CLIENT INFO

Saddle 1

Current saddle: Black Country Pony

Style: Pony GP

Width: M

Material: Leather

Length: 1

Panel design: Drop panel – Gussets – Close contact – Standard

Flocking: Jacobs wool – White synthetic – Foam

Flocking condition: Bad – Good – Bridging

Flocking job: None –Top up – Total reflock – Balancing fill

Girth: String girth

Girthing options: 1 and 3 used.   

Billets: 3

Saddle flaps: Twin – Mono

Leathers: 

Tree check: Pass –  Fail

Visual marks/damage: None

Saddle 2

Current saddle: xxxxxxx

Weight: 275kg

Height: 12

Heel height L: 

Heel height R: 

Head: Normal size and balanced

Neck: Well set on body and in proportion

Wither height: Low – Medium – High

Shoulder muscle: Underdeveloped – Developed – Loaded – L greater – R greater – Balanced

Thoracic trapezius/spinalis region: L atrophy – R atrophy – Developed – Underdeveloped – Even

Scapula angle: Upright(>50°) – Normal (45°) – Sloped (<45°)

Scapula placement: L forward – R forward – L back – R back – Even

Notes:

Back : Normal – Flat – Curved – Broad – Narrow – Roach (kyphosis) – Sway (lordosis)

Back level: Downhill – Uphill – Normal
Notes:

Barrel: Slab sided – Well sprung – Wide to narrow shoulder – Narrow to wide shoulder – Average – Rotated L – Rotated R

Girth: Average – Forward – Backward

Croup: High – Round – Sloped

Lumbar: Weak – Strong – Sensitive

Rump/hip: L high – R high – Developed – Underdeveloped – Even

Front legs from ahead: Ideal – Base narrow – Base wide  – Bow legged – Toes out – Narrow chest toes out – Knock kneed – Pigeon toed
Front legs from side: Ideal – Over at knee – Behind the knee – Reverse knee – Forward knee

Back legs from behind: Ideal – Base narrow – Base wide – Cow hocked – Bow legged
Back legs from side: Ideal – Stands under – Stands in front – Too straight

Front feet: Bare foot – Shod
Notes: good angles and solid

Back feet: Bare foot – Shod
Notes:good angles and solid

Crest: Good muscle tone.

Shoudler: Under developed

Croup: Rounded, toned, but fat layer

Barrel: Deep coverage of fat.

Topline: The back leading over the scapula is covered in fat and this makes a decent fit difficult right now as the saddle slides onteh deep fat layer.

SCORE: 4

DSPs: Dip away (T*) – No dip – Sensitive (T*) – Not sensitive

Notes:

Longissimus: Developed – Underdeveloped – Sensitive – Not sensitive
Notes:

Latissimus dorsi: Sensitive – Not sensitive
Notes:

Thoracic trap/spinalis: Sensitive – Not sensitive, but heavily fat covered
Notes: 

Lumbar: Sensitive – Not sensitive
Notes: 

Rump: Sensitive – Not sensitive 
Notes: 

Thorasic seratis ventralis: Sensitive – Not sensitive
Notes:

Pectorals:  Sensitive – Not sensitive
Notes:

Head: Nod – Tilt – None

Shoulder L: 

Shoulder R: dip

Barrel: roll right

Hip L:

Hip R: 

Leg FL: 

Leg BL:  

Leg FR: 

Leg BR:

Foot FL: 

Foot BL: 

Foot FR: 

Foot BR:

Tracking up:Overtracking – Undertracking – Tracking up

Tail: Left – Right – Helicopter – Even

Saddle 1

Overall view: Saddle fit looks good, but it is fitting on a fat pony right now.  Took some flock out as it was overly packed.

Gullet: 2 finger clearance above DSP

Gullet channel: nice width throughout

Gullet angle to shoulder: bar is a good fit, but again this is a fat pony right now.

Shoulder: Room to fit fingers between flaps and horse once girthed.

Cantle: Sat well on horse. No lift.

Panel: Both panels have had some deflocking as they sat too high off pony.

Knee roll: Clearance and not restricting scapula, but right now the fat over scapula is very dense.

Longitudinal: Balanced along entire panel. 

Lateral: Sits square with no L or R tilt, but this changes when ridden.

Cranial nerve: Clearance around CN11. I would be going back once horse has lost weight to recehck this.

Saddle 1

Lateral balance: Even – L slip – R slip

Longitudinal balance: Even – Front low – Rear low

Gullet clearance: Maintained – Dropped

Notes: Unridden assessment

 I have a lof of work to do with this pony. It has been bucking and dropping kids.

As a riding school pony, it has been through 6 saddles and each saddler x2 has tried to keep adjusting.

My take on it is as follows.

Right now the pony has quite a lot of asymetry looking from above and along the back.  This is accentuating the right roll of the saddle as you will see in the video in walk, without a rider.

I have suggested that the pony no longer has full day turnout and restricted grazing and hay only to help reduce intake.I have suggested a new excercise routine or in hand long lining up to racecourse – this has been suggested as pony is good on lead rein lessons, so is able to be long lined safely.

I have suggested, downhill walk work so pony is using those shoulders and building muscle.

Light riding by staff as the pony doesn’t buck in walk and trot, just when unbalanced kicks canter and the saddle tips forward and slides up neck.

This is due to the girth groove and arrowhead shape from saddel to neck and fat layer not helping as there’s no shoulder for saddle to lock into.