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Sweat Patterns

Saddle Fit and Sweat Patterns: How are They Related?

Let’s take a look at sweat patterns and what they may be telling you about your horse’s saddle fit. You can glean valuable information about how your horse’s back is interacting with the saddle by regularly checking sweat patterns after rides.

 Sweat Patterns

When your horse works, it sweats, and this sweat can leave visible patterns on the animal’s back. These patterns can be an indicator of your horse’s pressure points or areas where the saddle is not fitting correctly. It’s important to be on the lookout for clues that may indicate poor saddle fit and regularly checking out your horse’s sweat patterns is a good addition to your horse care routine.

 

Uneven or Even, That is the Sweat Pattern Question

Sweat Patterns

If the sweat patterns left by the saddle are uneven or show concentrated areas of sweat, it may indicate that the saddle is putting too much pressure on certain points of your horse’s back. This may lead to discomfort or even pain that can lead to long-term damage if not properly addressed.

 

Conversely, if the sweat patterns are even and distributed, it is a good sign that the saddle is fitting well and not causing any undue pressure or discomfort.

 

A Piece of the Saddle Fit Puzzle

It’s important to note that sweat patterns are just one tool in assessing saddle fit and should be used in conjunction with advice from a professional saddle fitter or a veterinarian’s assessment. Additionally, sweat patterns can vary based on other factors like weather, exercise intensity, and overall health of your horse, so it’s important to take multiple factors into consideration when evaluating a saddle’s fit.

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Ken McNabb’s Guide to Helping Your Scared Horse Work Through Fear

Ken McNabb’s Guide to Helping Your Scared Horse Work Through Fear

If you have a fearful or anxious horse, it’s important for you to respond with patience, understanding and a willingness to work at your horse’s pace. Since horses are prey animals in nature, they have developed strong protective instincts as an ingrained part of their equine behavior.

“When helping a horse overcome fear, I want to see him quit fighting to escape and get soft,” shares Ken McNabb. “I don’t want him to get dulled out and insensitive, but rather come to a place of trusting my leadership over the situation, so that I am able to teach him how we can get through it together.”


The following tips from Ken are important to keep in mind as you work to help your horse work through fear:

  1. Stay Calm and Relaxed – Horses mirror human emotions. Always keep in mind that horses are incredibly sensitive animals and are quick to pick up on your emotions. If you’re feeling anxious or nervous, your horse will sense it and become more fearful. Stay calm and relaxed, and your horse will be more likely to follow your lead.
Helping a Scared Horse Work Through Fear
  1. Building Trust with Your Horse – It’s important to take small steps when working with your horse. Never try to force your scared horse to confront all its fear at once. Break down each task into small, achievable steps and work on each one individually. For example, if your horse is afraid of a particular object, start by introducing it from a distance. Gradually move the object closer as your horse becomes more comfortable and confident.
  1. Use Positive Reinforcement – When your horse makes progress, take the opportunity to offer praise, treats, or a break from training as a reward. This positive reinforcement horse training method will encourage your horse to keep trying while helping to build its confidence.
Helping a Scared Horse Work Through Fear
  1. Be Patient – Overcoming fear is a process for both humans and horses alike. It can take time. Don’t rush your horse or push it too hard. Giving your horse the time it needs to feel comfortable and confident will pay off in the long run.
Helping a Scared Horse work through fear
  1. Seek Professional Help – If your horse’s fear is severe or you don’t feel confident in your ability to help your horse, seek the help of a professional horse trainer or equine behaviorist. They can provide invaluable guidance and support to help your horse work through fear in a safe, effective manner.

Keep in mind that every horse is different. What works for one horse may not work for another so it’s important to remain patient, understanding and flexible in your approach. Stay the course and you’ll be able to help your horse work through its fear and transform into a more confident and trusting partner.

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5 Tips from Ken McNabb on Riding Your Horse with Correct Body Position

5 Tips from Ken McNabb on Riding Your Horse with Correct Body Position

You’re passionate about building a relationship of trust with your horse. When you embark on your next horse riding session, try a few of Ken McNabb’s tried-and-true techniques to improve communication with your horse and advance in your horsemanship journey.
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5 Reasons Why Groundwork is Important

5 Reasons Why Groundwork is Important

Have you ever heard of the saying, “Built from the ground up.”? Essentially, the same goes for horses. Groundwork is an important aspect of training and working with horses. It can enhance your relationship, communication, and trust between you and your horse. Here are some reasons why groundwork is an important element for any level.
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An Issue of Trust

An Issue of Trust

In 2021 I competed at Road to the Horse, which was actually held in Texas instead of its typical location in Lexington, Kentucky due to the Covid outbreak. For the competition, I chose a 6666 Ranch red roan colt, which I later named Dandy. After the 2021 competition, I then got the opportunity to purchase Dandy and have continued his training at home. This month I wanted to share an exercise for consideration in your colt starting program at home.
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The Lump of Clay - Developing Your Horse

The Lump of Clay - Developing Your Horse

Development. You know this is a great word that suites horse training! Honestly, that is what we are doing; taking a raw lump of clay and developing it into something we want it to be. If you are building hunter jumpers, cutters, ranch horses, trail horses, or just a horse you have fun on- you are developing what you want this horse to be.
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The Benefits of the Synergy® Contoured Close Contact Performance Saddle Pad

The Benefits of the Synergy® Contoured Close Contact Performance Saddle Pad

When it comes to the design of a saddle pad, you want something functional that is also going to keep you and your horse riding at your best. With many saddle pads on the market, close contact saddle pads have made a major impact on the equine industry. Why is that?
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The Importance of Diligence in Horsemanship & Everyday Life

The Importance of Diligence in Horsemanship & Everyday Life

The Apostle Paul told us to work diligently to show ourselves approved workmen, worthy of our hire. Diligence is something in our everyday life that determines whether we accomplish what we started out to do or not.
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Loping with Confidence

Loping with Confidence

When you are first teaching a young horse to carry a rider at the lope, you want him to learn to be relaxed and confident. Starting the process with these things in mind will help you avoid lots of the common problems that you might see at the lope, like rushing, running away, and anxiety on the part of the horse and the rider.
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Synergy by Weaver Powered by Coolcore® Blankets & Neck Wraps

Synergy by Weaver Powered by Coolcore® Blankets & Neck Wraps

To use Coolcore® blankets and neck wraps when wet, simply wet it, wring out excess water, and snap it in the air to initiate the rapid cooling process. The patented Hyper Evaporative Cooling process will cool up to 30% below skin temperature effectively keeping your horse cool on even the hottest days
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Saddling Up With Haley Wright

As part of Team Weaver™ and Team Synergy®, we have had a first-hand opportunity to try some of the best products on the market today! It’s time to saddle UP and get your horse outfitted in only the best.
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Where You Look is Where You Go

I find it amazing that the human brain tells us to look places that we literally are trying to avoid.
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