Regarding having the saddle repaneled: I know you can do this with Voltaire and Forestier. One of my barn mates has a Voltaire and had it repaneled when she bought a new horse and then again a year later when that horses back had changed from building muscle. I think it was something like $850 to have the panels totally redone. Voltaire owns Forestier so they will do the same thing.
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Hi! Sorry for the delay- I had to find the specific post I was referring to. It’s a post in a private Facebook group called Saddle Fit Questions & Answers. I’m not sure how to link to the actual post here, but I did go back and make better notes. First off, I am not a saddle fitter or a person who is particularly knowledgeable about anatomy and how particular muscles interact with the surrounding tissues and structures. I am just trying to learn what I can so I can make good decisions, and I’m not finding much that is definitive.
The post was a discussion that Amanda Anderson-Jamison started a couple of years ago about typical development patterns in the topline of horses in training, with a focus on the development of the thoracic trapezius. She comes across lots of people who expect their horse to make significant muscular growth in the thor.T, but she doesn’t actually see that growth happening in the horses she’s fitting. If they’re using themselves correctly and they are in consistent training, they typically will become slightly more narrow in the withers as they become more lean. The exceptions are if the horse has muscle atrophy or if the horse is starting upper level dressage work. Another time that the thoracic trapezius will appear wider is in horses who are moving with compensations or are dragging themselves with the front end, as the muscles underneath the trapezius (rhomboids and spinalis) will have hypertrophy. The width at the withers will also change as the horse’s body condition changes.
Another point that she made in the post was that she sees hypertrophy in the thoracic trapezius when saddles are fit wide to allow for growth, but padded well enough to prevent blood loss. The pressure added to the non weight bearing muscle will cause the horse to tense the muscle, which will cause it to grow. She has upper level horses fit with saddles that do not touch that area. Logically, if there is no touching, there is no pinching. The horses have gotten narrower at the withers over time, and their body workers say that the horses have no back pain.
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This is awesome! Thank you so very much!
Continuing the discussion from Competent saddle fitter in the Columbus Ohio area?:
Hey! I know that I am not the original poster from this forum, but I am finding that I am in a similar situation with my horse and I’m desperately looking for a competent saddle fitter. If it is possible and you still have the list would you please DM me (I tried to DM you originally but the website wouldn’t allow me to) the six saddle fitters you worked with and your thoughts on them? It would be greatly appreciated as I am newer to the Columbus area so I’m struggling with knowing who to trust. Thank you!
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I’m not in your area, but I would strongly suggest looking at the EQ Saddle Science saddles and their rehab program. They have some cool science behind their saddles which can be adjusted as muscles develop.
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