bucking mare

Question
My mare is suddenly doing small bucks when asked to trot or canter and will roll her head to the left or right. I know that spring is the hardest time for mares in season . I also know that I am no push over either .I am really connected to this horse but I don`t want to ride her when she is like this!! What do I do?  

Answer
Melissa,

When was the last time you checked your saddle for fit?  Her behavior is very typical of a horse whose saddle is too tight.  You want at least a couple of fingers clearance between the withers and pommel of the saddle to start to make sure it's not sitting down too far there.  If you don't ride with a white pad try putting a thin sheet of white material - a piece of sheet or a clean towel work well - under the saddle pad you normally use against the horse's back.  Ride long enough to get the horse sweating under the saddle then stop and take the saddle off.  

Look carefully at the horse's back first.  Is it wet evenly all over with no dry spots?  Is the hair smooth?  There should be no areas where the hair is ruffled, rubbed or dry.  Then look at the white pad/cloth.  There should be a perfect print of the saddle on it with no areas that are darker than the rest, lighter than the rest or have dry spots.  Any of the above indicate pressure differences.  The saddle tree is suppposed to distribute the rider's weight evenly over the entire tree.  If it's not doing that then the saddle doesn't fit.  Just like a pair of shoes that don't fit saddles can be too tight or have trees that simply don't conform to the shape of the horse's back.

Check your saddle out carefully.  Stand it on the pommel and look at the panels under the saddle.  If they are not identical you have a problem.  You don't say how old this horse is but youngsters outgrow saddles just like kids out grow shoes.  If you ride English and the tree fits you may just need to get the saddle restuffed.  Not an option with a Western-style tree unfortunately.  Some adjustments can be made with a pad but that's for minor problems at best.  Check your saddle carefully.  If you aren't comfortable with checking fit then get someone who is knowledgeable about saddle fit to help you.  Having a properly fitted saddle should clear up the problems.  If there is no problem with the saddle then you may have to start looking at the horse from a chiropractic point of view to see if her back, hip, withers or shoulder is out.  

She's trying to tell you that something isn't right.  Now it's up to you to figure out what the problem is.  Granted, some mares do have issues with back pain when they ovulate as they are beginning to cycle in the spring but only a small percentage do.  My guess is the saddle doesn't fit.  Depending upon it's age and amount of use it's had the tree may have gone "bad" - warped or broken.  

Lyn

Lyn