trapped nerve

[echolady]

echo has been unsound over the winter, so i stopped riding her.
she came sound again so i started small hacks...... she became un sound under saddle. not totaly lame just not quite right.

i have since noticed a small area of rippling of her skin on the right side of her withers.I have been advised that this could be a trapped nerve.

i have a new saddle on the way as i am guessing that the saddle is the main cause of this; to ride her bareback she is very sound and very much like her old self!
does anyone have experience in this area or have any advice ?
Heather

[zeldalithgow]

It does sound like the saddle may be causing her some problems, have you had her back/muscles checked? hope the new saddle solves the problem - is she very wide maybe a treeless/semi treed saddle might be the way to go

[Debbie]

I hope by now you've gotten to the bottom of this and Echo's a happy girlie under a new saddle again

It can indeed be the new saddle pinching on her nerves around the withers. In fact if she's happier and no longer getting that rippling effect, it probably is the saddle and nothing more sinister.

I've seen similar effects with Blossom's skin when she'd rolled on a rock or ? in her field. She'd somehow managed to bruise the nerves up by the withers.

All I did with her was put arnica rub on her shoulders/withers area for several days and put arnica tablets into her bucket. She came right with no troubles. Blossom wasn't being ridden at that point (she was a 2 year old at the time of injury), but I would have simply kept from riding her for about a week or so before saddling up and getting underway again.

The main thing to keep in mind with a trapped nerve like that is that the pony can't control what the limb does. So if the nerve is being pinched, they may try to get you off in an effort to relieve pain on that nerve. Or if it doesn't hurt, they may try to soldier on for you, but the limb doesn't respond correctly....they may drag the leg a little or a lot. That means the pony may stumble and/or fall with you. Not good for either!