# Could fat pads cause saddle discomfort?



## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

I don’t think that a horse being girthy tells you anything about saddle fit unless it’s a new development. It most probably means that she remembers pain from her past. If you have access to a saddle fitter, that’s your best bet. If not (like me) look up saddle fitting advice on You tube.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Not a fat horse. She's built similar to one of our QH mares. That mare rides best in an English saddle with riser pad. She'll also go well in my Aussie but at 24 we go for the least amount of weight we can. The Aussie is 15 pounds heavier than my child's AP. As for girthing we will tighten enough to walk from where we saddle to the pen and then tighten further. The two stage process means she doesn't fuss like she did when we got her 12 years ago.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Your pictures tell me she is not obese...
She is very lacking in any muscle-tone on her top-line.
Her weight hangs in her belly.
With a back dropped as hers is she needs special attention to protect that wither especially.



Her spine needs some padding, consideration done to saddle fitting with her lack of muscle tone and she runs the risk of pinches and rubs from her tack unless very consciously protecting her body is done.
Her back looks more square than rounded, what you refer to as fat pads along her ribs...

Make sure you slowly tighten her cinch/girth and walk her around some before making the next adjustment...
If you know how gently to do a leg stretch, try it. 

It may make her more comfortable instead of a skin fold caught under and pinching/pulling and causing discomfort happens.
She is a older girl, one who has not seen work in some time and is going to need a very slow return to any work done...
Her entire body needs conditioning including heart, and respiration let alone her muscles...
Go slow and enjoy the journey together. :smile:
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

Thanks for the advice! The pictures don't show it but the areas are actually quite raised. In my post I meant that she was very fat when she first came, I've been leasing her and her half sister for about a year and she looks sure a bit better now 

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## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

It's also much more prominent on one side









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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Are you referring to what is seen just behind her shoulder blade in the second picture??
She is supposed to have that...on both sides in pretty equal amounts.
I am wondering if what you think is "a to big" fat pad is not remnants of her when she was weighted fully leaning toward obese...she also could have frozen muscle atrophy or cellulite that you are not going to change..

If this is her currently, {horse on left},then she is appearing rather ribby and actually she *is* underweight.
Her hip bone is prominent, flank is concave and her shoulder and shoulder blade is actually to prominently displayed...
I am also wondering if her pelvic girdle is barely covered in flesh which is what I think is shadowed in these pictures.

The other horse in these pictures is also underweight for the same visually seen reasons...
Horses can't build muscle-tone when there body is not receiving proper nutrients..
Horses _need_ to be fed proper amounts of vitamin, mineral and protein to turn fat to muscle...not just take the fat away but replace and convert it to working mass of muscle.
It is very easy to go from "obese" to "thinner than wanted" when dieting our horses.. :|
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

Poor old girl! Yes, that swayed back and withers are going to be painful to tack up. She'll need a topline filler plus some help for those withers. Bareback wouldn't be a bad idea, probably more comfy than the rigid tree of a saddle. If you're wanting to do more riding than this sweetheart can do, it may be time to look for another horse to lease.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

The QH mare we have can get ribby like that and was when we got her. It took a topline balancer which has the amino acids (Nutrena is what we used) and Senior Weight Accelerator as well as a different feed - we also power packed her now she looks really good.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Agreed. She's not fat, she's underweight and is definitely lacking something nutritionally (the other horse is too thin, as well). If she's uncomfortable being saddled, it's likely due to the saddle not fitting her back (horses with a swayback can be very hard to fit) and if she goes several hours without food, which is likely if she's on a dry lot, she also likely has ulcers. A horse being 'cinchy' is a common symptom. 

She needs a different diet to get some condition on her, and possibly a different deworming regimen. When was the last time this mare had her teeth checked?


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

lexrucker said:


> Thanks for the advice! The pictures don't show it but the areas are actually quite raised. In my post I meant that she was very fat when she first came, I've been leasing her and her half sister for about a year and she looks sure a bit better now
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk





lexrucker said:


> Last year I started leasing a 22 year old quarter horse mare who was quite obese and is still pretty fatty, well she's just all around big





I'm not seeing in those pics anything that is 'pretty fatty' in fact they look on the lighter side of good, so no more dieting!


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## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

Maybe it's just her sheer size that seems big lol[emoji4] she definitely eats more than her share

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## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

I definitely wouldn't have thought that either were underweight, just lacking in the muscle department and having sat for some time I thought that was to be expected but maybe someone can give me some tips on what they're lacking in? They get grass hay with alfalfa in the morning and night (4-5 flakes) and 1 pound senior feed with supplements for their feet and ulcerguard









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## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

She had her teeth checked last summer

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## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

This is them as of this morning









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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Your pictures make it very difficult to answer with accuracy as they seem to be of different times of the year just based on sleekness of coat.
What was shown and comment made on from several months ago may now not be of worthwhile mention as it appears changes have occurred..

Your newest pictures shown...
3rd picture...chestnut horse.
Her spine is showing, her hips are showing pointed, her hip girdle is shadowed but looking to be barely flesh covered.
She doesn't have the "fat pad" behind her shoulder that a horse in good weight should have...
Then you show a picture of the horse wearing a saddle and sleek coated not the winter one of the other pictures..to much time has elapsed and so has body condition changed.

Your bay horse who was more black in winter...picture is to far away taken to give much useful information.
There are to many variables and to much time lapse to be fair or honest a critique and comment made on either animal...that is fair to both you and to us who are trying to give you advice and guidance, of the good kind.

_I will ask you though why are you feeding 1 pound of senior feed to the horses?_
If you read bag back for feeding directions I know of no senior fed in such small amounts that the horse receive any daily requirements of nutritional values worthwhile.


This comment you made, "Maybe it's just her sheer size that seems big lol







she definitely eats more than her share" tells me you need to understand you must feed a horse as a individual. You can't compare these horses and what they need nutritionally to thrive.

Some horses require more food matter than another, period.

I myself have 2 horses, same size and workload to them...
The one horse is fed 2 pounds of alfalfa/timothy pellets plus a vitamin/mineral 2 ounce cup plus 12 pounds of hay a day, now starting to be on pasture so hay is cut back. He is fat and well-rounded!

My other horse is fed 6 pounds of high calorie dense feed, plus 15-20 pounds of hay a day, plus pasture now added and still looks thin to me...
My "easy-keeper" is kept away, separated for hours during feeding time so my harder-keeper is able to eat near all his food in peace...
Once I allow them back together, my easy-keeper chases away my other horse and gobbles down what ever is left.. :icon_rolleyes:

To do a serious evaluation of body condition, you need to present current, just taken pictures of the horse, naked and standing on solid ground hopefully with a solid surface behind them and with her head up.
Much like conformation pictures, horses and their stance can change how a horse truly looks.
Naked, no tack either as that covers many areas that are tell-tale about condition of the animal too. :|
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Totally agree with the above. I'll also add that the QH mare I was referring to earlier along with another that we have have huge barrels. They look massive and always look pregnant to those that just don't know. Both were overweight when we got them and then one leveled off and had great muscle and was in good condition. The other ended up looking pot bellied, ribs showing, lost her topline and the rest of her muscling along with the fat. Her diet had to be totally overhauled and she gets more feed than the others. She also gets different feed and added supplements. 



Have they had fecals done recently? I can't remember if you had their teeth looked at? This mornings pics look better padding wise but the bay needs to build muscle. 1 pound of Senior feed will not give them what they need nutritionally. You either want to go with a ration balancer that can be fed alone or one that is meant to be used as a top dress. You need to look at the amino acid content as there are those that the horse cannot manufacture on their own and need it provided in their feed. The Senior feed we feed for a saddle horse in order to get all the nutrients would have to be fed at 3 pounds minimum just for reference (Purina Senior Active).


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Off topic, but* Lexrucker,* do you per chance live in Northeastern Arizona? Your terrain looks just like an area about 15 miles from me! (Don't worry, I'm not the type to visit). Just curious, because if you are not in my part of Arizona, somewhere else looks JUST like my part of Arizona, lol!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

So we keep posting while the other is... :frown_color:

My last comment was based upon seeing post #13 pictures...

Now, I am looking at the pictures of post #15 you put up at 9:29AM today...
Those pictures tell me the bay is underweight.
His spine is prominent, his sacroiliac joint {hip girdle} is prominent, his wither is razor sharp, there is no fat pad behind that shoulder/wither bone area, the beginning of his tail head is visible...that dang hip point is still showing some too.

Ribs are sometimes the last thing to cover, and you should_ always_ see some rib on a fit and properly weighted horse so to me _not_ where my eyes look.
The horse has a very dropped back the way she stands in these pictures, a special pad to protect that back, the wither bone exposed and spine is a good idea.
I would be looking at built up cut back pads or a swayback pad as you continue to work to improve muscle-tone....till that muscling comes back though you need to really protect those vulnerable areas.

Again, the angle is not great for comment on the chestnut horse to be fair.
She still has a spine showing, and that fat pad behind the shoulder/wither area is very questionable in is it there or not...

Both of these horses have big barrels and a deep heartgirth...
Neither horse has strong hindquarters with muscling, yet they have shoulders decently muscled....they need to learn to "push" themselves around not work on their forehand and pull...
Hill work. at the walk, then graduate to trot them up and down, go at a angle up and down, back them up a grade {not far, not hard} is hard work for hindquarters.
You _*must*_ go slow, go easy and give them rest periods as there muscles are not accustomed to doing this kind of exercise...
You want top-line...there you go.
They need to lift their backs, tuck their butts under and push...it is all connected...very hard work for these "ex-couch potatoes" to be made to do.

With the terrain of the picture background shown you have all the elements of a all-around workout for all muscle groups present in your own yard.
Just remember they are out of shape yet.
Heart and breathing need to also be brought back in condition same as muscles...
Remember that you need to also cool them out sufficiently, to work the acids out of hard-working muscles takes time or you could have other issues facing you you not want to invite happen.

I think someone mentioned fecal count done...a excellent idea as they may be harboring eggs and worms not found or eradicated.
There is sometimes just "a look" to a horse carrying a possible worm load, or did and this is also quite possible...

Both horses are well on the way to being in great shape and condition, with appropriate weight on the frame...some tweaking is all it takes now from this point forward.
Enjoy the journey. :smile:
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

This horse pictures is NOT fat. _Ribs are visible. _The horse (if anything) is underweight. Personally, I don't like to be able to SEE ribs. Being able to feel them is okay but I don't like being able to see them. 



She is also very much undermuscled.















Also, there are no fat pouches on this horse pictured. Again, if anything, she is underweight (and undermuscled). She just had prominent shoulders, with a dip behind the shoulders (undermuscled).













She is slightly sway back and has very prominent withers -- if anything, those will make saddle fitting very difficult and THAT would be the source of her saddle discomfort. (not fat pads)


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

as the owner of older horses I can tell you that these horses in the most recent pics are not necessarily underweight but are under muscled. Older horses tend to lose muscle tone as they get older (just like humans) Both of these horses seem slightly sway backed and it is possible that the saddle is bridging causing pain when she is ridden. the best way to check for bridging is to run your hand under the saddle and make sure the bars are touching the entire length of the back. You may need to invest in a pad for sway backed horses 

It is always best to feed any grain per the manufacturers instructions (seen on the back of the bag) to get the most benefits from that feed. A good ration balancer will save money in the long run if you prefer not to feed a grain.

Mostly what I see are older horses that are looking like older horses. They can be ridden for many years but it may take some creating padding to make them more comfortable.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Saddle fit is so important! Old backs can be hard to fit so the suggestion of special pads may be an option if there is bridging.
Both horses need more weight. One pound of senior is probably not enough. Read the feed bag but I would increase the amount gradually. If the feed is also meant to be a complete feed you don't want to give the full amount daily as you are also giving good hay but I would increase to 2-3 pounds daily, in two feedings, and see how it goes. I hesitate to tell someone how to feed but I believe an increase for your horses is needed. I also think 2-3 pounds is probably not enough but it's a start. 
Do you have a weight tape? Measuring weekly would give you a good idea as to the individual increase in weight.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

If you only want to feed 1 pound per day, feed a ration balancer feed, not a senior feed. Your horses aren't getting enough feed to meet their needs at your current feeding rate. Also more importantly-- how much hay are they getting? Horses are meant to eat nearly constantly. Going more than a couple of hours without food of some time can cause ulcers as well as other issues. Do they have free-choice hay all day? How often are you feeding hay if they don't? How much and what type of hay are they getting?


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## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

Thank you to everybody who has replied, I can definitely see the underweight and lack of topline now that it was pointed out to me, all photos were within the past 4 months so I'll be adjusting my feed, we were feeding so little to just see how they reacted to the feed when we introduced it and to help encourage them to eat their supplements, I'll be slowly upping the senior feed to about 5 pounds as is recommended for maintenance for right now and then increase as we get more active.I feed safechoice senior. They have been recently wormed and that is not an issue, teeth will be done in a month, thanks again! I'm new to this whole senior horse thing and the two of them are still pretty new to me so I appreciate all of the advice and kind words

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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

What type of hay are they getting and how much?


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## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

Both alfalfa and a local grass mix, 3 flakes alfalfa and 2 grass morning and night. So about 21 lbs a day for each horse

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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

You may want to spread that out into 3-4 feedings, or allow more grass hay. Using a slow-feed net or hay feeder with a slow-feed grate may make a big difference. Horses are designed to spend most of their day eating. If they're only fed twice a day, their stomachs stay empty and produce acid, which can cause ulcers and other digestive issues. If they're on a dry lot and can't graze all day, find a way to slow down their hay intake or feed more frequently and I bet their condition picks up nicely. 'Hard feed' won't make nearly as much difference to thin horses as more quality forage.


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## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

They are fed in hay nets and I try to feed morr than two times a day when I'm not working

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