How has your horse's back changed with age?

[Renn_aissance]

Saddle shopping is bad enough as it is without trying to predict how the horse will look in two years.

My horse is 25. My mom needs a saddle. I’m trying to get her something that fits now while also leaving room to shim what might need to be shimmed in a couple of years. Generally speaking, between age and having 3 months of light work care of Covid, his lats and abs are a little atrophied and he’s carrying his weight lower, causing more curve to his back. I might be able to get that back up a bit by the end of the summer.

How much did your horse’s back change with age, while the horse was still in light to moderate work?

[cayuse]

I had a 23 year old paint mare who was a retired broodmare. She was down in the back a bit from age, and probably from all the foals she carried. I had her in light work and her general shape did not change much with work or without through the couple of years we had her. She was what she was. I never found a saddle that was perfect, the best fit was an older Pessoa.

[skipollo]

This photo is age 21 (top) to age 31 (bottom.) I retired him at 22 or 23, but he’s on a free lease to a therapeutic riding program so he does a few rides per week, mostly walking, occasionally a little trotting. His riders are mostly little tots.

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He still goes in his same saddle, but he has a substantial riser pad because his back has swayed with age and a lighter workload. At this point in his life, I don’t think I could get his back to come back up much, if at all, just due to his age and also being arthritic. He’s sound but was ready for an easier job when I retired him. If I had tried at 25, I probably would’ve had more success, but he’s really aged a lot in the last 2-3 years. He’s his happy mischievous self, his body is just old and not what it used to be.

[Renn_aissance]

He is handsome, @skipollo ! And looks wonderful for a gentleman of his vintage. I do see why a substantial riser pad is of assistance at this time in his life!

[Cabaret_SK]

Here is my Morgan gelding, age 14 (red halter) to 27 (purple halter). He’s in fairly light work now - trail riding once or twice a week. We found he narrowed as he aged (went from a wide tree to a medium tree, though in different brands), and he now uses a memory foam half pad to keep the saddle raised enough.

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