Of course, thats the old "get it done, who has time" to care about the horse
way. One of my mares had a terrible blow-up of her ribcage when I first got
her- I'd start barely able to get to the 1st hole on both sides and by the time
we were done, she was up on the last hole on both sides. It was truely amazing.
And she could hold her air for a LONG time,too. I got advice to knee her, but I
couldn't see how that would help her or me in the long run. Not only would she
resent it, but I would begin to resent having to do it! Slowly, she started to
change attitude and now when I let her drop her head to nibble grass as I reach
for the girth she doesn't blow-up at all. I'm not sure what exactly made the
difference( the extra time I took to get her girthed all the way up, the days I
would put on the saddle, girth it half way, then take it off without riding and
repeat, the times I took really extra care to put the girth in the spot where
she didn't pin her
ears back, maybe it was the few times I gave her a cookie after girthing up,
or all the above -none of the above -or things I don't even recall doing).
She's just a lot happier about the whole thing these days. Its not bc the
girth is looser- I do tighten it up so there is no slippage of that saddle! She
doesn't love the girth, but she doesn't hate it anymore.
So obviously, I don't care for kneeing as a girthing solution.
Ash
