Please note: That from October 2023, all of the BALANCE-designed products are no longer available from The BALANCE SAddle Company Ltd. and this website. The production and sales of the full BALANCE range of saddles, saddle pads and harness/training equipment is now being managed by THV Saddling. The products themselves and the manufacturers are the same as under BALANCE, but will now show the THV Saddling Logo. Please go to the THV Saddling website and order via their online shop, or email them to ask about availability.
A very important tool for any horse owner. This simple piece of equipment is used to monitor and record the shape of the horse's back, in the area where the saddle is carried.
24 inch (61cm) Flexible Curve
It is a stable management tool that we would encourage more people to use, because to effectively monitor continued horse well-ness, it is important to be able to identify changes in back shape as they happen. Alterations in back profile can happen for many reasons, from changes in training methods, feeding regime, hoof comfort as well as saddle comfort and balance. Significant reduction in the width of the horse in the saddle area should always be investigated. The regular use of a Flexi Curve provides an 'early warning system'.
We have found that it is difficult for people to find Flexi Curves of a useful length and quality, which is why we stock them.
HOW TO TAKE A BACK PROFILE OF YOUR HORSE
See the link below for a short video on how to take a back profile of your horse, by Birgitta Bergsten BrSC.
Taking a back profile of the JB area. - YouTube
YOU WILL NEED:
- A FLEXIBLE CURVE 24” (61cm) LONG, AS USED BY ARCHITECTS
- A LARGE PIECE OF PAPER (A3 size or a piece of wallpaper can work well)
- A PEN (preferably a felt tip pen for clarity)
TO TAKE A BACK PROFILE:
- 1. Lay your paper out on a flat surface, close to the horse.
- 2. Have the horse standing on a level surface and standing as ‘square’ as possible.
- 3. Take the flexi-curve and bend into a soft curve.
- 4. Approach the horse and allow the horse to look at and investigate the flexi-curve if he/she wants to.
- 5. Locate the back edge of the horse’s shoulder blade, and then place the flexi-curve over the ‘wither’ at a point one and a half inches back (toward the tail) from the shoulder blade (you are going to be taking your profile from the part of the horse over which the points of a straight pointed tree would sit).
- 6. GENTLY mould the flexi-curve to the contour of the horse’s back on both sides taking care not to allow it to slide out of position.
- 7. Lift the curve off the horse without distorting the shape and lay it flat on the paper you have laid out. Draw a line around the inside of the curve and mark down which is the near side and which is the off side. Put the horse’s name and the date on the profile. Having done this, it is a good idea to return the flexi-curve to the horse to check that the shape is still the same.
Here is a link to a quick video made by BrSC Birgitta Bergsten, on how she take a profile of the JB area of the horse.
