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Discussion on Sway back Rhonda
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Saturday, Jul 18, 2009 - 2:27 pm:
Hi All, To give Tax company Rhonda [the first horse of Mikes daughters] arrived. I thought she was about 30 years old, she was in a horrible condition with old wounds on her legs from lying on a to hard dirt floor skinny not trimmed for a long time etc[just so you know she was sold and this condition wasn't acquired here ] She also has a horrible sway back.
Now she is in [very] good condition again fit as a fiddle running around and yelling if I take Tax out and do not want to 'pony' her[no pleasure I do not know how to do that and they fight ]and I found she is only 20 or 21 years old.
Question: she loves to come along on a calm light trailride she is perfectly sound, if I saddle her with a thick pad and my english saddle [my weight is under 160 pounds]can I ride her lightly?
All input is appreciated never had anything resembling sway back so am novice at this.
Oh and Rhonda is about 15.2 a big TB looking QH.
Jos
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Member:
lvmyhors
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Posted on Saturday, Jul 18, 2009 - 10:12 pm:
Hi Jos. as long as she doesn't have any physical pain along her spine and as long as you use a good padding system with her it would probably do the old gal good!! I have a friend that has a 19 yr. old 1/4 horse that is very sway backed and we trail ride with him all the time and you should see the looks on peoples faces when she unsaddles him and removes his pads!!! They can't believe that such a handsome and athletic acting horse has such a sway back!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 19, 2009 - 11:40 am:
Hello jos,
a sway back is not a contraindication to riding just be sure the saddle fits well.
DrO
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 19, 2009 - 11:35 pm:
jos,
One of mine is sway backed and as his weight has gone up and down I have had to experiment with a variety of different padding systems.
We ride long and hard and a sore back will result if the saddle bridges and puts too much pressure on his loins. Or if the padding causes the saddle to tilt forward and squeeze his withers, the ride will be uncomfortable for both of us.
There are a variety of different padding systems available and right now I am successfully using a pad made by Cashel (now available in JEFFERS catalog) that has 3/4" padding at the ends and 1 1/2" in the center area. When placed in the correct position it works for him.
With a sway backed horse, what works for one ride can sometimes fail when the horse is ridden long rides several days a week, resulting in a backache and rubbing off of hair from the loins that would progress to saddle sores if allowed to.
It is kind of a fine art to position the saddle pad so the saddle sits level without bridging but you will do this more easily with an English saddle than a Western.
Just keep an eye on the horse for any signs of back pain, hair loss or behavior that indicates possible discomfort.
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Monday, Jul 20, 2009 - 10:33 am:
Thanks so much for the info! My English saddle seems to fit and I will see what kind of pad is most comfortable for her. As she will only be used for light trailrides and is very broke I think I could even try only a pad and no saddle.
She will be delighted to be taken along once again!
I AM amazed that you can ride a horse [and that she is perfectly sound!] with such a back! Weird isn't it some of them look fine and can't do anything and others look almost invalid and do perfectly fine!
Jos
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Monday, Jul 20, 2009 - 12:18 pm:
It will be good for her too, jos, to build greater muscle strength.
That is great that your English saddle fits quite well.
Nobody who I ride with (variety of ages and breeds) have horses with the endurance of my sway backed guy and few can keep up with him when we are really moving out. Frequently other riders comment upon his beautiful way of moving and I am often asked whether we actively compete in the field of endurance. He is athletic enough to adjust to any speed at any gait. He is beautiful, proud and noble. When I look at him I don't think "swaybacked" at all, but "steady, careful, reliable, and great ride."
A friend of mine uses her sway backed mare (slightly worse than my boy) for performance team riding and in a costume or saddle (I used my boy for this too for many years), few would notice that she is put together differently than the others.
Under saddle or in costume, or when out on the trails what is most important is how the horse performs. Many with a swayed back go just great, and I hope that you will find much pleasure riding this horse. As her conditioning strengthens you may be able to successfully do more with her than you ever imagined.
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Monday, Jul 20, 2009 - 12:44 pm:
Hi Jos. I've known people to put a light weight cotton pad down on the back, then fill the "gap" caused by the swayed back with a soft folded pad or eggshell foam. It might be worth a try if you can't find the right pad. A bareback pad would work good if you want to ride her without a saddle.
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 3, 2009 - 5:00 pm:
Update on Rhonda: She is now in such a condition that I refuse to ride her without a decent saddle and helmet I finally managed to get hold of her pedigree and she is 23 years young and indeed a QH with Doc Bar blood[how did she get to look like a TB and have the gaits of a nice WB?] I am happy to state that her swayback is making real bucking difficult but she IS very comfortable.
I wondered is a swayback horse often that comfortable because they can't do anything else then USE that weird back? Anybody out there who knows more about this fenomena?
Jos
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 3, 2009 - 5:55 pm:
Horses with long backs are comfy to ride(not compete)...and eventually will become very sway backed. weak connection
spring loaded or sprung
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 3, 2009 - 5:59 pm:
Opps
Was going to add that my OBGYN loved horses with long backs, told me they were comfortable! She was a big Skipper W fan. Did he throw long backs?
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 3, 2009 - 8:28 pm:
I've seen a few 'family horses' from him as we call them
I do think that apart from long the back should tend to swayback to be 'comfy' The Dutch carriagehorses often have a long back but very strong loins and are NOT comfortable in their big trot and even less in the gait they think is canter
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Member:
sodmonst
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 3, 2009 - 11:23 pm:
Hi jos,
This link goes to Doc Bar's pedigree.
https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/doc+bar You'll notice all the Thoroughbred blood there. The names with a red Astrix by them have pictures available.
You didn't mention her dam's name. Do you have it handy?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 4, 2009 - 12:07 pm:
I have known many long back horses that did not have a swayback, defined as more than 2 1/2 inch deviation of the lowest part of the back when compared with a line drawn from the withers to the rump. Though there is little objective information swayback in horses is thought to be a genetic defect that occurs in horses of all lengths, though most often seen in Saddlebreds admittedly a long back breed.
I think most horses backs DrOp a bit with age and a long backed horse will DrOp a bit more after all there is more to DrOp. But the very swaybacked horse that I think we most often think of when the term is used is possible in all lengths of backs and having a long back does not make them particularly more prone to this condition.
DrO
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 4, 2009 - 2:52 pm:
Good to know its a myth
Thanks
Leslie
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 4, 2009 - 4:42 pm:
Look at Hermit in the allbreedpedigree and you will see a beautiful Rhonda!! Thanks for the link!
Well I am sure Rhonda got swaydback [genetic or not] during all her long hours of duty with Mikes daughters. She took care of them, her foal all three of them together and from time to time of Mike. SO I think she more then earned a retirement with blankets loads of food [all prescribed as per HA] and a trailride from time to time with me and my English[light] saddle for a change.
Will try to make a pic and post it!
Jos
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 4, 2009 - 5:17 pm:
well said
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Member:
sodmonst
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 4, 2009 - 6:36 pm:
jos, here's a link with photos of Doc Bar's ancestors. Check out the pictures of Queen Mary,
Doncaster, King Tom, Bend Or, Trenton, Sundridge, Amphion, Springfield, Hampton, and a few others on that photo array.
https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/index.php?h=doc+bar&g=9&query_type=photos&search _bar=photos&inbred=Standard&x2=n&username=&password=&x=0&y=0
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Member:
sodmonst
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 4, 2009 - 6:38 pm:
OK, that didn't work, but if you go to that page, then select "Reports" from the menu bar, you'll see "photos" at the bottom of the DrOp-down. Click that and you'll get all of the photos.
https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/index.php?h=doc+bar&g=9&query_type=photos&search _bar=photos&inbred=Standard&x2=n&username=&password=&x=0&y=0
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Member:
marieanh
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Posted on Monday, Oct 5, 2009 - 2:29 pm:
As someone with a long backed horse, glad to know a sway back is not inevitable. (though I am familiar with some studies re lordosis and some Saddlebred lines). Jos, Rhoda is very lucky to have you on her side (or back!).
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 7, 2009 - 9:58 pm:
One last question on Rhonda[big by the way 15.3]:The English saddle with extra pad fits very well, she goes well with me no holding back walking very comfortable and enthusiastic, will a bit more weight harm her if we only go for a walk? With saddle about 110 pounds?
She would be much more comfortable for Mike then little Tax and we would do very calm trailrides as Tax is already getting heavy.[on average less then an hour walk on flat ground]
Thanks!
Jos
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 7, 2009 - 10:00 pm:
Sorry obviously I meant 210 pound
Jos
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 8, 2009 - 5:23 am:
Hello jos,
I try to avoid predicting whether injury is possible or not, it is always possible. But being sway backed does not mean this horse's back is substantially weaker than a horse that is not sway backed.
DrO
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 8, 2009 - 10:51 am:
Thanks Dr O, I will try carefully,and keep a close eye on how she moves and if her back gets sore[probably that will be where to expect problems?]As she is already officially retired I won't ruin her carreer just stop if she seems to get a problem with a bit of work.
Thanks again
Jos
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 8, 2009 - 11:05 am:
Oh, that interesting; I'd always assumed a swaybacked horse had a weaker back. Good news, Jos! btw, Troy's little girl's mare, age 34 and very sway backed, is still doing great; she won her division in barrels and Riley got her first buckle at the end of the year. So, you and Rhonda have a ways to go.
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