38/ DECEMBER 2017 THE RIDER Saddle Fit & Technology:


stant pressure which will first damage the hair follicles (result- ing in hair loss and/or white hair). This can be reversed only when the cause is


(i.e., the pinch- ing


which


allow the mus- cle to regrow al- though


white hairs re-


By Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CSE ©2017 Saddlefit 4 Life® All Rights Reserved


What exactly is muscle at-


rophy and how is it different from good muscle definition? When a muscle has been


trained for more than it would have normally developed natu- rally, and then not used for a while, it will naturally ‘atrophy’ back to its shape as nature would have determined it. It takes four times longer to de- velop a muscle than it does to lose muscle, which is why ill- ness resulting in bed rest can


main. Muscle memory will help in the rebuilding of atrophied muscles if these were properly trained. It will take significantly longer to build up untrained muscles or incorrectly trained muscles. Muscle definition can ac-


tually be a form of atrophy – but it is negative definition in this sense. Positive definition is development of muscular con- formation as expected during proper training; negative defini- tion happens when defensive contraction occurs to counteract a poorly fitting saddle. This negative muscle definition is considered ‘hypertonic’ which


The trapezius muscle can be inflamed from an in- correctly angled tree point/gullet, resulting in this bulge and nearby hollow behind the withers.


properly to the horse – either the gullet channel is too narrow, the tree points and gullet plate are not roomy enough at the with- ers, and the angle of the tree at the gullet does not match the shoulder angle, allow- ing it to pass through clearly (like a sliding door). Spinal issues, nerve damage, or carti- lage injuries are also results of poorly fitting saddles, and may take months or years to ap- pear. The horse may be ‘girthy’, anticipating the saddle hurting once it’s girthed up. We’ve all seen terrible


An incorrectly fitted gullet plate puts constant pressure on the side of the withers, resulting in the formation of this stress line due to the ‘defensive’ contraction of the trapezius muscle.


have such a drastic effect on your leg muscles when you start to move around again. Muscle atrophy also occurs


when an unbalanced saddle puts too much pressure on a particu- lar muscle, and the horse tries to remove or avoid this pressure. He goes into ‘defensive mode’ by contracting the muscle in the area (as well as the surrounding muscles) and can even alter his gaits. Under the point of pres- sure where circulation is im- pacted (thus reducing nutrients and oxygen to the affected area) the muscle will ‘undevelop’ or atrophy. As explained by veteri- narians, atrophy will occur under severe instances of con-


means the contraction phase of the muscle(s) is unnaturally long and in a state of abnormal tension. This results in tight, cramped, and painful muscle development – which can look like atrophy. The physical signs of sad-


dle fit trauma are more easily apparent than the psychological signs. Signs that your horse is in pain include head tossing, buck- ing, stumbling, tongue issues, rearing, and resistance. White hair, dry spots, and muscle atro- phy are visual effects resulting from poor saddle fit. Each of these manifesta-


tions has as its origin an issue in a saddle that has not been fitted


muscle atrophy in the trapezius created by pressure from a pinch- ing saddle, but there is one inherent mistake in what is being written about atrophy - if your horse seems to be nar-


rowing behind the shoulder area, it is not necessarily due to muscle atrophy, but rather be- cause the muscle lengthens dur- ing use(analogy - when the hand goes up to the shoulder, the bi- ceps is big (contracting, short- ening, wider). But then stretch out your arm (i.e. lengthen or stretch the muscle) and see how narrow your muscle appears - just like a horse’s back which is stretched. As your horse be- comes more supple, the idea is to have the longissimus dorsi lengthen (which is mistaken for muscle atrophy). Just like in bodybuilding,


understanding muscle definition and biomechanics will explain


addressed saddle),


will the


Photo shows muscle atrophy at the loin area - paradoxically caused by an incorrectly fitted gullet plate, which seated the rider too far back and creating excessive pressure in this area.


why certain parts of the body become bulky, while others be- come more defined and appear slimmer. After working out for a year, a bodybuilder probably needs a new jacket because his upper body has gotten bigger, and new pants because his waist has gotten smaller - and not because of atrophy due to pressure from his belt. Most people love their horses and would be distressed


to learn that their saddles are causing these is- sues; horses do not consciously behave badly and really want nothing more than to please their leader. Horses value this bond between


themselves and their riders, and don’t under- stand why this relationship is impacted by the saddle – which causes pain. As a rider, you in- tuitively know when something is wrong in your relationship; you see it in your horse’s eyes, you feel it when he doesn’t nicker or come to you freely when called. He is antici- pating pain. When the horse expresses himself this extremely, you know that he has suffered for many days already. Make sure that you aren’t exacerbating what you perceive to be the problem rather than addressing the root cause - your saddle may need to be adjusted, but con- sider that there could be other issues contribut- ing to back problems. Always involve your equine professionals to help you determine what`s going on.


Muscle Atrophy and Muscle Definition


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