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?

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.
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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.
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.