CUSTOM MADE COMFORT FOR THE HORSE AND RIDER
INTRODUCING THE TRAPEZIUS SADDLE
THE SADDLE OF THE FUTURE FROM THE WISDOM OF THE PAST
Unlike
modern saddles the TRAPEZIUS is built on two separate 'floating' panels.
These are based on old Icelandic saddles which used a flexible material
from the mouth of the whale. The
whale panels are reproduced using modern materials to present a flexible support
for the seat of the saddle.
The panels flex independently of each other to follow the movement of the
back muscles either side of the spine and allow the shoulder to rotate with
minimal interference.
The
horse can turn its neck naturally without the interference often seen with
traditional saddles which can pinch at the wither making the horse appear
'stiff'. This design also cuts down
on friction soring behind caused by the constant sway of the saddle as the back
end moves in sympathy with each front fork being pushed away from the shoulder.
The
trees have been developed specifically for the shape of the horse's skeleton and
the panels adjust to the changes in musculature as the horse gets fitter or
fatter. This cuts out the need for reflocking which is necessary with
traditional stuffed panels.
Specific
attention is given to the shape of the front forks.
These must splay out with the shape of the horse.
If the front forks are too straight they will dig into the horse, causing
discomfort and leading to behavioural problems or even lameness over a period of
time.
The
smooth panels provide a greater load bearing area than conventional stuffed
panels thus ensuring that the rider's weight is spread evenly over the
musculature of the back to lessen muscle fatigue.
A unique pressure measuring probe was used in development to minimise the
risk of pressure soring so often seen with lumpy stuffed panels.
Minimum
bulk under the flaps ensures close contact and allows the rider to wrap the legs
around the horse in a natural way thus reducing rider fatigue.
The
saddle itself sits close to the horse's back and the rider feels more of the
movement - the nearest thing to
bare back.
The
girth straps are angled forward so that the saddle sits the rider centrally on
the horse's back. Saddles placed
over the wither will interfere with the rotation of the shoulder blade and cause
the horse to shorten its stride to minimize the discomfort.
Horses
which are uncomfortable will not perform at their best whether in serious
competition or purely for pleasure riding.
The TRAPEZIUS has been developed specifically for the comfort of the
horse so that YOUR pleasure is not at its expense.
If your horse deserves the best this is the saddle for you.
THE
ULTIMATE STOIC
That
the horse is the ultimate stoic cannot be held to question.
The have a high tolerance level to pain and an even higher tolerance of
discomfort ‑ otherwise we could not ride them.
It is because of this tolerance of pain, discomfort and general
mistreatment that we must learn to recognise when we are damaging the horse,
either physically or mentally. All
too often I hear a rider describe their horse as brilliantly clever because it
'pretends to go lame' to avoid schoolwork, or jumping, or being ridden two days
in a row!
Horses
are just not that clever or complex! It
is complete nonsense to ascribe to the horse the ability to pretend to limp to
avoid a particular kind of work! Far
more likely is that the horse is suffering from a minor lameness ALL THE TIME
but particular types of work bring it to the fore such that the rider notices
it. Take the hunter who hunts all
day, taking jumps in its stride and is totally 'sound' on the field.
Yet, take him into a dressage arena to do some schoolwork or suppling
exercises and he shows signs of lameness. It
is not that he is putting it on to avoid work he does not enjoy.
It is simply that the excitement of the hunt takes his mind off whatever
is hurting him.
It
is always true that whatever problem the horse has it will become more apparent
the more the horse is ridden. Of
course that is not the same as saying that the horse does not have a problem
until it is in regular hard work. The
basic problem may be there every time the horse is ridden but the rider simply
does not recognise it as a physical problem until more regular work exacerbates
it enough to make the horse overtly lame or simply unrideable.
These early signs that the horse has a physical problem are usually of a
behavioural nature and can be as little as the horse becoming difficult to catch
in the field!
In
the following pages we will take a closer look at some of these early signs in
relation to saddling problems. The
reader should be aware that other problems may also be present and it is
important to examine the horse thoroughly to ensure that he is comfortable in
his feet and in his back as well as being nutritionally sound if he is to
perform at his best.
THE
HORSE'S BACK
The
centre of gravity of the stationary horse lies just behind the elbow and about
two‑thirds of the way below the topline.
This tends to pull the back down making it hollow.
Ligaments and muscles resist this pull to keep the back from sagging
under the weight of the horse's gut. Very
fat horses and regular broodmares
will develop sagging backs as the muscles and ligaments lose tone and strength
and give way to the gravitational pull of the body cavity.
Similarly, if these ligaments and muscles are not correctly developed to
carry the additional weight of saddle and rider, the horse's back will sag.
When
a horse has developed, for whatever reason, a dipped or 'sway' back the whole of
the horse's movement will be affected and it will be in much discomfort with a
rider on its back. It will develop its movement in such a way as to alleviate
its discomfort as much as possible. This,
in time will give rise to extra strain on the horse's locomotory muscles,
tendons and ligaments. Long term
foot problems may also develop as the horse puts its feet to the ground in an
unnatural way to relieve discomfort in its topline. Similarly tendon and ligament problems can arise from the
uneven pressures exerted on them.
Foot
problems can give rise to back pain. This
is generally accepted by vets who will almost always suspect lameness in a limb
when presented with a horse with a 'back problem'.
That the two often go together cannot be denied, however the scenario of
a back problem existing as the cause of the foot/limb lameness is often
overlooked. In this case, no amount of corrective therapy directed at the
foot will cure the problem unless the back problem is first addressed.
It
appears that the prime source of back pain in horses is muscular in its origin.
(Eventually this can give rise to problems in the spine itself ‑ or
more specifically the spinous processes which rise out of the spine).
Many muscle groups work together or in opposition to produce movement of
the horse's limbs and hence motion over the ground.
When one or more of these muscular functions is prevented from correct
action then strain will arise and the horse will be forced to develop a
compensatory way of going. This
will result in uneven development of the locomotory muscles which will be
obvious to the trained observer.
The
horse's spine is well protected by layers of muscle so the scenario of a slipped
disc is rare in the horse. Much
more common is muscle and/or ligament damage and a great many horses suffer very
real pain due to sore back muscles. Once
again, as the horse rarely vocalises its discomfort, it will demonstrate the
response to back pain in its behaviour. Here
are some clues:
1.
Difficult to catch in the field, when in regular work.
2. Shies away from saddling,
swishes tail, stamps a foot, lays ears back when saddled.
3.
Tosses head up, stamps, kicks up at belly, tries to bite or snaps teeth
in the air when girth is tightened.
4.
Will not stand still for mounting.
5. Drops back when rider
mounts ‑ so‑called 'cold back'. (There is no such thing as a 'cold'
back ‑ only sore backs)
6.
Calm, easy‑going horse in hand who gets 'silly' under saddle:
always jogging or wanting to go faster, cantering sideways, bucking, etc.
7. Star‑gazing, hollow
outline ‑ difficult to get on the bit.
8.
Hops rider off one particular diagonal, reluctance to canter on one lead,
difficult to trot uphill, often preferring to canter.
9.
Rushes fences or refuses to jump.
10.
Drags back toes, creating more wear on the toes of back feet.
11.
Tendency to overreach or forge, tripping, head shaking, tail swishing.
12.
Dropped at the loins with a tendency to leave back legs behind or take small
steps with back legs; as if walking in stiletto heels!
13.
Reluctance to travel, difficult to box.
Each
of these is a sign that all is not as it should be.
Taken individually some of these signs could be due to a schooling
problem, foot problem or management problem, however a combination of several of
these would certainly indicate pain in the back and further investigation is
warranted.
Stand
the horse square on a level surface and look at the muscles on its hindquarters
‑ are they the same on both sides? Now
look along the horse's back to its shoulders ‑ are both shoulders evenly
developed? Look at the long back muscles, are they well developed or do
they fall away from the spine, giving the spine a promonent look in an otherwise
well covered horse? When ridden
does the saddle habitually fall away to one side?
Does one stirrup always feel shorter than the other?
Now gently feel along the horse's muscles on either side of the spine.
If there is a sore bit the horse will indicate this by raising its head
sharply, swishing its tail or stamping a foot and shaking its head or it may
vibrate the skin as if ‘ticklish’. Not
all horses react in the same way, indeed some horses with very sore backs will
tense their muscles in anticipation of the pain and so will appear not to react
at all.
Facing
the fact that your horse could have a sore back is not easy.
Naturally it is difficult to accept that you may be causing your
much‑loved pet pain whenever you ride it and so it is easier to listen to
'knowledgeable' people who will convince you that the horse is merely badly
trained or temperamental. Sometimes
they may be right as 'backs' can originate from many different causes, here are
a few:
1.
Improper foot balance causing deviation of flight of limb.
2.
Poor schooling with horse's head held too high or too tightly, causing
the back to hollow.
3.
Lameness in one or more limbs, causing the horse to compensate with poor
posture.
4.
Poor posture of rider.
5.
Saddle's weight bearing area too small for weight of rider.
6.
Saddle fitted too far forward and pinching at the withers.
7.
Improper balance of saddle such that:
a. rider's weight thrown
forward onto wither area,
b.
rider's weight thrown back onto loins,
c.
saddle bouncing on loins.
8.
Saddle twisted, causing uneven weight distribution from side to side.
9.
Saddle sitting fore and aft and not in contact with the horse's back in
the middle.
Assuming that the majority of back problems arise from saddles and their
fitting that is what we will examine in more detail.
WEIGHT‑BEARING
AREA OF SADDLE
With
the horse's comfort in mind, a saddle should distribute the rider's weight over
as large an area as possible on the horse's back.
Consider carrying a rucksack with very narrow straps compared to one of
the same weight with wider straps. The
wider straps distribute the weight of the rucksack over a wider area and so the
burden is easier to carry. Technically,
the wider the straps the fewer pounds per square inch of pressure is exerted.
The principle is the same for a saddle on a horse's back.
Put
chalk or powder on the horse's back, grease the saddle and sit this on the
powder. The powdered area of the
saddle is the bit to measure. You may be surprised at how small a weight bearing area your
saddle actually presents to the horse!
The
heavier the rider the worse the problem for the tissues of the horse's back.
Too small a weight bearing area will put too much pressure on the horse
and we risk causing damage to tissue. The
longer the ride the more pronounced the damage.
The heavier the rider the more weight‑bearing area the saddle must
possess.
So
much for weight‑bearing area which must be a priority when buying a saddle
if the horse is to be worked regularly and in comfort.
Remember to check that the saddle fits the horse all the way along the
weight bearing panels ‑ put your hand up under the centre of the saddle
and check that it is not 'floating' in the middle.
The worst kind of damage comes from the table‑leg effect of a
saddle which rests on the horse in front and behind while bridging the middle.
Consider how little actual load‑bearing surface you have then!
(Western saddles can be particularly bad in this respect as the 'skirts'
often do not fully distribute the weight. The
rider is effectively sitting on the four points of the saddle tree).
THE
THORACIC SLING To understand the
effect that a saddle has on a horse's ability to maintain its natural balance
and equilibrium, it is important to note that the thorax of the horse is not
attached to any part of the forelimbs by any form of bony or rigid union.
It is suspended between the two shoulder blades, cradled within a sling
made of muscles. The horse has no
collar bone.
The
thorax has therefore a great deal of lateral movement which is necessary to
allow the horse to carry out 'bending' movements.
A horse 'bends' round a pole by moving its forelegs away from and towards
its body ‑ the actual body does not bend at all.
When
we place a saddle on a horse we must aim to keep an even balance on either side
of the shoulder girdle ‑ especially important when you realise that the
horse has no collar bone. Consider a person walking towards you carrying two identical
buckets. One bucket has a ten pound
weight in it and the other bucket is empty.
How long would it take you to work out which bucket was empty?
You would probably be able to tell in a few strides due to the
compensatory posture of the person trying to manage the uneven load.
If
one side of a saddle is slightly higher than the other then this will
concentrate more of the rider's weight onto the lower side.
This will force more weight onto that leg when the horse moves.
Conversely, the opposite front leg will be freer and therefore more able
to work in the correct manner. The
eventual outcome of this will be to build more muscle on the freer side than on
the side which is propping the extra weight.
When
the horse is in motion it will compensate for the uneven load but this may be
imperceptible to all but a very few well‑trained observers.
Remember the thoracic sling ‑ with no collar bone the horse
compensates in a more subtle way! The
horse may well go on for years without any 'obvious' adverse effects, however,
in a relatively short time it will have muscle discrepancy which can be detected
by any informed owner.
When
the rider adopts rising trot the concussive effect of the 'sit' phase doubles
the rider's weight as it meets with the horse's back.
Thus, when the rider sits on the shoulder which is already bearing more
weight then the horse will often break stride and canter or simply 'hop' the
rider over to the other diagonal. The
horse immediately feels more
comfortable because the rider is helping with the equilibrium of his thoracic
sling by placing more weight on the lighter, freer side ‑ the imbalance of
the saddle is thus evened out to an extent that the horse can cope with and
therefore maintain trot.
This
imbalance need not be much. As
little as 1/4 inch can give the horse a 'favourite' diagonal in trot or a 'favourite'
canter lead ‑ depending, of course, on your weight and how much you ride
the horse!
THE
PECTORAL MUSCLES In simplification,
the pectoral muscles are an essential part of the thoracic sling and of the
forward thrust of the horse's body over his front legs.
The effect of saddle imbalance often gives rise to tenderness in these
muscles. Thus, when the horse is girthed it may show its discomfort
(or even anticipation of the girth) in a number of ways: tossing head in the air, snapping teeth, stamping a front
foot or kicking at belly with a back foot.
Very bad cases may run backwards or even collapse!
THE
TRAPEZIUS MUSCLE The trapezius
muscle is a flattened triangular sheet of muscle, the base of which covers the
area from the midline of the neck, withers and thorax.
The apex of the triangle is inserted into the spine of the scapula along
with other muscles which are important for the movement of the horse's front
legs. (For the sake of simplicity, we will ignore these other muscles as long as
the reader accepts that an adverse effect on one muscle group will have an
effect on others). Suffice it to
say that the trapezius is responsible for the lifting of the front legs.
The higher the head carriage, the higher the steps.
(This is why ewe‑necked horses always have a high knee action).
The
front arch of the typical modern saddle straddles the trapezius muscle over the
wither or thorax of the horse. The
inevitable effect of this is to cause pinching to the trapezius muscle thus
making it uncomfortable for the horse to stretch out its head and neck and use
the muscle strongly to lift its legs to any degree.
Foreleg movement may appear jerky as the horse tries to cope with the
pain.
An
arched surface cannot bear weight without being pinched!
Consider the effectiveness of the old‑fashioned 'dolly' clothes
pegs. These were very effective in
holding clothes on the washing line because they employed just this principle;
they were merely pushed onto the line over the cloth and the cloth was
pinched into security. In the same
way the arched surface of the horse receives compressive forces from the weight
of the rider on the saddle arch, in effect the trapezius muscle is being pinched
like the clothes under the dolly peg.
This
pinching will be exacerbated if the saddle is tipping the rider's weight
forward. Most of the rider's weight
will then be concentrated on the front arch of the saddle thus transferring too
many pounds per square inch onto a small area.
The horse's freedom of movement will be affected, its strides will become
'jerky' but it may still feel quite even in its gaits to all but the purist.
It will certainly be unhappy and it may well trip frequently, especially
towards the end of a ride or when going downhill.
The
next time you ride your horse push your fingers under the front forks of your
saddle. If your fingers are pinched
and uncomfortable the chances are that your horse feels the same!
Raise
the saddle in front to level out the rider's weight, minimize the pinching of
the trapezius and, as long as the damage is not too deepset, the horse will be
more comfortable.
THE
LONGISSIMUS DORSI The longissimus
dorsi is the longest muscle in the horse's body.
Broadly speaking, it travels the length of the horse's back from wither
region to cover the lumbar region. As
far as we are concerned, its importance lies in its action as a brace for the
horse's spine, holding the spine rigid to allow the muscle mass of the
hindquarters to pull against it for hindleg leverage.
The longissimus dorsi fires sequentially along its length.
If its function is impaired then its effectiveness in holding the spine
up will be affected, the pull of the muscles of the hindquarters will not be at
optimum level and the horse will find it difficult to track up with its hindlegs
‑ in effect it will 'leave its hindlegs behind'.
This will be most noticeable in the faster gaits and especially so in
upward transitions.
If
the saddle has too little weight‑bearing area this will interfere with the
sequential firing of the longissimus dorsi.
Over a period of time (depending on how often the horse is ridden) the
horse's back will appear dropped and it will become 'sway‑backed'.
Ultimately, this can lead to the tips of the lumbar vertebrae touching
each other and eventually fusing. With
the fusion the pain will be lessened but the horse's athletic movement, even
free in its field, will be forever impaired.
The
above situation may take years to occur but in the meantime the horse just is
not quite 'engaging its hocks' or it may drag the toes of its back feet,
especially downhill, perhaps making your farrier comment on the fact that it is
lazy because it wears the toes of its hind shoes excessively!
Even
when the calculated load bearing surface of the saddle is adequate for the
rider, if the saddle is tilted backwards then too much weight will be
concentrated on too small an area. The
same situation occurs when the rider habitually leans back in the saddle ‑
discomfort and impaired movement of the hindquarters with eventual muscle and
bone damage to the horse!
When
the horse drops its back and drags its hindlegs in this way it is also inclined
to raise its head. Thus the action of the trapezius will give more 'lift' to the
front legs making the horse seem falsely light in front, to the uninformed
rider. The keen observer will be
appalled at the lack of harmony and grace which such a stilted outline gives to
the eye. In fact the horse is not
going well at all, it is merely compensating for pain. It will often open its mouth in a silent scream of despair
only to be shut up by the addition of an over‑tightly winched drop nose
band!
FITTING
A SADDLE
We
have already examined the effects of the load‑bearing surface of the
saddle and also the balance from side to side and from front to back.
Now we will look at the correct place to put the saddle and how it should
fit the horse.
Any
good book on horse management will tell you that the saddle must be clear of the
horse's spine along the full length of the channel.
The front arch of the saddle must be well clear of the horse's wither
when the rider sits in the saddle. That
is basic and there is no excuse for raw withers from saddles which press down on
them! There is also no excuse for
the all‑too‑often‑seen white patches either side of the
horse's wither from saddle pressure! These
are indications of extreme damage to the horse who must have experienced very
real pain under saddle before these dramatic signs appear.
As
we have said, the saddle must clear the horse's spine along the full length of
the channel, it must be evenly balanced fore and aft so that the rider is not
tipped forward or backward, it must be balanced from side to side so that the
rider is sitting evenly on the horse. What
we have not yet looked at is where the saddle should sit on the horse.
Most
people tend to place the saddle too far forward on the horse such that it sits
over the horse's wither. The effect
of this is that of the dolly clothes peg pinching the trapezius muscles and
inhibiting the lift of the front legs. Another
effect is that the saddle presents an obstruction to the rotation of the
shoulder blades. If you are unaware
of how much movement there is in the shoulders when a horse moves try leading
your horse down a hill without a saddle, watch the
tip of the shoulder and notice how much rotation there is. Now put your saddle on the horse over its wither and ride
down the same hill. Place the tips
of your fingers under the front of the saddle where it rests on the side of the
wither. Are your fingers pinched?
If they are then your horse is being pinched!
Can you see a bulge of muscle appearing against the front of the saddle
as the horse's shoulder moves back? If
so then your horse will not stride out as it should.
If
you now suspect that your saddle has been pinching your horse or in some way
causing him discomfort there are several things you can examine for yourself.
If you use a numnah or saddle cloth examine this for marks. If the saddle
is exerting too much pressure on one place then this part will show more grease
or wear. It is not
uncommon to find two dirty spots at the front of the numnah which
correspond to pressure points on either side of the wither.
Having
examined the saddle cloth you can now examine the horse for signs of pressure or
friction. Take the horse out for
its normal ride then leave it in the stable for an hour or so.
If the saddle has been exerting undue pressure on the horse you will be
able to detect fluid filled raised patches.
Gently run your hand over the saddle area and be aware of any slightly
warm or raised areas. If you find a
raised area, gently push your finger into it.
If this is filled with fluid it will leave a slight indentation.
These are commonly found in the wither area. At the back of the saddle patch you may also detect
fluid‑filled areas or you may find ruffled hair or warm patches caused by
friction rubs.
Another
sign of too much pressure on too small an area becomes obvious when the horse
has sweated under saddle. If there
is evidence of patches which dry out more quickly than the whole area then these
patches are exhibiting heat generated by a rush of blood to a damaged area.
If
the horse is to be comfortable under saddle then all of these signs of initial
damage must be taken very seriously indeed before the horse develops
'temperamental' behaviour or suffers the deep tissue damage
exhibited by white hairs or even open sores!
If the saddle is sound and true it may simply need more stuffing to make
it fit the horse properly. Or, it
may fit better when placed further back off the horse's wither area and
therefore free of its shoulders.
Think
on how successful the American Indians were as horsemen.
Their horses were ridden without saddles and they habitually sat in the
correct place on the horse's back. You
will not find drawings of them perched over their horses' withers.
Their weight was spread over buttocks and thighs which did not present as
a rigid structure in the same way as a saddle necessarily does.
Their movements were fluid and very much in tune to the movement of the
horse's muscles ‑ otherwise they would simply fall off!
However if the damage has been longterm then the horse may be worse
ridden bareback.
BACK
PADS
Back
pads can be a mixed blessing to the horse.
Whereas a pad will help to lessen the concussion and help to spread the
load there is a danger that they will increase the pinching over the wither area
and therefore the trapezius muscle. There
are some excellent pads on the market which will help the horse to cope but they
must be used with caution. The best
of back pads is no compensation for a saddle which does not fit the horse and
indeed they can make matters worse. The
only time I would recommend the use of a good back pad would be where the saddle
was a good fit for the horse but had insufficient load‑bearing surface for
the weight of the rider. In this
case a pad may help the horse to cope better but I would still prefer that a
better saddle was found.
TRAPEZIUS
SADDLES
One
saddle built on a different principle to the modern British saddle is the 'TRAPEZIUS'.
I have used these saddles on a number of horses with minor back problems
and have found that the horses not only go better but in many instances previous
damage is lessened. Of course some
horses have suffered so much damage to deep tissue that they cannot be ridden in
comfort in any saddle. As with all
things, prevention is better than cure!
I
would recommend a TRAPEZIUS to anyone who had the best welfare of their horse at
heart. Why is it different?
The extra wide load‑bearing surface is detached from the seat which
carries the rider. That is to say
that the rider is held in an immovable seat while the panels which lie on the
horse's back are free‑floating and move with the movement of the horse in
the way that a bareback rider would move to absorb the shock.
The saddle is designed such that the horse's shoulders cause the panels
to flex out of their way thus lessening the
battering effect. As the
horse moves one side of its body in opposition to the other so do the TRAPEZIUS
panels move independently with this movement.
The movement of the horse is thus less impeded than by more traditional
modern saddles.
I
visited a lady with a four year old stallion.
He had no particular problems when ridden out but would not go forward in
the indoor school. The owner put this down to the horse feeling enclosed.
We fitted him with a TRAPEZIUS saddle and he went forward freely in a way
which was a joy to watch. He
carried himself beautifully in walk, trot and canter.
We put his regular saddle back on and he tried a few strides of trot and
then stopped! This young horse had
not learned that he must put up with discomfort for the sake of going nowhere.
Another bonus with TRAPEZIUS saddles is that they adjust very easily to fit different horses of the same type, or the same horse as it changes shape with its level of fitness or fatness! The TRAPEZIUS tree is designed to fit the horse's frame while the panels adjust to fit the muscle.