# Swayback Saddlebred, need advice with saddle and pad?



## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

with a back like that a combination of a hair lined Australian stock saddle and some sort of special pad might work. 

Saddle with a bottom like this one

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMTk4/z/acQAAOSwjVVVudVH/$_75.JPG

They tend to shape to a horse's back some.


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## clwhizy (Aug 20, 2014)

Are you looking for an english or western saddle? 

If english I LOVE my Thorowgood high wither for my super high withered mare. I tried dozens of saddles before realizing this is the only thing that would fit her! It comes in all purpose and dressage. 
Thorowgood - T8 Compact GP High Wither
Thorowgood - T4 Original GP High Wither

If you're looking for leather try Kent & Masters High Wither.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

He is a lovely horse! Not really even sway backed, just high withered.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

This horse will need a lot of lunge line work to teach him to lower his head. It takes about a year maybe two to redevelop the top line and neck. When he learns to work low he will start bringing his hindquarters under him and lifting his back. If you continue to ride him the way he is with his high head carriage he won't lift his back.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

He looks like a Country English or English horse (by Saddlebred definition), he's not built to lower his head and it's not desirable. Are you looking for a cutback saddle to ride him in? If so there are many good saddle companies that make cutback saddles and pads. What are you plans for riding him?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Dream, If this horse can graze, he can learn to travel with his head low while on the lunge with only walking at first. A friend just bo't a newly retired SB who'd raced just two months prior. Because he's no longer eating out of hay nets and has 15 acres to roam and graze, there's already been an improvement in his neck and top line.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

The point is, if she's intending to ride him Country English or English Pleasure, they aren't supposed to travel with their heads down low.



















And from the pics, it's how it looks like he was trained. They are bred and trained for that up in the bridle head carriage. They can't do that huge trot if they're down in their heads. So, if she doesn't want to ride him in any of those English disciplines, then teaching him to go long and low could be done if she wants to. But, Saddlebreds have also been bred with Lordosis in many of the lines. There's no fixing a horse with that problem. This horse doesn't look like he's got that issue, just looks like big withers from the brief look I got of him.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I went back and looked at some more pics of the horse in this thread, he may have a little Lordosis, but it's not severe. He's long in the back and he may dip a little. 

Here's one that's a bit more exaggerated:


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> I went back and looked at some more pics of the horse in this thread, he may have a little Lordosis, but it's not severe. He's long in the back and he may dip a little.
> 
> Here's one that's a bit more exaggerated:


that horse looks like he's getting ready to take a leak, do they actually like their horses looking like that?


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

AnrewPL said:


> that horse looks like he's getting ready to take a leak, do they actually like their horses looking like that?


ROFL, Andrew, he's "parked out" which makes it easier to mount because Saddlebreds can be REALLY tall, so yes, they do teach them to stand like that.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Here's a Park Horse. 

And one of my favorites, Undulata's Nutcracker:

























And another one with him "parked".


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If he can bring his top line up there will be less problem with saddle fit.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

If he has Lordosis, and I suspect he does, he can't. The spine is deformed and all the exercise in the world can't raise it up. Here's an article on the condition: 

The Truth About Swaybacks | EQUUS Magazine

I think that's one reason why the cutback saddles do so well on these horses. They aren't huge, don't impinge on the withers and fit in the hollow caused by the lordosis.


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## HunterEq95 (Jun 26, 2015)

Are you looking for an English, Western, etc. saddle? As far as English goes, my Courbette Husar has fit everything I have put it on, ranging from swaybacked horses (I sometimes would use a foam pad for extra support) to gaited horses with very straight backs. It was built to fit many different types of horses and has a spring tree, which also helps. I cannot see any pictures of your horse, but if he is swaybacked, I think that foam pads like Roma or Wintec pads really help with that issue. I was able to make most of my English saddles fit swaybacked or high withered horses with these, as they supply wither or rear support, depending on the pad, without making the saddle uphill or downhill.
I have bought a Skito pad for my Western saddle when I had a Missouri Fox Trotter with an extremely swayed back. I would put it underneath my Dakota barrel saddle and it worked very well. I never had much of an issue with him either.
I am by no means a saddle fit expert, but these are what have worked for me. Unfortunately, the Courbette Husar has been discontinued for many years now, but I would recommend that saddle to anyone. It is a great all-around saddle (it has actually converted a few riders of other disciplines!) and has fit a wide variety of horses so far. If English is the direction you are going, you may still be able to find a used one on eBay.
When I worked at a lesson barn a few years back, my instructor had an old swaybacked walk-trot horse who would always wear a Wintec pad with the lesson saddles and he would get along just fine. This may not work for you, but I have never had any severe issues with swaybacked horses.
I hope I helped, and I wish you the best of luck with your new horse!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Dream I wasn't able to see pics of the horse, just going by what others were saying. When a horse can walk in a nice low frame he is more relaxed and will start bringing his hindquarters underneath. This enables the horse to start lifting it's back and developing flexion. When this happens then the head can be brought up but gradually. A hind end that's working well and under the horse will lighten the shoulders and then you'll see some really flashy action.


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