# High withers Sway backed?



## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

Subbing
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## Ashleysmardigrasgirl (Jun 28, 2012)

That's a sway back if I ever saw one. Are you positive she's 8? There isn't very much you can do about it aside from improving muscle and weight as she does look fairly underweight as well. Maybe it's just the picture though?


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## phoenmoon (Jan 6, 2013)

Yes, her papers and vet confirmed her age. I also agree she needs more weight I just got her a day or so ago and am planning on slowly increasing her feed and adding suppliments.


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

I don't think that sway bck will ever go away. And it could very well lead to back problems in the near future.
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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Interestingly, sway backs rarely cause the horse pain when they are genetic (read that somewhere a long time ago). The issue here is the saddle fit.. how the heck are you going to get a saddle on this horse that fits? Her coupling is quite strong (note the slight roach ahead of her peak of croup). 

Mostly this horse needs feed and muscling.. and helping her will require a lot of trotting up hills on a loose rein.. rider in a two point.. to help her build abdominal muscles to support her back as much as possible. 

She looks more than 8 years old to me.. and she also looks like the spinal processes on her withers are adding to her height. 

She has a nice hind leg and her front leg is a bit tied in at the knee. If you can get a saddle built to fit her, as hard as it is to believe.. she may be OK.


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## phoenmoon (Jan 6, 2013)

Thanks for all the tips. Im not to worried about a saddle. I dont have any intentions of do any ridding with her.

She needed a place to go asap so I took her in. The first time a saw her was when she was delivered to my farm. 

She is blind in one eye due to an accident and if I remember right had been jumping 3+ as a two year old eek. 

So anything I can do from this point on to help her im happy to try because she just looks so uncomfortable.

Any thoughts on using a chiropractor maybe?


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

A chiropractor couldn't hurt, but if it's lordosis, nothing is going to get that spine to straighten.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

As so often Elana says it all
Getting some condition on her will help but unless you are seeing visible signs of her being in pain then I wouldnt waste money on a chiropractor as she is how she is and there is little to nothing that can be done to alter her shape. Her muscles and ligaments will all be adjusted naturally to cope with her deformity so probably best not to interfere with things
Its lovely that you are giving her a home


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

She might enjoy some trail riding. Most horses do like to do something. If she is very quiet she might also make a nice therapy riding horse. 

Just ideas. She has some nice legs and I think she could do something. Giving her a shot at life is really nice. Why not give her a shot at something more? She is only 8.


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

Too bad such a pretty girl, ended up with such problems. I agree, this mare definitely has Lordosis. It is absolutely genetic, so I'll bet her sire and/or dam also had it. It is seen in several breeds, but unfortunately very well entrenched in American Saddlebreds. I've seen many Saddlebreds with the problem and were quite useful riding horses throughout their lives, with careful saddle fitting. I _think_, I also see a slight hint of a roach there. Others might like to say if they see that, of if I'm just seeing things. 

Definitely never allow her to be bred, but give her a chance to do something with her life. She's still very young to possibly have 25 or more years ahead, just being a pasture pet. Keep us posted on her progress and bravo to you, for taking her in.

Lizzie


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

phoenmoon said:


> I recently acquired an new mare who have a very noticeable dip in her back and sometimes it not as noticable as other times and I a,m having a hard time deciding what is causing it and how to improve her top line. Any advice and suggestions would be appreciated. She is an 8 year old appendix QH just shy of 17 hands


Am I the only one seeing that this horse needs GROCERIES? I can count every rib, could hang a coat off her hip bones and her flanks are totally sunken in. Yes, she has high withers, she may have Lordosis, but goodness, she definitely has HUNGRY.


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

The OP has already addressed that.

Lizzie


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Ok, I missed that post. I'm thinking she will look a lot different once she has some weight. She may still have some sway to her back but it will be well padded at least.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Elana said:


> *Mostly this horse needs feed and muscling.*. and helping her will require a lot of trotting up hills on a loose rein.. rider in a two point.. to help her build abdominal muscles to support her back as much as possible.


I also mentioned it the feed need. :wink:


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Are you giving her salt? When a horse appears tucked up in the flank that can mean a salt deficiancy.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

As the OP already mentioned, she needs feed. I'm not sure that any saddle will fit her unless there is a pad that can fill in the space. For English saddles, she will need a riser pad and for western saddles, there are swayback pads that can fill in the gap. She will probably look a lot better once she gains the weight, but her back will hurt if she is ridden without proper padding.
Reinsman Tacky Too Swayback Pad - Statelinetack.com
English Saddle Riser & Protective Pads from Schneider


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## LeynaProof (Jan 3, 2013)

Heck that's probably why she has a sway back... Someone was jumping her at 2 years old? Poor baby. :-( It's good that you are going to give her a great home then.


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## phoenmoon (Jan 6, 2013)

That is true. If its not going to hurt her I will wouldn't mind riding her to keep her in shape. I'm small 5'2 and only about 100 pounds. Dealing with sway back is new to me and I couldn't stand putting a horse in pain.

Do you think it would be better to try and find a good fitting saddle or just ride in a well padded bare back pad?


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

From what I have heard, riding with a well fitted saddle is actually better for a horse with lordosis than bareback.


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## phoenmoon (Jan 6, 2013)

To the earlier threads:
yes, she has a slight roached back also. 
She has a salt block and I am slowly changing her over to and increased higher quality feed and hay. She also gets turned out 24/7 in a 50 acre pasture.


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## minstrel (Mar 20, 2012)

Being swaybacked isn't the end of the world - my friend had a 15hh palomino with a swayback, had him until he was 37 years old. He taught a ridiculous number of kids to ride before he retired from the riding school life at 25, and did pony club from the age of 7 or 8 right through to 30. He could jump up to about 3 ft, and whilst he couldn't go higher up to that he was steady as they come and gave the kids real confidence, and he was fantastic cross country, would win every time. He was still being lightly hacked up until the summer he got PTS at 37 - and still would get strong and want to canter!

He was lucky though in that he was never asked to carry anyone heavy, and that's probably what kept him going so well all his life. The swayback was only ever an issue in fitting his saddle, and whilst he would never have reached the stage of trying to collect as he couldn''t effectively use his back, he coped really well around his problem. He finally got PTS when he had no teeth left and the winters were too hard on him. So don't discount a swayback from being a great riding horse, just make sure you work around their issues and don;t expect too much of them. If you don't expect too much, you'll be pleasantly surprised!


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