Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Well, pain could be a problem too. As I mentioned my current saddle is not the greatest fit for this mare. It looks level when I place it on her back and do the girth up, but after I ride it looks more tipped forward (or down) - in the pommel area. So I'm also thinking that if it is tipping forward and down onto her shoulder blades, it probably is interfering with her motion at the canter. It could also be part of the problem for some of her stiffness on one side. I've been saving some money, so now I am completing the information to do an evaluation for a Reactor Panel saddle.

I recently did a tracing to send to RP for the evaluation of a saddle and it does look like she has one shoulder (the left one) that is slightly larger than the other (right one). Whether that is natural or from favoring one side I'm not sure. To me I think she was always like that, but then this is the first time I do a tracing. She has seen a chiropractor in the past, so it may well be worth having her worked on again.

 

I was changing directions before she would try and switch so that the decision would be mine, not hers. It wouldn't hurt to do a bit more work on her "bad" side, I just have to modify my longeing position to counter act her ol' switcheroo tactic. I have to make sure I stay out to the side but further back in line with her butt or even behind a little so that I can push her forward  -  and since I have to be closer to her, I walk with her in a large circle (rather than longeing from a more center point) so that the I am not making the circle tighter or more difficult. Otherwise if I am too far away, she will look for an opportunity to stop and spin and she will either stand there facing me or try to move on in the other direction on the side that she prefers. Usually I will do maybe three times around at the walk, one time around at the trot, back to a walk once around and switch. Its usually at the second trot around that she tries to switch. So I guess I could try to push her into that second trot around and then ask her to walk. I am all about quitting on a good note, so that is probably where I would stop the first couple of times. I wouldn't be asking her to do endless rounds. Once I can try an RP and see how she feels in that, it may help with part of the issue.

 

 

/Have you considered pain as an issue with your horse?  With your =
/youngster being stiff and one sided you might want to have a =
/chiropractor check her out.  I have a "short" 3 yr old (born in late =
/Aug) and only 13.3H, but she quite willingly canters in both directions =
/when lounging or being ridden in the arena.

/I've also been told to practice what your horse doesn't do well, rather
/than what they are already doing well, so for instance, with my new 7
/yr old, he doesn't like his back feet picked up but is okay on his front,
/so 90% of my hoof picking & hammering time is spent on his rears. This
/new fellow also has a preference to going counter-clockwise, but no =
/physical signs of discomfort of stiffness, so I keep him going
/clockwise longer than he wants to, rather than switch directions before he tries. I watch for the signal from him that he is considering a switch, then put myself in position to keep him going the direction that I want.
/Kathy

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