VetRehab

25/07/2024

Saddle fitting focus!

I quite often have clients who are a bit upset when it turns out their saddle has been hurting their horse, because no one means for that to happen. I often describe my own failings in that department, because way back when, I tried very hard to find a saddle that fitted my own horse. I bought saddles, tried them, adjusted them, made all sorts of elaborate padding systems, sold the saddles, and lost lots of money, and did it all again a few times. (Does that sound familiar to anyone?! Saddle fitters were even rarer than hen's teeth back then.)

In the middle of doing all that, I made my horse's back sorer, when I was trying very hard to get the saddle right. I simply didn't understand what I was doing. Then I went through a lengthy process trying to fix her, which is why I ended up doing all of the training that I did, on top of vet school. It all took a while, but I did fail forwards.

So, mistakes will be made, but I hope that everyone will look forwards out of them and learn. Horses can be very challenging, they're like multi-dimensional puzzles where each little piece needs picking up and looking at and turning over and testing to see if it's ok or not, but we don't always have very good testing equipment.

Do your best, and keep trying 😊

21/07/2024

Saddle Fitting Focus!!

Only 1 week to go! Then we'll be talking dogs for a bit 😺😺

So what does it cost if your saddle doesn’t fit? What if you DON"T KNOW it doesn’t fit?

There’s not just the cost of a saddle fitting session – and if you don’t already know what to look for, you don’t know you need a fitting. Unless your saddle has been properly and RECENTLY fitted by a good saddle fitter, you should be asking questions.

More often than not I’m called out to see ‘naughty’ horses. Bucking, biting, girthy, etc… there are dozens of behavioural signs. At the first visit I’m assessing and treating the horse, and if I see certain pain patterns that I’ve learned to recognise over the years, I ask to see the saddle. 99% of the time those pain patterns match a poorly fitting saddle.

So, there’s the cost of a saddle fitting. There are the costs of usually at least two treatment sessions to help sort the consequences of the bad saddle fit. Often there’s also time off when you can’t ride as they need time to heal strained muscles. Sometimes there’s been development or exacerbation of kissing spines or sacroiliac ligament strains, and then you also need GP equine vet visits, imaging and additional treatment, and possibly lengthy rehabilitation. Not to mention maybe a new saddle.

It would save the horse a lot of discomfort and riders a lot of $$ and down time if everyone knew what to look for!

Saddle fitting workshop registration: https://forms.office.com/r/xHX0CC1v7Q

15/07/2024

***Saddle fitting focus***

Today's question is one I've been asked a few times in the past.

"He's going to grow [or replace grow with build muscle/put on weight etc], can you fit the saddle for what he'll be in a few months?"

Errmm, no. Firstly, the saddle has to sit on something right now, and it can't sit on something that isn't there. Secondly, if only I could predict what would happen in a few months, I'd buy the right lotto ticket! Saddles can only be fitted for the here and now. What we CAN do is keep an eye to the future and have the ability to make some adjustments as needed. Hence the importance of being able to see when that is!

Saddle fitting workshop registration: https://forms.office.com/r/xHX0CC1v7Q

09/07/2024

Saddle fitting focus! 🦄

Welcome to the Tuesday evening edition 🙂

Another question for you tonight. Multichoice.

How often should you get your saddle fit checked?

a - Only once, if you do it right it's done for life.
b - Never, if you bought the saddle with the horse.
c - When your horse tries to throw you off, but only if you know it's not because it was grass-affected.
d - Put any other answers in the comments below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

07/07/2024

Saddle Fitting Focus!

Happy Sunday evening! First, a workshop update. One of my lovely clients from this last week needs to sell one saddle and buy another. It occurred to us that the workshop would be a great opportunity for participants to bring saddles they no longer need, and to have a look at others on offer. So, anyone coming along is welcome to sell or buy too! (Please note that any transactions will be purely between seller and buyer and will not involve me. Bonus being that by the end of the day you'll have a pretty good idea of what you need 🙂)

Ok, to last night's question - why does the back of a saddle lift?
There were several good answers. The two most common reasons that I see are:

1. Gullet too wide for the horse. This causes the front of the saddle to sit too low, and when the rider is standing in the stirrups during rising trot the front goes low and the back lifts up.

Variation on a theme for this one is if the flocking in the front of the saddle has packed down too much or moved, or a cair panel has split, or the saddle has slid backwards, or the tree/gullet plate is broken.

2. The horse is higher in the withers than the rump and has a big drop in height from withers to the spine under the saddle, or has a very round barrel and forward girth groove that causes the saddle to pull forwards. It takes very little forward movement/gain in height to make the saddle sit pommel-high. In this scenario, when the rider is standing in the stirrups during rising trot, the saddle will lift up at the back but at that moment will be more in balance. It's not very helpful though cos the back of the saddle is floating about in mid-air.

Other variations on this theme are gullet too narrow for the horse, the front of saddle is over-flocked, or too many/too thick saddle cloths are being used.

And either scenario commonly results in a sore horse. 🐎👩‍⚕️

06/07/2024

Saddle fitting focus! 🦄

It might be the middle of winter, but that's the perfect time to be upskilling for the next season. Hence the start of our winter workshops. (If there's a burning topic you have, let me know!) With the saddle fitting workshop scheduled for the end of this month, I decided I'd try and see how many tips I can get in before we get there. And I already have a list of things to talk about from just a couple of visits this week.

So, today's little gem....

Why does your saddle lift up at the back?

Oh actually, now that I've written that as a question, maybe I'll just leave it out there to stimulate the minds of any fellow Saturday-night-in-scrollers out there. And I'll post my answer tomorrow 🙂 Guess that's my inner university lecturer making a comeback!
Answers in the comments please ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

And you have to be more specific than "because it doesn't fit"!

03/07/2024

***** SADDLE FITTING WORKSHOP *****

Details below! Saddle fitting is soooo important for your safety and for your horse's welfare, behaviour and performance. When I'm out seeing horses for veterinary rehab/osteopathy/chiropractic visits, poor saddle fit is one of the most common underlying reasons for things going wrong. Those things range from girthiness and bucking, to contributing to kissing spines and sacroiliac problems. Plus a whole host of other behaviours you'd rather not have!

Ideally EVERY rider/owner should be able to identify a reasonable saddle fit from a bad one. You don't have to become a saddle fitter, but you can easily learn what to look for and how to get the basics right. You'll be saving yourself and your horse a whole lot of issues (and $$$!) if you do!

I've had lots of interest in this workshop, so sign up soon to secure your place! https://forms.office.com/r/xHX0CC1v7Q

30/06/2024

***** SAVE THE DATE!!!! *****

I'll be running a saddle fitting workshop for horse riders on Sunday 28 July at Foxton racecourse. It will be hands-on and covering the practical things you need to know about saddle fit - all the things I wish I knew way back when! More details coming later in the week, so watch this space!

24/05/2024

Is your horse grumpy? Girthy? Grumpy? Nippy? Kicky? Bitey? Fidgety? Sensitive? Hates being brushed? Cold-backed? Stiff? Won't go? Won't stop? Won't turn?

Do you want to know why?

Pain is a very common underlying reason for so many of our horse's behaviours. Often those behaviours are things that we think of as being 'just the way they are' or 'they've always been like that'.

Yes, they might have been like that for a long time... but it doesn't mean that it's a good way to be. Untangling horse behaviours can be like trying to work out a complicated 3D jigsaw puzzle. But there are ways to approach the puzzle that can help you to start to see the picture more clearly.

Lucy Scott from Veterinary Behaviour Services NZ and I are running a one-day workshop next Saturday 1st June where we'll help you to understand what it is your horse is trying to communicate to you.

Join us by registering here! https://forms.office.com/r/XTtUGEmyXE

01/09/2023

When you've just had your hair done and you come to rehab and you are The.Cutest.Puppy.Ever.

21/06/2023

Fudge is acing the hind paw awareness!

21/06/2023

Fudge will stay stronger for longer!

See Instagram 'Highlights' highlights from Dr Deb Prattley ()

21/06/2023

Love working with Cara and Fudge!

See Instagram 'Highlights' highlights from Dr Deb Prattley ()

16/06/2023

I love Poncho's rehab visits, because Poncho loves her rehab visits! She is NEVER lacking in enthusiasm and always makes us laugh. Poncho has worked her way up to harder challenges on the balance equipment and is doing just great!

10/06/2023

Puppies practising on easy balance gear today. Great for looking at how they weightbear, and working on balance, core strength and proprioception. Plus in Louis' case, keeping still enough to stay on!

06/06/2023

When you've been coming for treatment all your life, you make yourself at home. Either on the furniture or upside down, depending on whether you're older brother or younger brother! Great to see you as always Lynda!

04/06/2023

03/06/2023

Finished at people clinic and setting off for a horse visit. My copilots are on the job!

12/05/2023

I enjoyed this paper yesterday. Not least because I didn't know sheep often enjoy being brushed!

Shaping through differential reinforcement of successive approximations to a target response has been a cornerstone procedure for the training of novel behavior. However, much of how it has traditionally been implemented occurs through informal observation, rather than any direct, systematic measure...