Karen Jackson Equine Bodywork

Best of luck to my sponsored rider Olivia Rimmer and Oscar C who are on their way to Home Nations 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿enjoy every minute # # #

Well done RoR 👏🏻👏🏻a very sensitive subject but one that needs attention. As soon as I mention the rider weight to horse weight ratio I’m the bad person 🙄 no ! I’ve a voice for the horse . Many issues can be caused by overweight riders. We must speak up for the sake of our precious horses 🐎

👏🏻👏🏻

If my saddle needs widening, does that mean my horse is fat…? 🤔

This seems to be the topic of conversation this week, and perhaps the confusion comes from the way we have been conditioned to look at the equine body.

When a horse’s back becomes broader, rounder and more developed, the immediate assumption is often:

“My horse must be getting fat.”

But is that always true?

Or could we be seeing something that has become so unfamiliar that we no longer recognise it as healthy?

For far too long, the horse world has normalised backs with poor muscle development. Hollow areas behind the shoulder, prominent withers, deep dips beside the spine and a lack of topline are often accepted as “normal”...or even mistaken for a fit, athletic appearance.

But a poorly muscled back is not a healthy back.

Muscle atrophy is the loss or reduction of muscle tissue. It can develop when muscles are not being used effectively, when movement is restricted, when the horse is working in compensatory patterns, or when discomfort prevents the body from functioning as it should.

The back is not simply a platform for a saddle.

It is a dynamic, living structure that changes shape throughout movement.

When a horse’s body works in a healthy, balanced posture, the muscles supporting the spine become active. The back can lift, the ribcage can move, and the body can broaden through the saddle area. This is not the horse “getting wider because it is fat.” It may be the horse developing and using its body more effectively.

As described within the LM approach, biomechanics show that when a horse works correctly over its back, the back naturally lifts and widens during movement. This is why saddle fitting should consider the horse’s moving, functional shape, not simply the narrower shape seen when the horse is standing still with its back dropped.

So, if your saddle needs widening, the question should not automatically be:

“Has my horse become fat?”

Perhaps we should first ask:

✨ Has my horse developed more healthy muscle?
✨ Is the back lifting and functioning more effectively?
✨ Has the posture improved?
✨ Is the horse becoming stronger and more comfortable?
✨ Has the body changed because it is finally being allowed to move and develop naturally?

Of course, body fat and muscle are not the same thing, and neither should be judged by saddle width alone. A horse’s overall condition should always be assessed holistically, considering body condition, muscle development, posture, movement, health and individual conformation.

But we must also be careful not to mistake healthy development for excess weight simply because we have become accustomed to seeing underdeveloped backs.

A healthy back should be broader.

A healthy back should be rounder.

A healthy back fills the space that we have traditionally expected to see as hollow.

And if a horse’s body changes, the saddle must change with it.

The saddle should support healthy movement, not encourage the horse to remain narrow so that it continues to fit.

At LM, our focus is on working with the horse’s natural biomechanics, allowing room for the back to lift, widen and function during movement. Their holistic approach considers posture, muscle development, movement and the whole horse, not just the static shape beneath the saddle.

We are on a mission to normalise the healthy equine back!!

To stop seeing muscle development as a problem.

To question why a broad, lifted, well-supported back can be mistaken for a fat one.

And to recognise that a horse changing shape may not be “outgrowing” its saddle through weight gain, it is developing into a stronger, healthier and more functional version of itself.

“When we change what we consider normal, we create space for horses to become healthy—not simply to remain familiar.” 🐴✨

🌐 lmsaddles.com

Hey , if anyone is interested I’m selling my lovely LM Saddles Ltd Horse-friendly Saddles, Holistic & Remedial Saddle-fitting dressage saddle as my ever growing Artie has grown out of his saddle 🤦‍♀️ I’m gutted 😞 please contact me for any further info # # #

Look at the growth 👏🏻 . Through bodywork and correct saddle fitting you can’t go wrong. The way LM Saddles Ltd Horse-friendly Saddles, Holistic & Remedial Saddle-fitting allows their backs to develop and core to lift is second to none. Healthy posture healthy body

Client notice !! My cars off the rd 😖currently in the garage awaiting parts, I will be contacting everyone booked in later on tonight to rearrange 😞 please except my apologies and thankyou for your patience xx

I’ve been far to quiet on social media lately to be honest I don’t find posting easy 😵‍💫😆 But I’m very busy which I’m forever grateful to you all for , I thought I with give you a Artie update ⬇️ ☺️ proud is a understatement, the work that’s gone into him , every step has been thought through the miles and miles I’ve long reined him and still do has paid off. Olivia Rimmer dressage has been invaluable as she doesn’t push us everything is slowly slowly. We may even enter our first dressage soon ! Artie’s one of the reasons I don’t post much I just don’t have time !! 😆😆

Olivia Rimmer Nicola Rimmer 🥂