Wither pockets and fat pads

A recent Holistic Horse Help Helpful Hint stated "Does your horse have a dip in the muscle bulk just in front of or just behind his withers? This could indicate muscle tension and weakness."

Following a query from a reader of the HHH newsletter (you can get your weekly copy for free by signing up at www.holistichorsehelp.com), this is an expansion of that comment.

The area that I'm talking about here is the area that the front of the saddle sits on / in, commonly known as the 'wither pocket'.  It's just behind the back of the top of the shoulder blade.  If you look at a 2 or 3 year old horse who hasn't been ridden, they won't have dips in this area, and they shouldn't.  Look at older horses, and you'll see a more variable pattern.  There certainly shouldn't be a dip there, ideally the horses' back should look similar to the back of a 2 or 3yr old (unless they are an older horse - more to follow).  
The reason for the dip, if there is one there, is muscle wastage (or muscle atrophy) - literally the muscle has died away.  The most common reason for this, in my experience, is poor saddle fit.  This could be current poor saddle fit, or it could be poor saddle fit in the past - it takes a long time for muscle to rebuild, and sometimes it never does, depending on the age of your horse and the damage that has been done.
Imagine the blood vessels running through the muscles under the saddle.  The blood can keep flowing if up to a certain amount of pressure is applied, but if more pressure than that is applied then the blood supply is literally cut off temporarily.  So if the saddle is putting too much pressure through the wither pockets, then literally the muscle will die because the blood supply is cut off for the length of time that you are are sitting in the saddle.
Add to this that most saddles continually move just fractionally, allowing areas where too much pressure is being applied to free off temporarily and the blood to keep flowing.  If for some reason the saddle doesn't do that, again there is the potential for muscle wastage in the areas where the pressure is a problem.
Older horses who have general muscle wastage will often have these dips in the muscle, even if they are no longer ridden.
The other area that I commonly see muscle wastage from poorly fitting saddles is under the back of the saddle.  This is often assumed to be 'fat lumps', because the horse looks like he has lumps of fat behind the saddle.  In my experience this is far more likely to be that the muscle under the back of the saddle has wasted away, rather than that the fat behind the saddle has expanded.  This most commonly happens as we come into Spring and Summer and the horse puts weight on, causing the front of the saddle to be lifted as the withers widen, and the riders weight to be tipped further back in the saddle.
If your horse has muscle wastage due to poor saddle fit, he is likely to be quite tight and sore in that area.  Physio can help to relieve this, but obviously the most important thing is to make sure your saddle fits the best it can.  You can find your local Chartered Physiotherapist at www.acpat.co.uk, and your local Master Saddler at www.mastersaddlers.co.uk.

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody 
and Nobody. 

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that 
Somebody would do it. 
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did. 

Somebody got angry about this, because it was Everybody's job. 

Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that 
Everybody wouldn't do it. 

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what 
Anybody could have done! 

This is a favourite story of mine, and it came to mind when I was treating a horse recently who belongs to the wife of a farrier, and we were discussing how the farrier had in the past been hurt by a horse he was shoeing.  Something I've said many times is that teaching your horse to pick up his feet willingly is your job, not your farriers job.  If you need help, it's out there - contact your local Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Associate at www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk.  Farriers work hard enough as it is, without the added difficulty of a horse who is unhappy about picking his feet up.  Equally importantly, it can be very stressful on your horse to be asked to do something that he doesn't understand or is uncomfortable doing.

Most farrier problems are straightforward hypersensitivity - the horse is naturally sensitive to touch on his legs because they are an essential part of his survival kit.  This is relatively easy to overcome once you know what you're doing and have the right tools.  Some are due to pain - simple pain like an abcess in the other foot meaning the horse doesn't want to put his weight through that foot for example, or more complicated pain like an assymetrical pelvis or hock arthritis.  I've worked with a couple of horses who hadn't willingly had their feet trimmed for nearly 2 years!  One was a rescue mare who had been badly treated in the past and was petrified of having her feet picked up - she had been sedated for trimming until I met her but is now able to be trimmed without sedation.  The other was a coloured gelding who would barge his way out of the situation no matter what his owner tried - he turned out to have severe arthritis in both hocks and it was just too painful for him to pick his hind feet up.  He is now on medication and easy to trim.

The story above could refer to so many things, both in the equine and the human world, but when it comes to your horse, you are his guardian and it is your responsibility to ensure that his needs don't get left to everybody, somebody, anybody or nobody.

Relief from headshaking?

I'm so excited! As you may have heard, I've been treating a horse called Fergus as a case study to see if I can help relieve his head shaking symptoms. You can see some snippets of video of his treatment on my Holistic Horse Help Facebook page. He was a horse whose symptoms were so severe that he would strike out with his front feet at times while moving to try and relieve the irritation. Fergus has had 8 treatments over the past 4 months, and yesterday I received this message from his owner Trudy:

Hi Sue, Just wanted to say that Fergus has walked in then back out across the hay field while Tim has been cutting the hay in full sun and he didn't tic his head once, no clenching of his jaw or nostrils! This is great to see 😊 I had to have my new body protector fitted, it will be ready for Friday, so fingers crossed I can hack out for the first time in months at the weekend. This time last year I had to stop all work, and I could not hack him out as his symptoms were so bad he become unpredictable, and walking through the hay field was hard work back then, I feel sure that all your hard work has changed his life....will keep you posted. Trudy xx

Wow! Whilst there's no way I can extend this to say that I can help all head shakers, and we certainly can't say for sure that Fergus is 'cured', and its still early days, you've got to at least admit that this is a promising start :-)

Onwards and upwards ...

The use of training aids (Pessoa / Equi Ami or similar)

Question from a Brain or Pain reader:

"Hi Sue,

I hope the three of you are well. I’ve been mulling over something I wondered if you’d consider answering in Brain or Pain?

There’s a thread on the DG at the moment about training aids and I’ve heard lots of physios apparently recommend lunging in a pessoa to help strengthen the horse’s back. It seems to be standard  practice for rehabbing kissing spines horses (or at least those that can be rehabbed) so there must be some benefit.

Generally I steer clear of training aids and subscribe to the theory that if the trainer is skilled they don’t need them. But I’m also of a view that I’m not all that skilled J I’ve got a young(ish) horse with little topline who has never really been taught to lift his back and engage. I’m having lessons to learn how to improve his way of going but I do wonder sometimes if work in a pessoa might help with strengthening his back which would help make the ridden work easier for him.

So I wondered what your thoughts on Pessoa’s are and if you see any benefit in them in this way?

p.s. my horse sees a physio regularly and I’m obsessive about saddle fit!

Thanks, Michelle"

My response:

"Hi Michelle,

Thanks for your question, this is something I get asked on a regular basis.  My basic response is that if we could all ride at Grand Prix level, with the muscle tone and balance that can only be obtained through riding for several hours a day every day, then we wouldn't need training aids such as Pessoa's, Equi Ami's, or similar.  In an ideal world we wouldn't use them, but we don't live in an ideal world.  So I think that unless you do have that level of ability, these particular training aids (Pessoa and Equi Ami are the ones that I personally have experience of) used without a rider on the horse's back can, in some cases, help the horse to develop better muscle tone and balance himself, which he can then use to support the less than perfect rider more easily.  Whilst I am far from being a fan of training aids that force a horse into a certain position, I would far rather watch a horse learn to carry himself, than watch a rider continually fight to keep him in an 'outline', usually incorrectly.

I have two major problems with their use though. The first is that if the horse has physical pain, then it seems cruel to me to force him to work in a way that might aggravate that pain. Many people, of course, combine the use of the Pessoa with the use of a lunge whip, so the horse really has very little option than to cooperate. Sadly I've seen plenty of horses whose owners have no idea the horse is in what I would consider to be considerable pain, just because he is doing what is asked of him. I believe this is due to the huge tolerance that many (not all!) horses have, and their willingness to do what we ask of them if they possibly can. Because of the lack of protection of the title 'equine physio' and therefore the lack of regulation of many practitioners, I also come across far too many horses who have been given the 'all clear' but in my opinion shouldn't have been. I guess there could be a counter argument here that at least if the horse is being worked in a Pessoa then he isn't having to cope with the weight of the rider, but I'd far rather the pain issues were resolved.

My other main concern with the Pessoa is the uneven pull on the horses mouth (assuming you have it attached to the bit). Because of the way it is connected, every time one hind leg goes back, there is a pull on that side of the mouth. Compare this to side reins where the horse has a static point of contact to his mouth, and you can see that to the horse it might be confusing.

I have also heard stories of people who haven't prepared their horse correctly for wearing the Pessoa and so he's been petrified by the feel of the rope round his quarters. This is the fault of the handler, not of the equipment, but it is something that's worth being aware of.

Nicole Rombach, Dr Hilary Clayton and Narelle Stubbs have designed a set of equipment that aims to do what must people think of as the Pessoa doing, called the Equicore Concept. This is something that I've seen in use, am very impressed with, and highly recommend. Sadly, because it is more expensive that the Pessoa or the EquiAmi or similar, many people choose the cheaper option.

So in summary, whilst I am not a fan of training aids in general, I do believe that there is a place for some of them until we discover a way for everyone to ride to a far higher standard! I hope this helps, and please feel free to get in touch if you have further questions or comments. Bear in mind that these are my personal opinions at this point in time (June 2013), and I strive to continually learn and improve my knowledge, so I'd value any input towards this! 

Help for head shakers?

Readers responses to my recent e-newsletter question "A reader has asked for tips on helping a horse that head shakes - what suggestions do you have?":

Hi Sue,

My Welsh mare is a head shaker and this is really difficult to cure, at best you just have to manage it, it all depends what the 'trigger' is for your individual, for mine it is flies and midges and light rain or snow flakes touching her face.  I can manage the later pretty well by not ridding in snow/rain, but the flies are the main problem as the season for them is long, I manage this by riding her in a full face fly mask to cover her from nose to ears, I have tried ones designed to be ridden  in but I find the best to be Shires fine mesh full face mask, although designed for the field, visability is good and mesh is stiff enough not to touch eyes but soft enough not to rub.  This does not stop the head shaking as she still reacts to flies coming towards her face but it does reduce it enough to have a reasonably pleasant and safe ride. She also head shakes in autumn when the leaves are coming off the trees, this seems to be in anticipation of them touching her.  I have an 'MOT' every 6 months with Donna Blinman (vet and physio) who says she has bones in her head which should have small gap between but are touching on one side probably from a knock or kick when she was younger which may be causing the sensitivity, she has done a session on her head to relive some of this but it had little effect on the head shaking.  I also ensure her bridle is not causing any pressure and use a comfort bridle with padded and shaped head piece, padded loose noseband and loose brow band.  My vet has suggested nerve blocking and possible cutting of trigeminal nerve or inserting a metal coil but I am reluctant to go down this invasive root.  I tend to make the most of the winter and ride where possible in summer early in the morning before the flies are about too much.
My daughter has a friend who has a head shaker who starts by giving her a jab in the mouth and ends up smacking her across the nose with her whip when she doesn't stop!! not the answer for the poor mare.
Hope this may be some help
Regards
Andrea

Hi Sue,
I have a fell pony that head shakes annd now I ride bitless. I ude a Dr Cook bitless bridle and I find he's much more relaxed. It hasn't cured him but he's much improved .
Jean

Hi Sue
Re Head shakers;  I read recently I think on Helpful Hints or a link that cranio Sacral Therapy can help head shakers.
Regards
Mary Hale

Has anyone tried Horse Agility?

In a recent newsletter I asked the question "Has anyone tried Horse Agility, and how did you get on?"  I wanted to share one reader's very positive response with you...

Dear Sue,
Yes, I am  'Horse Agility' competitor and enthusiast. I have two horses, one 27yr old retired 'Allrounder', (15hh Welsh Cob) in his day an amazing competition horse and very dear loyal friend and a 16 yrs young imp, Hero (14.2hh Welsh/TB) who came to me aged 6 as a troubled soul. Not everyones 'cup of tea', but I and my daughter have had such fun with him and he is the horse that has taught me the most and continues all the time.
I have come from a very traditional background with horses and have been a Pony Club Instructor for many years and have competed in many spheres of the horseworld.
I met Kelly Marks on a CPD day and then progressed to a year with Stage 1 and have continued to read, research and look at all the other masters.
I fell upon H/A when I went to help a lady with a horse related problem and she was a Dog Trainer/Dog Agility Trainer and she had said had I heard of Horse Agility.
Hero at the time had been lame behind, having never had a days lameness and it all looked rather gloomy and I could not bring myself to put him down and my gut instinct was just to give him time. On his way to recovery he very much needed mental stimulation and gentle movement and this is how I started my journey with this new sport.
It has been great for both horses as a form of physio and for mental stimulation and is absolutely brilliant for 'Horsemanship skills'. It has been a wonderful stepping stone from 'Intelligent Horsemanship', from learning the basics and fine tunes all those skills. It encourages people from different spheres of  'Horsemanship'. I have picked up some great 'parelli' tips, but I have my own style and like to be able to be adaptable.
Great social website and lots of help and then you can see video's from all over the world, some in sunshine and some in snow!
It has been hard to get a video in recently with the weather as I don't have the luxury of a manage or indoor school, but have now got a round pen with surface which is great.
Love your emails and tips and of course your book, which is great.
Best Wishes
Amanda Braham

PS. The other thing that is great you can use the courses to long rein or ride around and it is also interesting to see the different reactions from inhand to long lines to ridden.

Barefoot soreness after trimming?

There were so many responses to last weeks e-newsletter question "A question for those with their horses barefoot - is your horse lame for a couple of days after he's been trimmed?" that I figured it would be easier to post them as a blog and link to here from the newsletter rather than try to squeeze them all in amongst everything else!

Hi Sue,

I wanted to respond to your question about barefoot horses and whether people have found that they’re often lame for a day or two after being trimmed. 

I’m a trainee equine podiatrist with (hopefully) just a few months left of my training before I qualify.  In my experience, a horse should only be sore after a trim if there is a major underlying problem with the feet prior to the trim e.g. laminitis, neglect.  It worries me that there are horses out there that are suffering, even if only for a couple of days, due to the type of trim applied by the farrier / trimmer.  In fact, one of the reasons why I decided to train as an equine podiatrist myself was because my pony would often be sore after the farrier trimmed him and I felt as though that wasn’t right.  One of the rules that practitioners registered with the Equine Podiatry Association work by is ‘do no harm’ and we will always walk and trot up a horse after a trim to make sure that it is moving well (and certainly no worse than it was prior to the trim).  Owners should challenge their farrier or trimmer if their horse is consistently sore after a trim.

Kind regards,

Nicky

Hi Sue

I changed Buster to barefoot at the end of last year.  I have not experienced lameness after they have been trimmed up to the present time.  On the other hand the quality of the hoof has improved dramatically.  After two trims he was noticeably less pigeon toed and he has been far better going overall.  Hope this helps.  I have details of an excellent young girl that trained in Denmark that does his feet if it is of use to anyone highly recommend her she is excellent with the nervous young or difficult.Su

My horses (two ex racehorses, one 13 the other 7)  are both barefoot.  I trim them myself weekly and they are never lame after a trim.  I'm convinced that trimming little and often is the answer as, if they were in the wild, they would be on diverse terrain which would
self trim their hooves.  Trimming little and often mimicks this.
Regards, 

Lesley

Hi Sue
I have 2 native ponies 1 Fell gelding and 1 Welsh Sec D mare both ridden barefoot, Fell has been barefoot for 2 years and Welsh for 1 year, both are trimmed every 8 weeks by my farrier who is very supportive of barefoot and they are never sore after a trim.  I have a riders rasp which I use between trims to remove any rough edges which may otherwise break off.  I did find with both ponies that it took about 6 months for their feet to adapt and get really strong, during this time I used front boots on the Welsh if doing lots of road work.  I found the worst thing was grit getting stuck in white line when feet were wet and softer during last wet winter but never had a problem after a trim, my farrier never takes too much off and just balances the foot and the Welsh who is ridden 5-6 days a week more or less self trims especially the back feet, the Fell who only goes out twice a week needs more trimming.  I also think diet plays a big part, I reduce sugar intake as much as possible by soaking hay in winter and strip grazing in summer (also keeps them slim) and feed linseed, brewers yeast, rose hips and magnesium which I belive all  have a positive effect on hoof quality and give their coats a fantastic shine.
Regards,
Andrea

Hi there,

In response to barefoot soreness after trimming... absolutely never... I use my original farrier to trim her hooves, not an equine podiatrist, and I've never had any lameness at all.

Emma