Why might I need a correction Numnah?

When Fitting Remedial Horses a Mattes Saddle Correction System is sometimes required, this is in those cases when muscle atrophy is so extreme that there is just “No Muscle on the Horse’s Back to Support The Saddle”.

We often see cases of atrophy as we often visit people who have had issues with badly fitting saddles, please see our blog post Remedial Horse Help which is also available for more information . 

Correction Numnahs are not usually required but in cases where a saddle has been constantly sitting on one side the muscle can become extremely uneven and we can shimm one side to replace the muscle in the area where it has been lostr which will keep the saddle level while the back recovers . The shimms can then be removed once muscle has returned.

Again if ponies are fitted in saddles that are too narrow, shifting the riders weight to the back of the saddle there can often be extreme wastage at the back of the saddle, I’m sure you have seen little show ponies who look as if someone has taken ” an ice cream scoop” to their backs at the rear of the saddle . These ponies sometimes need a correction system with rear shimms in order to keep the saddle balanced. Shimms are placed in the rear of the numnah, again to replace the lost muscle .

Correction numnahs can also be very helpful if your horse changes shape a lot as they can assist in refitting if a horse has dropped weight for some reason and you are expecting them to bulk back up, rather than changing the saddle or in cases where horses have lost weight they can be used so you can continue riding until your saddle fitter can come and make adjustments . The drop test can be used to accurately assess how many Shimms you need. Drop test your saddle and if it drops more than 1/2 a finger insert Shimms into the pad until the drop is 1/4 of a finger. This video shows how to drop test and you are welcome to contact us to help you.

Remedial Horse Help

This is Mango, he was rescued by a friend of ours in Portugal

Horses can require remedial saddle fitting for a number of reasons, many people underestimate the importance of a well fitting saddle .

Back problems in horses are often caused by badly fitting saddles, which over time may cause pain, discomfort and muscle wastage (atrophy) , sometimes resulting in behavioural problems, lameness and poor performance.

What would cause my horse to be called a Remedial Horse?

A remedial horse is a horse with sometimes extreme saddle related damage to the back.

Mango 6 months later , damage is starting to repair

What has caused this damage to my horse?

1. Previous ill fitting tack is the most common cause of damage to the muscles of the back in the area where we place the saddle, in extreme cases this results in white hairs being produced as there has been a lack of blood flow to the area , in most cases if the saddle is refitted or a correctly fitting saddle is purchased if the previous saddle cannot be made to fit then blood flow should return to the area and the result will be a return to coloured hair growth , this will be evident at the next coat change when the white hairs will be shed . In more extreme cases white hairs sometimes remain but if they do not increase in number then it is no longer a problem.

2. I’ll fitting tack also causes muscle atrophy, in this article we are only dealing with atrophy in relation to the saddle but it is also caused by Ill fitting rugs, bridles, head collars, rollers and driving harness.

3. Atrophy is created in an area where blood flow has been reduced to the area , this occurs from either pressure and/or movement. A saddle where pressure is evenly spread should not provide atrophy, a saddle which is not balanced will cause uneven pressure and therefore movement which will create and then accentuate the atrophy. If the saddle is not corrected or replaced atrophy can lead to white hairs.

4. A field or riding injury can cause uneven muscle development, this can cause your saddle to move and therefore to cause atrophy, it is prudent to have your saddle checked if your horse injures themselves and starts to move unevenly. Check his/her body for uneven muscle development, you can compare muscle development in the gaskin, rump , chest and shoulders . Does your horse feel uneven? Ask a friend to video you riding and be objective .

5. Crooked riders can create crooked horses if they have remained untreated for a long period of time, this can cause uneven muscle development and eventually muscle atrophy and white hairs if the saddle isn’t adjusted to compensate while they repair or are retained. Do your stirrups feel or look uneven, check them as they can stretch over time. It is also advisable to have yourself checked by your chiropractor or osteopath when they visit your horse.

6. Arthritis or similar on going health issues that have caused the horse or rider to compensate in his or her movement, which may in turn over time result in the saddle being moved to one side while being ridden. Again regular chiropractic and saddle checks are essential.

7. All horses and riders are asymmetric, they just vary in severity. A saddle that does not fit will exacerbate the problem and saddle will be sent to the weaker side causing atrophy on that side over time .

   How to help your remedial horse

   1. If the horse or rider is crooked they will need to be straightened by a Chiropractor or Osteopath, advice can be given by us to compensate if the horse has lost muscle due to asymetry to help aid recovery, if we can keep the saddle straight then with the appropriate ridden work, muscle work and exercises the wastage can recover.

   2. Scratch your horse or pony in areas of atrophy, he/she will enjoy this and it helps bring back the blood flow, you can use special massagers designed for this purpose , a grooming mit or just your fingers. If you have access to a Bemer, rug, cyclossage , equilibrium pad or similar piece of electronic equipment this can help hugely. Also aqua training and/ or lunging in a loosely set up Passoa or equiami can help in cases of small ponies where small children cannot ride them correctly can help muscle tone and the creation of the correct muscles structure.

   3. Your horse may require a ‘correction numnah’ (or similar) please see our blogpost “Why do I need a correction Numnah” for more information .  This is to replace lost muscle while the the back repairs if muscle loss is extreme, remember to check and remove Shimms as muscle develops, contacting us for advice can help you with this or it will automatically be checked by us at your 3 month check to see if it is still needed .

   4. As the horses back starts to repair they may become sensitive as the blood flow returns to the damaged muscles , think about how it feels if you sleep on your arm for example and wake up with a lack of blood flow “ referred to as a dead arm”. It feels strange when the blood flow comes back doesn’t it? I imagine this is how the horse could feel, atrophy is an extreme form of dead arm , in extreme cases the back has no feeling because of the lack of blood flow. Hence your horses back can feel extra sensitive and strange to him as the blood flow returns as the uneven pressure has been removed . Give him a few days off and he should be fine.

   5. The saddle will need regular checks as the horses back repairs, some will change in a matter of weeks, and some will take considerably longer . We advise to get the fitter out as soon as you notice any changes. There will be a call-out fee for every visit, but we are happy to advise over the phone or by email, Facebook messenger, text or WhatsApp, this is free. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss your horse’s ongoing recovery and symptoms . We are here to help and work with you .  

   What to expect

   Recovery times vary depending on a number of factors for example a horse who has access to aqua training will repair muscle much quicker than a horse who is being ridden once a week and also age and condition make a difference, older horses tend to repair much more slowly, each case is different . But with patience and the help of your saddle fitter, Chiropractic Professional, Muscle worker or Physiotherapist and your Trainer, most horses do improve and completely repair.

   As described above your horse should develop more muscle in the damaged areas, he may therefore become sensitive as the blood flow returns. It some times helps to have massage work carried out on your horse while he repairs, or to practise stretching exercises (carrot stretches etc) with your horse every day. If your horse has had chiropractic work done to straighten out unevenness this may need repeating in a few months to keep on top of the problem.

   When your new saddle is fitted your horse should move more freely, please work him gently for the first week or two i.e . do not go hunting for 4 hours on your new saddle! Let it bed in and let the horse get used to being able to move all his muscles in a different way. He will also experiment to see how he can move under the new saddle as it will feel different to him so dressage horses may not be as consistent in their cadence for a few training sessions as they all work things out at different rates, please bear with them.

   They may now be able to get that previously elusive right/left canter lead , be aware they will be using their muscles differently and excessive work may cause him discomfort even if he is happy to work hard so do not change or increase your training level in the first few weeks until he is established. New muscle developement can cause Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) so please give a day off after periods of hard work.

   Some horse’s muscles can change considerably in a matter of weeks, sometimes it can be very slow and gradual, and it depends on the horses breed, the way he/she is worked and the amount of work that he/she does . If the horse has damage under the saddle area, the front can often repair first, so if the saddle starts to tip backwards, ask your saddle fitter to visit and if needed to adjust the saddle.

Most importantly keep in touch with your support team so that recovery isn’t delayed or stopped by asymmetry or the saddle needing a refit. 😊

Going forward with your new saddle

Morning everyone, it’s been an interesting week saddle fitting and a few things that have happened in the last few weeks have prompted me to write this post with regards to how to proceed after your saddle fitting.

Over 10 years ago now I wrote an article entitled “ Remedial horse help “ which you can find in an earlier blogpost . This was to help customers with horses with saddle related injury to the back move forward in a positive way to enable their horses to recover.

This has been in the whole successful , we recognise that when customers have a horse who has been damaged by a saddle there are certain factors and changes the horse will go through both physically and mentally once the saddle has been changed to one which does not do damage and therefore people need to be aware of what they could see and how to help the horse repair.

Now 10 years on I have made changes to this document and recent events have prompted me to write this new article as what I didn’t consider at the time was the effect that the saddle damage has in the horses human . So here goes .

When a horse is damaged by a saddle it is an extremely stressful and worrying situation, together with the feelings of guilt that we have unwittingly hurt our horses and anger towards the professional who fitted said saddle despite the fact that many factors are involved with saddle fit after the fitting and sometimes the situation could have been avoided .

In these days when information , accurate or inaccurate is available at the click of a mouse and there is an expert on every forum, not to mention professionals looking for business, the yard “expert” and other professionals who give opinions it is difficult for the horse owner to know how to proceed after the new saddle has been fitted hence I have written the following pointers .

1, first of all do not expect miracles overnight, your horse will have physical and mental damage which needs to be undone and they need to learn to trust the new saddle will not hurt them, also you as the owner will be very heightened towards the possibility of this happening again.

2, you have taken time and consideration choosing your professional to fit your new saddle, trust their advice to take you forward. The people who have the most success are people who work with their saddle fitter .

3, you had a great experience with the saddle and fitter which is why you purchased the saddle from them, if it doesn’t feel the same or behave the same after the fit them something has changed. Customer sometimes don’t put the saddle in the right place, sometimes the use the incorrect girthing, sometimes they use a different “special “ pad.

If something is different contact your saddle fitter for advice and work with them, they can easily talk you through what is happening and help you get back the great feeling and performance you had at the saddle fit or revisit. If you just give up then you are back where you were without a well fitting saddle.

4, We offer a free adjustment subject to the travel charge within the first 3 months as do other saddle fitters , take advantage of this. We offer this as experience has told us newly flocked saddles bed down as the flock is soft and needs to shape to the horse , horses often change shape , sometimes quickly once they have a saddle that is working for them and therefore the saddle will need adjusting relatively quickly depending on age, how much riding you do, your level of expertise and equipment you have access to and the level of the damage.

5, Read the blogpost Remedial Horse Help , this gives concise information on what to expect and how to help your horse recover.

6, Most importantly keep an open mind and an open channel of communication, this will ensure that you get help when you need it and keeps your horses recovery going forward in a positive way. We saddle fitters want the best for you and your horse.

Welcome to our Blog

.. We hope you find it useful (:

What information do we need before your saddle fitting?

My First Post is what Information do we need before your fitting.

Here at Saddle Exchange we take choosing the right saddle for you very seriously. When you first make contact we will discuss your requirements, we are very experienced, fitting riders at every level in most disaplines , including National Team members in 8 Countries, we pride our selves in being able to translate what you are feeling into a saddle that works for you and your horse.

The following things are what we need to know.

• As the photo in the middle demonstrates a seat size which is too small will put more weight in the back of the saddle. This customer would be better accomodated in the Tamar rather than the Seeker due to the shape of the seat .

  We take into account your physical attributes, tall riders or those with a fuller figure on short coupled horses can be accomodated by choosing the right seat and panel options and sometimes with a custom saddle. Sitting on the cantle is bad for your horses back and your own ! It distributes your weight unevenly and is uncomfortable for you and your horse .

• Age, experience and riding style. please tell us also if you have any physical injuries or weaknesses as we will need to take this into account.

• Also what colour saddle, what seat size you are most comfortable in and also which leather finishes will be most suitable as they all have different properties.

Once we know what you need we turn to your horse,

if you can send us these photos we will have a good idea what will fit your horse

• What will your horses primary job be?

• Breed, Height and Physical Characteristics, the photos really help!

• A bit about their history, do they have any physical problems, special needs?

Horses & Ponies come in all shapes and sizes, all with unique needs.

Once we have all this information we can call and see you with a selection of saddles which will fit your horse or pony, you can then ride in a selection and make your choice. As we charge a call out to visit you based on your locality and our traveling time you are under no pressure to buy a saddle and neither are we under pressure to sell one. Take all the time you need and if you wish to buy one of the saddles you pay for it in full, together with the callout and any accessories you choose, we take cash, cheques and also have a card machine for card payments. We do however make a handling charge for refunds based on how you pay for more information please see our terms and conditions.

Choosing The Right Saddle, Trials & Customisation

Your 14 day trial starts here. We feel that a saddle fit does not give you enough time to make such an important decision, we therefore offer you 14 days to go and ride in the saddle to make sure you have made the right choice. Go to a show, Do an Endurance ride, have a lesson with your instructor and go for lots of hacks. We ask that you keep the stirrup leathers under the flap ( our saddles are specially constructed to allow this ) do not ride in extreme weather, ride in wellies or use girths which are Rusty or without roller buckles, that way if the saddle is returned it will not be damaged in any way . For more information on guarantees and trial periods please click on the link.

During your trial please keep your stirrups under the flap, this will avoid wear on the saddle flaps.

During your trial think about the saddle, is it suitable for what you wish to do, can it be improved in any way?

• Is the seat comfortable for you?

• Do you find the flap accomodates you correctly and your knees stay in the correct position behind the knee block in all gaits ?

• Can you jump easily in the saddle and stay in balance at the height you choose to jump?

• Aesthetically do you need longer/shorter flaps to flatter your horse, particularly if the saddle is for showing?

• Did you make the correct choice of leather options? Suede or doeskin can feel very secure and Calf and Memel very soft and easily molds to the rider .

• Do you need anything special, for example a thigh roll on a dressage saddle, smaller or velcro knee blocks?

Let us know your thoughts. Again we are very experienced and if you need a custom saddle we will make one for you and exchange it for the saddle you had on trial, there is no charge for the return visit at this time, any changes to the standard saddle that are chargeable will be discussed in advance and are paid for at the time of delivery

What to Expect at one of Our Saddle Fittings

Once we have an idea of what you are looking for, details of yourself and your horse we can decide between us which saddles we will bring for you to try at your saddle fitting.

We have found over the years that horses and ponies are quite straight forward for us to fit once we have the information we need and can choose the correct tree and panel .

We are highly experienced, fitting on average of 5 to 7 horses and ponies a day, quite often 7 days a week, all over the world . Because of this volume of fits, we find we have seen most fitting challenges and fitted most breeds, however like everything horsey we are occasionally surprised but can draw on our experience to enable us to fit both horse and rider.

The riders we have found vary hugely, as riders we all have aches and pains and often previous injuries, we are all different shapes and sizes and ride in different ways.

Because of this we like everyone to have a trial period on their new saddle, at the saddle fit you will have the opportunity to try the saddles you asked us to bring, limited only by the patience of your horse.

On the day of your fitting we will fill in paperwork for our records and will have the selection of the saddles you have chosen with us, you can try them and should you decide to buy one we would take payment for the saddle plus call out fee. All our saddles have a trial period, 4 weeks for ReactorPanel and 14 days for Comfort and Native Pony so you will have plenty of time to make sure you have made the right choice .

Should you wish to return or exchange your saddle during this time you would be given a refund less the charge of £25 per week to cover wear and tear on the saddle ( ReactorPanel only) and a handling charge related to bank charges depending on the form of payment . All our saddles also come with a 1 year guarantee on both the tree and leatherwork, please see our terms and conditions for more information.

We recommend a saddle check within the first 3 months especially in cases of remedial fits as we have found that horses and ponies will regenerate muscle very quickly when fitted correctly and given the right exercise, because of this we give a free adjustment/re-flock during this time subject to the agents call out fee.

Please feel free to contact us for your annual saddle check, Check our diaries for when we are going to be in your area, we cover most parts of the UK at least once a month and Europe at least every 3 months but may have an agent in your area who can see you sooner, please only use agents who’s details are shown on our websites as that will ensure you get the best possible fitting and value for money .

We are of course always available for advice via telephone or e-mail as quite often I can make suggestions which may make a call out un-necessary.

Here’s a video with Mathew Lawrence showing us a saddle fit…..