Saddle shape/indent in horse's back - but no pain

[CanteringCarrot]

I have a 6 year old PRE that has slight indents in his back where the saddle panels lay. No atrophy at the front or by the withers.

This horse has had 3 saddles in 1 year and none made the issue better or worse. The horse has no back pain or any sign of pain where these slight dents/shapings are. The saddle fits well, and his current saddle is the one that he has felt the best in. In other saddles, even if the fit was slightly off he’d buck, head toss, and/or not move forward. So he’s quite expressive when something hurts or doesn’t fit.

He’s worked properly, engages his core, uses is back, trainer has no qualms about how he uses his body.

The rider is of appropriate weight for the horse.

Horse is a body score of 6, some traits of a 7. Worked regularly, in good shape, but a typical PRE with some fat. His diet is managed accordingly (fed like a EMS horse, basically).

So, is it just fat compressing? We will continue to encourage core work, making sure he’s using himself correctly, etc. His fitness regimen will increase now that his allergies are better.

I’ve seen this on other “fatty” horses before, but assumed it was due to heavier rider or poor saddle fit, but neither seems the case with this guy?

Has anyone else experienced this? His back and body feel the best they have felt and his work is improving, so I’m confused. Is it just cosmetic? It seems like there would be more to it. The saddle fitter comes again in a few weeks, and the chiro also, but he just saw the chiro last month with nothing exciting to report, and the fitter is just coming to check up on the flocking. Maybe he needs another pad? The panels are not hard though.

[Scribbler]

Ask the chiro and saddle fitter what you are seeing.

Also put your horse on a diet. Free choice hay is not a good idea for an easy keeper. Just like people, overweight is a cause of eventual metabolic syndrome. That causes laminitis and founder. And once the horse has developed metabolic problems it has to be managed for life like diabetes. You say you are managing as if he is already ems but if he is touching 7 then you aren’t. Get him below 5.

I’ve seen ems horses get euthed after suffering founder pain for years. It is a horrible way to go and generally preventable. IMHO the current biggest health risk in older pet horses.

[CanteringCarrot]

@Scribbler

Ask the chiro and saddle fitter what you are seeing.

Also put your horse on a diet. Free choice hay is not a good idea for an easy keeper. Just like people, overweight is a cause of eventual metabolic syndrome. That causes laminitis and founder. And once the horse has developed metabolic problems it has to be managed for life like diabetes. You say you are managing as if he is already ems but if he is touching 7 then you aren’t. Get him below 5.

I’ve seen ems horses get euthed after suffering founder pain for years. It is a horrible way to go and generally preventable. IMHO the current biggest health risk in older pet horses.

This I know. But thanks.

Probably more of a 6, or I’m thinking he’s fatter than he is, because no one has made any comments about his weight. He has fatty spots, but I wouldn’t call insanely obese.

Either way, please avoid a lecture on The Henneke Scale. A picture is attached.

[Scribbler]

Ok I wouldn’t call him a 6 to 7, though it’s hard to tell without being able to poke those fat pockets.

[CanteringCarrot]

@Scribbler

Ok I wouldn’t call him a 6 to 7, though it’s hard to tell without being able to poke those fat pockets.

Yeah, I mean, they’re there, kind of spongy. Have to dig for a rib a little bit. I don’t use or reference the Henneke scale much. I just gave it a quick read again, so probably more of 6, possibly 5/6.
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No one has seemed concerned about this slight indentation in the past. I’m going to bring it up again. One saddle fitter said it was due to him being a bit fat.

[Abbie.S]

PREs are pretty well known for being A) easy keepers and B) having a naturally nice, high, “fleshy” (for lack of a better term) back span.

There is a very nice PRE at a barn I teach out who I have seen similar indentations on when the saddle is pulled. His saddle also fits well - I know the owner well, she’s a farrier and has been working closely with a particular saddle maker and taking courses on fitting for his saddles.

I would take the cues from your horse…if he is comfortable in his work, moving correctly and is not telling you the saddle bothers him, I’d not worry about it.

[Lusoluv]

I’ve owned a PRE and a Lusitano. The PRE was FAT when I bought him as a 4 year old and also had the indents you speak of. He started working a LOT harder with me and was not on all day turnout. He was put into a dry lot with the appropriate amount of hay. The indents went away in about 9-12 months. My Luso never had those indents with me. He schooled PSG and then I sold him as a 14 yr old to a lower level adult rider. She rode him a few days a week and about 30 min of minimal work. I still do occasional training rides on him and he developed the indents (and has gained about 100lbs) after a little more than a year with new owner He is fat, you have to search for his ribs, though he is not obese…yet.

I could only recommend you limit his feed. Neither of my horses got more than a handful of grain to keep them from getting upset at feeding time. They got good quality hay in a slow feeder. They need to work hard and eat less…or don’t look at the indents

[joiedevie99]

I’ve seen this so many times, and only ever in PREs!!! It has something to do with the psoas muscle and a good body worker (chiropractor, ostepath, etc.) will be able to fix it. I forget the entire explanation. Over time, with lots of correct riding, you can sometimes strengthen them enough to either hide the issue with other muscle, or actually stretch things out so it goes away. But I’d rather make the horse more comfortable in the short term.

[CanteringCarrot]

Thanks for the input. Interesting that it has mostly been noticed in other PRE’s. That has been my experience too. I think they can be rather fleshy, so it could be linked to that. It’s also important to focus working these guys correctly because they can/will fake it well in some cases and not be truly over their back.

I am slowly increasing his workload now. He had to have a little bit of time off while we sorted through finding a new farrier, repairing a quarter crack, and seeing how that worked out. Before that it was touch and go with allergies and breathing issues. That has resolved. So I think harder work will help. We are able to do a lot of hill work too.

This one gets a vit/min, MSM, MagOx (supposed to be good for these fatty animals), and a handful of low NSC feed for mixing.

Hay is limited out of a net. Grass is limited. Moved to closest thing to a dry lot. There’s literally scattered pieces of dry grass that he doesn’t seem to touch. Maybe they’re just pee spots or something. Rest is dirt.

I think with his increasing work, that diet is fine.

I am going to search for a good osteopath. The chiro always says his body feels good with minor adjustment but I can try a different approach.

I’ve been doing “tummy tucks” and whatnot too before riding.

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