What is a Sway Back Horse?
What is a Sway Back Horse?A horse with a hollow back, also called lordosis, has a back with the middle of the topline curving strongly downwards.
Most hollow ridges are not congenital and are not true hollow ridges. A hollow back is often the result of insufficient muscle development along the top line. Building muscle along the back can reduce or even eliminate the hollow, if it is not congenital, and can improve the condition even if it is congenital.
What causes a hollow back?
- Weakened support of the soft tissues
el of the spinal column - Weight of the abdomen pulling down
- A conformational defect of the spine
- The abdomen begins to pull on his spine
- Pregnancy putting stress on the back
el of the spinal columnA hollow back is caused by weakness and laxity/stretching of the supporting ligaments along the horse's spine, often with weakness and loss of mass/muscle tone in the muscles of the topline.
A hollow back often occurs in older broodmares that have had the extra weight of pregnancy on their backs. If the horse becomes too heavy, this naturally contributes to strain on the back. Carrying a heavy rider for many years can also increase the risk.
Physique plays a role. Horses with long backs are generally more susceptible to back problems, including a hollow back. Horses with high necks and a high head position may be at greater risk because this type of movement concaves the back.
Weight management is also a very important factor in this story. That's why we have a horse-friendly grazing mask created to keep your horse happy and safe on the pasture!
How can I fit a saddle on a horse with a Sway Back?
A hollow back can cause pain in a horse's back because most saddles "bridge", placing the rider's weight only on the front and back of the saddle, creating abnormal pressure points, especially over the shoulders and the loins.
On the other hand, a poor saddle fit can also contribute to a hollow back, as the horse will adjust its stride and movement, including hollowing its back and lifting its head to avoid pain.
When riding a horse with a hollow back, it is important to ensure that your saddle fits correctly. An ill-fitting saddle will only worsen the problem and prevent proper muscle development.
Signs of a bad saddle fit in a horse with a hollow back?
- Saddle wounds: caused by friction (movement
of the saddle) or pressure. The girth and/or saddle are too tight or too loose and are starting to rub against the horse. Friction can also be caused by an unbalanced rider or improper saddle placement. - White Hairs: are caused by too much pressure on a small spot. The pressure stops blood flow, kills the sweat gland and causes the hair to turn white.
- Dry Spots: After riding, your horse's back should be evenly wet where the saddle is. Dry spots indicate that there is either too much pressure or not enough contact in one spot.
- Muscle atrophy: your saddle is probably squeezing the horse. This can also be caused by poor riding or riding for too long on unsuitable horses.
- Saddle bridge: this happens when the pads in the center of the saddle do not have even contact with the horse's back. This indicates that either the saddle tree is too straight for the horse's back, or if the saddle otherwise fits correctly, the horse is showing signs of a hollow back.
of the saddle) or pressure. The girth and/or saddle are too tight or too loose and are starting to rub against the horse. Friction can also be caused by an unbalanced rider or improper saddle placement.Find out more about Saddle Fit Solutions here!
What can I do about the saddle fit?
There are ways to adjust the saddle fit for a saddle that does not fit properly.
If a light space is created, use a path with shims to fill the space. This is where ThinLine comes in. We have shims developed that can be perfectly trimmed where the saddle does not fit properly. Cut them to size with the same 95% shock absorption as all ours pads! Read more about saddle bridging in this article.
The contact of the saddle pads on the horse's back should be even. If you are dealing with a horse with a hollow back, this will make the horse more comfortable and provide a more permanent solution.
If the horse is only showing signs of a hollow back due to lack of proper muscle development, then deployable shims will allow the horse to move more comfortably and correctly, allowing those muscles to develop and the shims to eventually be removed.
Correct saddle fit for a horse with a sway back!
A correct saddle fit, for a horse with a hollow back or not, ensures a safe, relaxed ride. You don't have to be an expert to know if you have a bad saddle fit, but it is always advisable to have a professional check it. Once you're confident you have the right size saddle for your horse, pay attention to how your horse behaves and how your body feels to know if you have the right fit. A article about adjusting saddles and their solutions can be found here.
Be careful when using bridgeshims. Using too many shims on a horse with a hollow back can actually ensure that the horse moves away from the pressure that arises when you apply too much shims in the center of the back. Your saddle will wobble back and forth if you do too much shims used.
Our products are there to help you and your horse work happily together.
All our pads, except the Perfect Fit pad, are available with bridge shims.