third week of May, Harley injured his shoulder galloping around the ring in turnout.  He made a sudden stop at the fence and pulled a muscle.  It has been 3 weeks and he is starting to look like his old self again.  We have been doing only hand-walking, and will start this week on short rides just at the walk, and gradually move up to trot when he is completely sound at the walk.  Then and only then will we begin trotting.  Too many people rush their horses through recovery, and end up with more serious injuries and a horse laid up for even longer.

Here is a picture that shows Harley doing something similar to what caused his injury.  Obviously, letting him gallop madly around the ring is no longer an option.  I will probably turn him loose in a round pen so he can stretch his legs and play.  I'll be retiring at the end of the year, and riding him quite a bit more, so turnouts will no longer be needed.  If we can just keep him sound until Thanksgiving.....

Exercises

Well, it's mid April 2010 and I have had Harley for 11 months now.  He is a different horse from when I first got him.  I think there will always be ghosts in the shadows for Harley, after so many years of mistreatment, but they rarely raise their ugly heads any more, and he copes much, much better now.  Instead of panicking and trying to run back to the barn, he looks to me for reassurance.  He literally turns his head around and looks at me, and I only have to pat him on the shoulder and tell him he's okay, and he is. 

We continue to work on getting him more flexible on his left side, and me not leaning to the left when tracking left.  By doing counter-bending to the right, it is correcting both of our issues (thank you, Jane).  Harley is also beginning to stretch out into contact instead of tucking back or down, and that is a big accomplishment.  Contact is extremely difficult for both the horse, and the novice rider.  As Jane tells me frequently, "you're holding his hand, just holding his hand" and that's so true.  You don't let go, but you don't squeeze too hard either, it's all about support and partnership, being equals.  I give him what he needs, and he gives me what I ask for.  Here is a photo of Harley happy and relaxed on contact.

Contact

He is still doing very very well with his contact, stretching more into the bit now, and we are working very hard on taking contact at the walk.

Harley is stiff on his left side, so Jane has us doing counter bends while tracking left, and circling to the right and spiraling out with a leg yield.  He's doing well and seems to enjoy changing things up a bit.  He also really likes lateral work, and sometimes does leg yields without being asked :)

Harley is turning into the "big babysitter" at the barn, the go-to horse to calm and guide other horses who are nervous or new to the barn.  Harley took a new boarder for a nice walk last weekend, and yesterday, he took another new tenant for a trail ride and a little workout in the dressage arena. Harley seems to know when a horse is unsure, and acts as a calm, reassuring guide.

Rhythm - Harder to Find Than You Would Think

In these photos, we are working on rhythm.  Harley would speed up, slow down, take longer or shorter strides, and rarely moved in a straight line.  In the first photo, he is less than relaxed, his head has come up, and rhythm is no where to be found.  In the second photo, he has relaxed and is beginning to get into a groove, his own personal rhythm.

We are doing serpentines, circles, loops, and changes of rein and working on staying on two tracks and not losing his shoulder or allowing his hind end to swing in or out.  His rhythm gets better every time I ride him.

Be Grateful for Even the Smallest Progress

 Here is a photo of Jane riding Harley, after 3 months of training.  It's hard to believe it's the same frightened, angry horse I bought 6 months before.  We still have a long way to go, but every little improvement feels like a victory.

For the first time since I got him, I have to ask for more pace at the trot (he actually trots too slowly at times) because he is so relaxed now.  He is learning to use his body properly and realizing that it's more comfortable and less strenuous to do things correctly, rather than incorrectly.  It's hard work, but Harley is a fighter, not a quitter. 

Relaxation - Dealing with Fear and Anger

Relaxation is the first step on the training scale, and probably the most difficult step we would have to work on. 

Harley and I continued training with Jane once a week. Her methods of not fighting him, letting him find his safe place, and being patient, reassuring and encouraging began to work. We taught him that he had nothing to fear, and that there was nothing to fight against.  He responded a great deal to vocal encouragement and tried his hardest at every lesson. He no longer tried to run back to the gate, began to slow his trot, and was much happier and more relaxed.  Jane had us climb hills regularly to build up his hind end and increase his stamina.  His condition improved and he began to put on muscle.  Regular rides outside of the ring also helped, as Harley is very social and enjoys visiting with other horses and people at the ranch.

Now that Harley was relaxed, it was time to start finding his rhythm.

What Bit Should I Use?

Too often, owners, riders and trainers ignore the reason behind a behavior problem and simply slap a "bandaid" on it.  Take for example the horse that holds its head high, or tosses it constantly.  The common solution?  A standing martingale.  Hold his head down.  The hides the problem, but does not solve it.  If anything, it makes the problem worse, and at the very least, causes the horse to depend on the martingale rather than carry himself.  Too many trainers never think about the bit, except to try a harsher bit if a horse is too forward, rather than training the horse properly.

Harley was being ridding in a loose ring french link when I bought him, but he seemed unhappy with it.  I had been told I could use a Hunter D-ring, but he hated it.  Jane looked at his mouth and told me has a low pallet and a fairly thick tongue, and the center joint hit the roof of his mouth.  She suggested we try an eggbutt.  I found a JP Korsteel oval mouth with a lozenge type center piece, and he loved it.  No more tossing his head, rooting, or fighting the bit.

Jane has a great DVD entitled "A Bit of Understanding" that is well worth watching, and could just be the solution to problems you may be having with your horse.

Find the Right Trainer

It didn't take me long to realize that Harley had some very serious issues.  He seemed very confused and fearful, and almost desperate to get back to his stall.  I began to suspect that his stall was the only place he felt safe.  This, of course, presented a problem.  He was better just riding him around the ranch, but in the ring he was tense, nervous, and even angry at times.  I knew we needed help, and a very special trainer who could deal with Harley's anger and fear, without making him worse.

About 2 months after I got Harley, a new trainer arrived at the barn: Jane Armour, a former three-day event rider, and trainer from Scotland who had come to the U.S. on a "Trainer of Trainers" visa. Jane was offering conformation evaluations, so I made an appointment for her to check out Harley, and for us to check out Jane. Five minutes into the evaluation, I knew I wanted to train with her. What makes Jane so great? In addition to her outstanding background in classical dressage, she just plain gets horses. And their owners.



Jane and her 26 year old horse, Woodstock



Jane evaluated Harley, and pointed out his strengths and weaknesses.  She told me that he would notice everything, and she was absolutely right.  He even notices when new flowers bloom, or branches have been trimmed on trees.  She also told me that he is short-coupled, and that it would be difficult for him to get his hind legs under him, but not impossible, and that he would be a wonderful horse for me.

On September 3, 2009, we had our first lesson. Calling it "not great" is putting it mildly. Harley charged ahead when walking or trotting, could not relax, threw his head in the air, swerved unexpectedly away from the rail and tried to run back to the gate. Jane was totally calm, telling me not to fight him, and then, to my amazement, she complimented Harley, telling me that she loved that he had the confidence to do that. Never in a million years would I have been able to find anything positive in that lesson, but Jane did. I went home that night feeling hopeful. But we had our work cut out for us. Harley is a strong soul who stands up for himself and resists any kind of aggressive or forced training.  Gentleness and patience were the only methods that would work with him.  Fortunately, that is how Jane works.

Jane uses the classical dressage training scale:  Relaxation, Rhythm, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness, and Collection.  These steps must be taken in order, beginning with relaxation.  No successive step can be accomplished until the previous step is mastered, for example, a horse can not achieve rhythm in its gait unless it is relaxed, nor can a horse achieve straightness without first having impulsion.  Harley is a perfect example of how each of the six steps, taken in order, really work.

Harley's History

In January 2010, I decided to try to locate Harley's previous owners to learn more about his life and training.  I had purchased him through a local trainer, and had no information on the owners.  I managed to find his former trainer who was in Georgia where he came from, who put me in contact with his last owner who also lives in Georgia.  She emailed me the story of Harley's life from about three years of age.

When he was 3 years old, Harley was bought by a teenage girl who took him to a jumper barn.  Sadly, it was one of those barns where ground work and flat work are unheard of.  At age 4, they began jumping him.  Or rather, forcing him to jump, with no regard for training, balance, conditioning, etc.  Rather than jump something that he wasn't able to jump, he would stop, and they would beat him.  For the next 2 years, he was mistreated and abused by so-called trainers, but being a fighter, Harley found a way to get even.  He became a "dirty stopper", stopping right before a jump and dropping his head, dumping his rider.  After several attempts to break him of this habit, without actually addressing the true problem of lack of training, etc., Harley was stuck in a pasture and neglected.  In 2007, his owner, unable to feed or sell him, and wanting to avoid animal neglect charges, gave him to a trainer at a local barn.

Harley arrived at the new barn in horrendous condition, skin and bones and barely able to walk.  His hooves crumbled in their hands and all of his joints were swollen and sore.  After months of rehab, weight gain and joint supplements, and frequent visits by the farrier, Harley pulled through and his re-training began.  The trainer gave Harley to one of her students, a 15 year old girl who set to work on his re-education. 


Harley loves kids!

When she began, Harley did not even know how to walk on the rail.  A year later, he was excelling as a Children's Hunter, jumping up to 2'6" for a high school equestrian team. He also loved the attention of the kids at the barn, and even allowed them to turn him into a "Painted Pony!"

In the summer of 2008, a dressage trainer from California who had been doing clinics at the Georgia barn had noticed Harley's progress and ability and offered to sell him in California, as his owner wanted to jump higher than he was able, and was considering selling him.  Unfortunately for Harley, history was about to repeat itself.

The dressage trainer doubled the asking price for Harley from what he had told the owner.  Unable to sell Harley as a hunter at such a high price, he tried to turn him into a dressage horse in 3 months.  Having already been through "bully training" at the jumper barn, Harley rebelled against the cruel and painful tactics used by this new trainer.  Angry at not being able to cheat some innocent person by selling Harley at a ridiculously high price, the trainer stopped feeding him.  Fortunately, a few kind people at the barn snuck food to him, until Harley was moved to another trainer's barn about an hour away.  The new trainer fed him properly and calmed him down a bit, and then put him up for sale....at a reasonable price.

Having decided to get another horse after 30 years of not having one,  I went to DreamHorse.com a day after Harley's ad had been posted.  I went to see him a week later, had him vet checked a week after that, and he became mine 2 weeks later.

The Beginning

In May of 2009, I found Harley, a 10 year old Hanoverian/Thoroughbred gelding.This is what he looked like when I first got him. He was advertised as a hunter who could jump up to 2'9".

When he arrived at the barn on May 11, 2009 he was underweight, had very little muscle, and a truckload of issues from neglect and mistreatment in his past, which I would not learn about until almost a year later.

This is a story of challenges, discovery, solutions, setbacks and triumphs.  Of all of the horses I've owned, trained and ridden, Harley has been the most challenging individual to deal with, but none of his problems were his fault.  And I truly believe he has the most potential too.

He is a perfect example of why a first time horse buyer must be very careful when they get their first horse, and should always have an experienced person that they trust to advise them.  Had Harley been bought by a beginner, things would have most likely turned out very differently, and possibly very badly.