Horsez R Kool

That is a Majestical Beast 

With a short list of potential issues at the end.

This photo illustrates where a horse’s back is and isn’t able to handle weight-bearing. The last few ribs are “floating ribs”, and are not strong enough to support weight adequately.

In your standard Jumping and Dressage saddles, generally they will follow this basic guideline. A Lane Fox saddle, however, does not.

In this next photo; I show a Lane Fox saddle with the pommel, front of seat, lowest point, and cantle marked in blue.

Next, to understand what this means in context, I have superimposed photos of dressage and jumping saddles over it that have been scaled to match. Dressage marked out in yellow, jumping in red.

The seat of a Lane Fox is considerably further back than in either of the other saddles. It doesn’t end here though.

Generally, a rider will sit even further towards the rear of the saddle when riding Saddleseat.

Marked out here, in blue.

In context, with the other saddles superimposed:

It’s slightly obscured by the other saddles, but this shows just how far back on a horse the weight is placed in a Lane Fox saddle.

I’ve placed the saddles on the skeletal photo from before, including how far back from the shoulder each saddle is generally placed:

Next, without the saddles, I’ve indicated where on the skeleton the pommel, cantle, and center seat is placed. Colors are the same.

When laid out in comparison it becomes very clear just how far back on a horse the rider is placed in a Lane Fox.

Why this is bad:

Especially in young horses, it can cause muscle atrophy, weakening of the spine (can cause acquired sway back, which is a very common issue in saddlebreds [the most commonly used breed in Saddleseat], particularly in show and retired show saddlebreds.), pain, discomfort, tense muscles, inverted carriage, refusal or inability to engage the hind end, etc, etc.

Interestingly, these are all also symptoms of bad saddle fit in general.

This isn’t supposed to be all encompassing, it just shows what some of my issues with Saddleseat are, regardless of if you don’t use pads or sore or use twisted wire or invert your horse for the “headset” or any of the other things that go on in the Saddleseat show ring.

(Side note: I’m well aware that my scaling might be off ever so slightly, but I am familiar with and have extensively ridden all three seats shown in this post and scaled everything as accurately as is possible without the use of expensive equipment and the host of horses and saddles it would require to do this study in earnest.)

We’re moving barns on Jan 16th! Going to a larger facility that is much more care oriented. She’ll have 24/7 hay, be in a paddock with other horses, and also still get her grain. Right now it’s either grain or other horses, not both, and hay only fed twice a day.

It is super duper affordable. For a 10 pound bucket it cost $25 at Tractor Supply. It will last you at least a month (it has big scoops). I haven’t had a horse not like it. They seem to think it tastes pretty good. 

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/animed-equitum-10-lb-90571

You also need to look at Slippery Elm Bark powder. A friend’s horse is on it and it has worked miracles. I mean REALLY. It’s great because it treats and works as a preventative. 

Slippery elm is also great for skin issues. When Sunny’s rainrot flares up or he gets a fungal issue, I make a paste with the powder and smear it on. It’s amazing how quickly it works.

To use it, you simply need to mix the powder with water to create a gel. Use a 1/3 cup of the powder. f you want to go the extra mile you can use chamomile tea. You mix it in with your horse’s grain and when it gets to their stomach is creates a coating. 

This special membrane will soothe developing or developed ulcers. It protects the inflamed areas from stomach acid. It also works as an antacid. 

It runs about $25 a pound on Amazon.

You have no idea and it’s hilarious. 

Before I got my first pony, Shaker, his owner tried to retire him. He was around 20, but she wasn’t too sure. She found Shaker, all 14’2 of his connemara/qh self, sitting in a field one day and purchased him to bring home. She pretty much completely trained Shaker to event, and he successfully competed prelim and almost finished an intermediate ht. She tried to retire him multiple times; all were unsuccessful. 

Shaker has taught many people to event, myself included. When he was 23(ish) he powered through his last training level ht with the girl who leased him before me. Before I got him, they tried to retire him again. He tore up his stall, pasture, and pasture mates. I began half leasing him with another girl when he was about 24. He took both of us to our first events and we experienced our first eliminations (course errors). I schooled him through about novice but never showed him above starter, as his owner wanted to keep him going comfortably for as long as possible. 

Shaker continues to teach little kids wtc/crossrail lessons at 27/28ish. The vet has cleared him to continue work, and somehow he isn't arthritic despite a life of hard work.