I tried out a different saddle yesterday (Mac Rider) and noticed that my back didn’t hurt during or after my ride.
I assumed a certain amount of back pain is normal but maybe not?
Are there certain saddle makes/models that are known to be particularly back friendly?
Back pain while riding is not normal. I don’t know that there are specific saddles made to alleviate back pain.
A saddle that won’t cause back pain, is the saddle that fits you and your horse correctly.
I’d start shopping/see what you can try, because your usual saddle is not a good fit.
there are 2 different types of saddle trees. Plastic and Metal and wood. Plastic is more elastic so it might feel more comfortable. Not sure what tree is used for McRiders.
Mc Rider seems to be the big thing right now… I looked at there Website and they look a lot like Devoucoux…
My back tends to feel BETTER when I ride - motion is lotion… Not sure what you are riding in, but I find when I ride a forward balance saddle (many of the French style saddles are “forward balance”), I feel less balanced, and my back tends to hurt. I know some people feel better in those saddles. You probably need to try some different saddles and find one that doesn’t hurt your back.
After a year out of the tack with severe sciatica (narrowly missed surgery) I started back to riding slowly in December. I’ve found that I’m fine in my CWD jump saddle but my Masters dressage saddle kills my back. In my case I think some of the difference is in the twist as my dressage saddle has a much wider twist. I’m trying to sell my dressage saddle and then will be on the hunt for a new one, I’m curious to hear what others with back issues have found to work best.
That’s interesting. I find that the old school, wood/steel/linen (now, nylon?) spring tree is what my body needs. Anything that’s injection-molded plastic of some sort is too stiff for my body. I end up feeling it in my neck/back of my head… like a light version of “too much roller coaster” that you’d feel at the end of the day at an amusement park.
I have a pretty healthy back, with nothing “officially wrong” and no localized or recurring back pain. So I don’t know if my perception of the trees in these saddles is correct or not. I am curious to know if others can feel the effects of the saddle’s tree on their body.
I do think there are a couple of issues here-- the geometry of the saddle (how that makes you sit) and the composition. springy/stiff qualities of the tree.
Stubben Biomex seats are supposed to reduce back pain, and I think thinline makes some claims like this as well?
Interesting about the different tree materials, I’ve never even considered that factor.
My current saddle is a Mike Cochoran Merit Eventing saddle. It fits my little Morgan like a glove, it’s well made and it’s comfortable for long trail rides and such but I can’t do a lot of rising trot work in it and cantering seems impossible unless I’m in 2 point which isn’t an option for Dressage tests, so I just grit my teeth and work through it.
My current saddle has an extremely narrow twist and I think I need more of a normal/moderate twist (not wide, just moderate).
I also would like to trial a Custom Icon Star but my local tack shop doesn’t have one right now so I picked the Mac Rider as it seemed to be the only one that could possibly fit both of us (it’s made for short-backed horses).
I should add that I recently had an unrelated surgery where they had to cut through my abdominal muscles in several places and since coming back from surgery my back pain is much worse, that’s why I was so surprised when I felt so great after riding in the Mac Rider.
It is the same for people as it is for horses. If the saddle is suited to your body there will be no pain. NOBODY can tell you that. Unfortunately neither can some riders looking for saddles! I don’t know what the odds are in finding an off the shelf saddle that fits both random horses and riders, but I don’t think they are favourable.
The surgery probably doesn’t help the matter. The stronger your core muscles, the less your back has to do to compensate. Typically if you have back soreness or weakness, one of the first steps is strengthening your core to take the burden off of the back and better support yourself. So you may have to be patient with that as you build your core strength back up.
The healthier, better balanced, fitter, and I suspect lighter you are, the more leeway you have in rider saddle fit. That’s why kids can happily ride all day in any crap saddle.
The more you add on injuries, illness, stiffness, lack of fitness, weight gain and age, the less leeway. It’s like shoes :).
OP that is fantastic news that you stumbled upon a saddle that doesn’t make your back hurt. All I can say is go buy it immediately. You thought your back ache was chronic and you just had to suck it up. Now you find it Isn’t. That is very very good news. Just get the saddle!
Also cut yourself some slack after surgery. It will take quite a long time, up to a year, to heal. And do physio when that becomes appropriate.
I have different saddles with different trees. My Passier GG is Wood Metal Wool stuffed and yes it does feel different then my devoucoux which has the plastic tree. I always thought the devoucoux is more comfortable because the tree is more elastic. And I think thats what the companies also say in their ads (might be wrong about this) But there were discussions about the different trees because anything which changes the motion of the back movement is probably more bad then good. Because then you not only need to work with the movement of the back but also with the movement of the saddle. But I know that there are different opinions about it. My back is so far pretty healthy, I have no complains and I can work with both types of saddle trees
If you’ve found the Magic Saddle, buy it!!! I have a messed up SI joint with bulging disks and arthritis and all that crap, no doubt related to a couple of crashing falls over jumps in my 20s. I can ride largely without pain, but the aftermath is sometimes not pretty, particularly at night.
The saddle is extremely important to me, particularly in terms of balance. I think I keep my flocker in business as I get minor adjustments done fairly regularly as my horse’s back changes, to keep us in as perfect a balance as possible.
I can’t do a wide twist at all, and I’m not happy in a really narrow twist either, so it’s been a matter of finding “just so.” For me,so far, it’s been the Trilogy Amadeo–and only that model, the Verago is a complete no go for me, and the Debbie is debatable.
But, there’s a mac rider for sale in my barn that I thought I might give a whirl for giggles, and now you’ve made me want to follow through on that!
Which saddle works for you depends on what is wrong with your back and your individual conformation. Most likely it will be the same type of saddle that would always have been best for you, but it used to be a wide range that was acceptable, and now it is a narrow range. In other words, you have less leeway now, as Scribbler said.
Depending on your back injury, a saddle (or pad) that provides shock absorption may help (lots of people find the simplest thin-lines help). Or more likely it’s the balance of the saddle that will be most key. Since different people require slightly different balance points, the saddle that works for you will probably not be the same one that works for the next person even if they have the same injury! This is why saddle shopping is so much fun!
When I’m asked to help choose a saddle for someone with back pain, I do exactly the same job I do for a person without back pain. I put them in the best balanced saddle possible. (Knock on wood) so far it has always worked.
I have lower back issues, and riding helps me feel better for sure. When I am having flare-ups, I ride with a back brace. Makes a HUGE difference. I am also focusing on strengthening my core.
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