Recent Research

Our recent research has focused on two main areas: the width of the equine back and its frequency of change.

Study A: How wide is a horse?

Click here to see the results of a study conducted on 105 horses of various breeds in Pennsylvania. The results show the number of degrees in the equine back behind the shoulder where the saddle tree sits, the number of horses in each category, and the breeds represented in those categories. The chart tells us some interesting things:

• We cannot judge a horse's width from its breed. Notice that both Arabians and Quarter Horses are among the widest and the narrowest; some thoroughbreds are as wide as some Belgians and Morgan crosses; some warmbloods are at the bottom of the scale.
• 51% of the horses fall between 85 and 100 degrees. This means that 90 degrees should be the industry standard for "medium." But it isn't. 90 degrees is an extra wide for many saddle brands, a double extra wide for some.
• The two horses at the very top of the chart between 140-150 degrees foundered. This indicates that the horses at this width were carrying an unhealthy amount of weight. If your horse is this wide and healthy, please let us know. We would love to hear about it.
• The horses at the bottom of the scale between 65-75 degrees suffer from various problems that interfere with the development of muscle growth. For a discussion of these problems, see the research on the changing horse back.

Study B: The Changing Equine Back

The first saddler-scholars to begin serious research on changes in the equine back are Carol Brett and Lesley Taylor, who implemented their findings by founding the innovative British saddle company, BALANCE International. You will learn a lot from visiting their site. Balance International proved that horses backs will lose muscle as a result of the mechanical irritation of a tree that is too narrow or panels that are too hard. Conversely, they have demonstrated over and over again that horses will gain muscle under generously roomy trees and deep, elastic panels and saddle pads. The research begun by Balance International has now been duplicated by faculty at the University of Vienna. Our research has also shown us that horses—even narrow thoroughbreds and older horses—can significantly increase the muscle across their backs under the proper conditions.

At the same time, we have discovered negative changes in the equine back that all horse owners should be aware of, namely, that many horses tend to lose dramatic amounts of bulk across the back very quickly. Consider the following three cases:

• Oldenburg mare, 8 years old, 16 hands: between March and August of 2003 she lost 8 inches across her back five inches below her whither behind the shoulder.
• Thoroughbred gelding, 7 years old, 16.2: between March and August of 2003 lost 5 inches across back 7 inches below the whither behind shoulder.
• Thoroughbred Cross mare, 16 years old, 15.3 hands: between March and JUNE! of 2003 lost 5 inches across back 5 inches below whither behind shoulder.
• Oldenburg Mare, seven years old: between April 2006 and January 2007 lost three inches across her back five inches below whither behind shoulder, after having gained that amount between June 2005 and April 2005.

Before you ask why, here is the punchline to these case studies. Not one of the owners had noticed a change in the horse's back! Not a single one. What lesson can we learn from this? The importance of keeping records. If you do not know how to measure your horse's back, call a saddle fitter in your area or contact us to check your horse's back and to teach you how to keep these important records. You already keep track of your horse's veterinary care, immunizations, worming, and farrier care. Now you can add saddling records to the list!

It should be clear from the discussion above, that horses backs can change quickly and dramatically. This why we endorse saddles with adjustable trees and adjustable saddle pads. With an adjustable tree and good solid advice from a competent saddler, you can make sure that your horse is saddled to the very best advantage.

Now, why did these horses lose width across the back so quickly? Here are some common causes of muscle and weight loss for these and other horses:

• Significantly, two of the three horses above were being ridden in trees that were too snug for them. Tight, hard surfaces cause muscle loss.
• One of the horses had simply gone off her feed. The owner noticed this but thought the horse would eat if she was hungry.
• Two of the three horses had been off for the winter and then went into serious work for the summer. The weight loss was noticed soon after. Had their calorie intake been increased appropriately for the increased work?
• Horses can lose weight when their teeth are not properly floated. The teeth do not meet to chew and release the nutrition passing through the system.
• We had a very rainy summer in Pennsylvania in 2003, and many dairy farmers noticed a decrease in milk production because the cows were eating grass full of water! Could this have contributed to the weight loss of these horses? The previous summer we had no rain and no grass—and similar loss of bulk in equine backs.
• Some horses have a latent lameness that can prevent them from using their bodies fully. We see this in OTTBs who have some damage in the pasterns. They are not steeple-whithered because they are thoroughbreds but because they are not really using their front ends.