Your Horse's Back - Careful How you mount up

Your Horse’s Back – Careful How You Mount Up, Horse Trailer Safety

We all know that back pain can really interfere with daily life. Having a sore back makes even the simplest chores difficult. So imagine how back pain can hamper your horse’s performance.

Equine chiropractors and massage therapists have become as commonplace as the veterinarian in helping to treat back ailments. Likewise, more riders seek the advice of professional saddle fitters when selecting a saddle for their horse, because it’s common knowledge that an ill-fitting saddle can be detrimental to how your horse responds during work.

But have you ever stopped to consider whether the way you mount your horse affects his back? One study has.

At the Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Center, a part of Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Hilary Clayton and colleagues performed such an investigation.

The experiment involved ten riders of varying heights and weights and one horse, a 14-year old gelding, who was clinically sound with no back problems. All participants rode the horse in a properly fitted dressage saddle.

The pad beneath the saddle was fitted with several sensors, each designed to measure the pressure exerted when the horse was mounted. Then, the results were analyzed to determine the overall rates of pressure.

Each rider took turns mounting the horse, first from the ground and then a mounting platform. The outcome of the analysis showed that the withers play a major part in stabilizing the saddle as the rider mounts. The force exerted on the wither area was greatest as the rider balanced in the left stirrup while swinging the right leg upwards. This force reached its highest measurement when the heaviest riders mounted from the ground. During the mounting process, the right side of the horse’s withers experienced the most pressure.

The outcome of this study may make you rethink how you mount your horse, regardless of your height and weight. If there’s a mounting block handy, try using it to reduce the pressure placed on your horse’s withers every time you climb on. And make sure your saddle fits well, especially over the withers to avoid inflicting any additional pressure.
Keep your horse comfortable and he’ll always be happy in his work.