Horse’s Hind Limb Lameness Can Cause Saddle Slip

Your saddle used to fit your horse perfectly, and it always stayed in position as you rode. In the last few weeks, however, you’ve noticed that the saddle tends to slip to one side or gets a little bit crooked as you are riding. Is there something wrong with the saddle? Does the horse have some sort of problem? Has something changed in the way you ride?

Though a rider’s position or a change in the horse’s muscling can cause saddle slip, research conducted in England has shown that this problem is frequently a sign of hind leg lameness in horses. The lameness may have developed slowly and can be quite subtle, but it affects the way the horse moves and this change can push the saddle to one side. Especially if the rider and horse’s body condition have not changed, lameness should be considered as a possible cause.

Results of a study on saddle slip and lameness were presented at the 51st British Equine Veterinary Association Congress. In the study, researchers assessed 128 horses for degree of lameness and saddle slip. Each horse was ridden by its owner and also by an experienced rider from the Animal Health Trust for separate 30-minute sessions. Horses were assigned a grade of 0 (sound) to 8 (extremely lame) for lameness, and another grade of 0 (no saddle slip), 1 (saddle slipped at trot and/or canter) or 2 (saddle obviously slipped at trot and canter on one or both leads necessitating rider stopping the horse to adjust the saddle).

Of the 128 horses, only 11 were judged to be completely sound. Forelimb lameness was found in 26 horses, sacroiliac and/or back pain was found in 20 horses, and hind limb lameness was found in 71 horses. Horses showed lameness in only one hind leg in 20 cases, while 51 horses had lameness in both hind legs. The most common lameness grade was 2 which designated a fairly mild level of unsoundness. Sound horses and those with pain in the back or sacroiliac regions did not show saddle slip, but 38 horses with hind limb lameness showed this problem. Saddle slip was found in only one of the 26 horses with forelimb lameness.

After identifying horses that had hind limb lameness, the researchers administered diagnostic nerve blocking to horses in this group and then repeated the riding sessions. Saddle slip was eliminated in 97% of the horses, showing that even mild lameness influences the way a horse moves.

While lameness in the hind legs seemed to influence saddle slip, it was not the only factor. When horses were classified into four groups based on back shape, there was a significant association between horses with wide backs and the incidence of saddle slip. Saddles generally tended to slip in the direction of the most painful leg, especially when the lame leg was on the outside of a 20-meter circle. Lighter riders, riders using stirrups, and riders rising to the trot noticed more saddle slip than heavier riders, those riding without stirrups, and those sitting the trot.

Somewhat surprisingly, there was no correlation between degree of lameness and degree of saddle slip. However, because saddle slip was often noticed when ridden horses had hind leg lameness, shifting tack could be a warning sign of low-grade lameness that might not otherwise be noticed by horse owners or riders.