Re: RC: Panic Attack / Saddling Problem

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

> the saddle.  The solution was a new saddle that fit.  

I think there's a major difference between a truly cold backed horse and
a horse who has become soured from saddling.  I've dealt with a couple of
cold backed horses who seem unable to control their freak out behavior. 
We had a 7/8 TB App mare who one was getting ready to run on a brush
track.  We had simply put the jockey saddle on her back slightly hooked
the girth and as we pulled her leg forward to clear the wrinkles she was
IMMEDIATELY over backwards.  She got up and looked confused but not mad. 
Never had another problem with her until YEARS later I put an English
saddle on her one day and same thing. Boom! Over backwards.  Again, she
got up looking confused but not mad.  

Went with a friend to try out a very greenbroke Arab.  We put a Wintec
saddle on him and began to tighten the girth.  He was tied to a post at
the time.  He sort of just collapsed.  Very non-violent.  I thought it
may have been a colt thing.  She bought him but the collapse definately
helped bargain the price down.  Years later as she tightend the girth he
did the explosive backflip.  Broke the rope and his billets.  Got up calm
and ready to go.  To me the behavior struck me more like a seizure than a
temper tantrum.  Panic attack may be the best description.  I do not
think it's the same as a horse who is soured towards saddling.  Shelby
Cook of South Carolina had a really nice mare named Sheba that tended to
flip over backwards when he got on.  Don't know how he stood it, but
Shelby seemed to just take it as part of the package.  He'd lead her
around to warm her up, then if I remember right just try to get the heck
on her as everybody took off and hope she was in the mood to go after
them instead of backwards.  She'd do real well and he was a heavyweight.

Angie
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