Description
Unfortunately, it has become normalized for horses to be hollow around the withers and base of the neck, but just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s normal. These hollows are muscle atrophy mainly caused by saddles that are too tight. To rebuild the area, a wider saddle that allows room for development is necessary.
However, while the horse is building up the area, the hollows around the withers must be filled to prevent the saddle from sinking down over the withers, which would cause imbalance, pressure, and restriction.
The Spinalis muscle runs from the withers underneath the shoulder blade and attaches at the base of the neck. In addition to providing muscle mass in the withers area, it also plays an important role in stabilizing the cervical spine. In horses with atrophy near the withers, most of them also lack muscle at the base of the neck. When a saddle squeezes the withers, the Spinalis is inhibited, negatively affecting the entire front of the horse.
To use the pads correctly, it’s important that your saddle is wide enough – wide to the point that without the pads, it would be slightly too wide. If you use the pads under an already narrow saddle, they will create backward tilt in the saddle and/or pressure in the area when the girth is tightened.
The pads can be used loose, but this requires some extra adjustment each ride, so it’s recommended to place them inside another pad – ideally a thin one such as the Winderen Slim or a similar pad that allows inserts. If you use straps that attach to the tree point, you may want to fasten that strap a bit looser when using the pads.
The pads should be placed directly in the hollow, with the higher side toward the shoulder blade, and not too high up. As the horse builds muscle, the pads can be trimmed or shaped to become thinner and follow the horse’s development.
To (re)activate the Spinalis, the horse must work without pressure in that area and in a free, self-chosen posture, with the nose at height of tip of the shoulder or slightly below. If the horse carries himself too low, too high, behind the vertical or is forced into a frame through side reins, other muscle groups will take over and proper development will not occur.
In Equibodybalance, we help the horse find the correct posture, and you can learn the method through the app with the same name for just 279 SEK.
