[haflingerfriends] Re: ...and then he reared!

The first thing that came to my mind as I was reading your post was "saddle fit."  Horses with saddle fit issues will often act "antsy" when being ridden.  Next time you're out, pop your saddle on without any pads and really look and feel how it fits.  Check to make sure the front follows the angle of his back/shoulder.  Make sure you're placing it so the tree is BEHIND the back edge of the shoulder blade.  Check the front to make sure it's not pinching.  Feel underneath the saddle to make sure there are no tight spots or air pockets (should be even pressure front to back).  Check the length of the saddle (with it placed properly) to see if it's too long for his back.  The saddle should be level, not popped up in back or too high or low in front. 
 
Also, next time you ride, make sure the girth isn't pinching anything and there aren't any skin wrinkles under it.  I like to pull my horses' front legs forward after girthing up tight to smooth the skin out.
 
If everything checks out okay, then it could have just been the weather or the other horses that were making him act up.  Try lunging or round penning him before you ride next time you observe this kind of "ansty" behavior.  Let him get all the kinks out without you on him ;-).
 
 
~Barbara
 

 
 

http://AreteSaddlery.com
http://LittleRockEquestrianCenter.com

"To be an equestrian in the classical sense is not just to be a rider. It is a position in life."
--Charles de Kunffy

 
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