Verdict

Mrs B, the masseuse/accupuncturist/homeopath lady I use for Kika came to give her the once over yesterday. I thought Kika looked stiff/sore in the right hind leg when lungeing but then she'd work herself out of it,. For the bits of work we did under saddle she felt fine, deffinitely not lame - or i obviously wouldn't have been riding her!
The Guru, L, also questioned how my saddle was fitting when she watched me lunge K before sitting up last weekend. So I had been planning to contact him today anyway to have him come check the saddle as it was August when he fitted it to her and i bought it, so no harm in having it checked as her musculation has changed since. She had only been coming back into work after her month and a bit off from injury - so of course her musculation would change.

First thing Mrs B said to me as I led Kika to the stable was, she is off behind. To which i answered yes, she slipped while loose schooling 4 days after the osteo's visit  , she didn't go down completely - which i imagine is worse for the body, but kind of did a horsey-splits in that her front end stayed up while her back legs went from under neath her on a corner. At the time she popped straight back up and continued trotting so as she was warm i kept her moving all the while looking for signs of lameness/soreness - she appeared fine.
Got her into the stable with Mrs B, and she then commented on the fact Kika clears a huge whole in the middle of her stable by pushing all the sawdust back and baring the concrete floor. Mrs B suggested i look into investing in rubber matting (oh the expense - but shall do as instructed to help the little darling ponio!) as the fact that she bares the floor every evening (despite my fixing it every day  ) jarrs her back and joints a bit every time she gets up and down!
Kika really is a hazard to her own health - and that of my bank balance it would appear!


Mrs B, then proceeded to work her magic, she said that Kika's back end was completely tense and that this is why she does not/cannot correctly work from behind - as she has herself all blocked. As i had mentioned the need to get the saddle checked she had me bring said saddle out for her to look at it and agrees that it no longer fits as well as it should (but that as saddler guaranteed when i bought it - it should be fixable). It is tight near her shoulders (restricting movement) and doesn't fit at all anymore under the cantle - and advised me to no longer use it until it is fixed as there was no point in fixing Kika now if i was going to continue riding her in the ill fitting saddle as it'd be a never ending cycle if that was going to be the case.
She continued to work on Kika and released her back, back end and then attacked her hind legs. She said the right hind was very tense, and that she had done more damage to herself then originally thought (by me) when she fell or maybe even in her daily habit of getting up on the bared concrete of her stable. Either way she worked to release her hind legs also and said that I might find her a littel stiff but that it will pass.

Two friends were with me as Kika was being treated, The Guru, L, and N another friend - they suggested we have a look at how their saddles fit on Kika to see if we might find a happy medium and be able to keep Kika in work while her saddle is sent away to be fixed - as this could take up to 4-5weeks. The guy i bought it from is a fitter not a saddler as such and so cannot adapt the tack himself but has to send the details back to the Stubben Saddlery for them to alter it. We tried L's general purpose saddle, but it was too wide and wouldn't work. So N suggested we try her dressage saddle, it thankfully is a better fit and Mrs B said that she would advise us to work with this one till mine can be fixed or no under-saddle work at all. But she didn't want us to stop working under saddle as then the muscle development would change and when my saddle would come back from altering it wouldn't be right again. Mrs B suggested best way forward would be to have saddle sized slightly wider than Kika to allow for further development and then that can be balanced out with saddle pads if necessary. Mrs B said Kika currently is very well muscled and can't see her shoulder/back musculation changing radically with more work, however said her neck and backend are more likely to develop further. Her overall appraisal was that she is a healthy horse muscle-wise, which i have to say made me a happy owner as we have been working to make her so since osteo's visit in November.

As for working with the dressage sadddle, it will be a first for both Kika and myself! Better position here I come , I hope anyway! Mrs B said that we are to work her a maximum of 20mins in the saddle - total whether on the lunge or with me in it for the first few days to see how Kika reacts to it. Then after two days to give her a day off from the saddle and then try again and see if there is a difference - how she feels/ is behaving. And go from there...

I have some Arnica tablets and another little packet of pills to give her today and for the next few days to help with any soreness stiffness as her body recovers from the "mauling" masssage. She got 5 Arnica last night in an apple, and will get 5 this morning now when i go to turn her out then 5 of the other tables (can't remember the name) this evening. Then 5 each day for the next two days of the other tablets, Mrs B said that K may be a bit stiff/sore afterwards but that this is normal and it is only if it doesn't get better after a week or so to call he ragain and she'll come back to check all is as it should be.

I'm thinking of leaving her off today and letting her mosy about the field for the afternnon then 20mins lungeing with the dressage saddle tomorrow and we'll see about riding in it on monday. As my good friend Vix's motto goes...Baby steps not miracles! 
Never a dull moment!