Posted 2010-05-03 8:51 PM (#119674) Subject: Bad fitting saddle
Member
Posts: 18
I have a question. I have a tennese walker and an ill-fitting saddle. I'm not the high dollar rider and can't afford the new hand-made saddle. My saddle leaves the dry spot on his withers. The only worry I really have is that it's leaving white hair on my big black boy. His back isn't sore i've ridden in this saddle for years. It really fits me and i hate to say this i'm wondering if it is my weight, i'm above 250 lbs and yes i really do ride. I've been using a built up pad . My question is this is there any benefits of buying a pad to help distribute the weight since he's not sore. I've ridden everywhere from Buffalo river Ark to Big Bend Tx. Just a thought that has crossed my mind after I rode today. Any riders around the Decatur area also.
Posted 2010-05-04 9:32 AM (#119699 - in reply to #119674) Subject: RE: Bad fitting saddle
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434 Location: Brooksville, Fl
Any saddle that is creating white hair is an issue. Where on the wither is the white hair? You don't have to spend a lot of money on a custom saddle, just figure out what you may need and buy a used saddle or demo a saddle that you think may fit well. Custom saddles aren't always a guarantee anyhow. If the saddle fits fairly well and it's just a matter of the horse has lost some weight, then padding may help. Pads will not fix a saddle that doesn't fit and will ultimately cause other issues. Padding will not fix a saddle that is too narrow, only make it add more pressure. If your saddle fits your horse and you correctly, then your weight isn't an issue. If you do that much riding, you owe it to your horse to have a saddle that fits him as good as possible.
Posted 2010-05-04 12:41 PM (#119711 - in reply to #119674) Subject: RE: Bad fitting saddle
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 330 Location: northeast Texas
If you have been riding with the built up pad and that is when the white spots started then you might try using just a regular good pad. A pad cannot fix a true saddle fit problem but the wrong pad can cause a problem. White spots means a pressure point. Eventually you will have scar tissue develope and you can eventually see behavior or gait issues due to the pressure point damage. More padding can cause pressure points. Case example: I weigh 135 lbs. In 2007 I was competing my husband's black Paint. We do long distance riding, competitive trail with NATRC. I was using a Toklat woolback pad and decided/thought it needed something more. It had a velcro opening on top so I inserted a Wintec front build up Comfort Pad. About 5 competitions later Domino was getting white spots along the sides of his withers. Saturday evening at a competition me and some fellow riders were analyzing saddle pads and discussing fit issues. Suddenly it occured to me what our issue was. I removed the Wintec Comfot pad and slipped in a pad from Chick's that looks like a Dixie Midnight just to give the Toklat some body. The horse started moving better, stopped crowhopping at the canter and the white spots went away. Too much padding was causing a pressure point issue right at the edge of the insert. We have since gone exclusively to Skito pads. My husband is a heavy weight rider and has no issues. I was riding an American Endurance saddle at the time but now we both ride Tucker River Plantation wide trees.
Posted 2010-05-05 11:10 AM (#119750 - in reply to #119711) Subject: RE: Bad fitting saddle
Expert
Posts: 2614
I know that Tucker has been one of the leading advertisers of trail saddles for years now.I've owned several.I now have a Tucker wide endurance for my flat backed mutton wither foxtrotter mare.Any saddle that I've fit her with will ultimately still sit on "top" of her rather than down on her because she has no withers.
I have found that the majority of folks that have ridden Tucker saddles will tout the comfort of the saddle,which is true.However,I've found very few dealers,even Tucker dealers,that don't have the overall opinion that these saddles are too narrow for most horses,even a wide tree.They make beautiful saddles,no doubt,but,I've bought my last one.
I have a Circle Y flex tree "wide" (full QH bar) saddle that seems to do well for my horse.
Any saddle or pad that is creating white hair on a horse is a problem.It's frustrating to go through saddle after saddle to find one that fits.My friend has gone through 13 saddles for one of her horses but sadly,has lost that horse.It's an expensive hassle to find the "right" saddle but worth it in the long run for your horses well being.Good luck.
She is a top notch saddle fitter and very honest and can tell you whether she has a tree that would work for your horse. Her saddles are good quality and don't cost an arm and a leg. She even has some synthetic models. She can custom make a saddle however you want.
I have a TWH and ride in a RL Watson flex-panel saddle. (It is not a flex-tree) Love it and it can fit several different body shapes of horses due to the flex-panels.
Posted 2010-05-07 8:45 PM (#119889 - in reply to #119674) Subject: RE: Bad fitting saddle
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 368 Location: Georgia
I have been through saddle fitting hell with my appaloosa. I found a Tucker that fit him but was too big for me. Borrowed a Bob Marshall treeless saddle from my cousin and found MY DREAM saddle for both me and my pony. From what I have read about the Bob Marshall Original Treeless is either folks love em or hate em. Well I fall into the "Folks who love em" category. Both me and my pony have found the perfect saddle for us. Sold the brand new Flex tree Gen II Tucker that I special ordered and ordered an Original Bob Marshall Treeless and we ARE both very happy. I am an avid trail rider and ride from anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours a day. The Bob Marshall works well for both me and my pony. He moves out better than he ever has and has no marks or soreness from the saddle. I love the comfort and the feel of the treeless. Just a suggestion.
Posted 2010-05-07 9:12 PM (#119892 - in reply to #119674) Subject: RE: Bad fitting saddle
Member
Posts: 25 Location: Sedalia, Colorado
"My saddle leaves the dry spot on his withers"
This is a problem?
The saddle gullet should not touch the withers. There should be an even sweat band on the area the bars of the saddle rest on either side of the spine above the curve of the ribs, slightly behind scapula (shoulder plate), leaving the withers, scapula and spine contact and sweat free.
OK, if you really work the horse there will be sweat, but contact in these areas is not good.
A well fitting saddle will do this without so much as a blanket (I, and Danny prefer 100% wool). Pads are more of a coverup than a help.
Posted 2010-05-08 12:34 AM (#119898 - in reply to #119674) Subject: RE: Bad fitting saddle
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
If you have ridden for years and have not left a white spot yet or a sore back, what's the concern? Has the horses conformation changes so that the dry spots are new.
I try to make sure my saddles fit. But I can't afford a large arsenal of saddles. I have many horses. They are at different stages of life. Young and old. Some are still growning and fill in. Some are older and filling out. Some of the horses are fat in the spring and work the fat off. Some build muscle as we get more exercise. And yes there are times when I see some dry spots. It's part of a changing confirmation. I do look for those when I take the saddles off. I frequently check my horses for sore back, particular 30-40 minutes after I take the saddle off, which seems to be when they stiffen up and you can spot the soreness easier. But if I don't see the spots consistently, and there is no soreness, I don't get to worried about it. If it's persistent, Then yes, I try changing the saddle or blankets, rotating the horse with one of my daughters ( lighter weight).
I guess I've just watched too many cowboys, take their personal saddle and chase cows for 3-4 hours, change horses an chase cows all afternoon, change horses again and chase more cows. They are wearing out 2-3 horses a day with the same saddle. I guess they are more attached to their saddle than a horse pulled from the herd.
Bad fitting saddle
