Cut-out pad or contour pad?

[equinelaundry]

I’m having a heck of a time fitting new standardbred mare for tack. She’s gained ~75-100# but has the shark fin withers.

2 saddle fittings from 2 different people have resulted in 2 different opinions and I’m a cross-over discipline rider so I could use more opinions!

Old-time cowboy (former tack store owner for decades, currently rides in parades, etc.) came over for my mare and we fitted her in a synthetic western saddle. He said get her a cut-out pad and don’t cover the withers.

Unfortunately after my recent ACL tear again I am unable to relax in any sort of fender type saddle whether synthetic or leather (knees and ankles get too fatigued almost immediately) and I want more stability than my dressage saddle can offer on my planned trail rides & camp trips. Truly hated all that saddle under me anyway and would love an aussie but trees don’t seem to work with what I’ve come across.

Low & behold an Abetta endurance comes on CL yesterday and she left a few hours ago after we saddled up my mare and walked around for a short while. It had good clearance but when I used a Cashell wither protector pad to help cushiont & cinched her up no clearance at all - none. Seller whipped out this pad and there was no change in fit and clearance was perfect and didn’t sink as I was at a walk. http://shop.reinsman.com/pads/256_t/ She’s not a former tack owner, caught a clinic at Equine Affaire but swore that she was “taught” to now use this type of pad that “tunnels”. Mare was fine, rode at a walk and saddle didn’t sink at all onto withers. Progress!

I’m having a hard time finding a saddle to fit her with her body changing and after several thousand $$$ on another horse’s vet bills and then burying him on Father’s Day I just want to comfortably get to know my new partner and plan on nothing but a future of leisurely trail/camp riders. This saddle appears to give me some opportunity to give me under saddle time. When her body adjusts to exercise and her hind end gets stronger, muscles change, it will start to pinch etc. I’ll have to start over again with the search to find another but I hope that time waits until I’ve recovered financially over vet bills.

I guess the real question (finally!) is it bad to cover shark withers or OK to cover if pad is truly appropriate?

[Fillabeana]

My shark-fin TB can wear a wool blanket, but he’s pushed out/stretched it way out…looks like a cup in a brassiere, and a d-cup at that. If you do use a blanket or some sort of liner pad, only cover the withers if the blanket makes a lot of room for withers- like you have extra fabric over the withers when saddled-not fabric pressed down onto mane/withers.

On top of my blanket goes a 5-star pad, bought at the tack resale store. It is made of two pieces, and has a BIG cutout for his withers.
Interestingly, this 5-star fits him fine while a barrel-saddle 5-star didn’t. I think there is more curve to the spine on the one that fits him.

I have a Diamond Wool rancher pad with cutout withers, that cutout is way too small for the TB but works for the QH and Appendix with regular withers.

So yeah, cut out the withers, and make sure that when YOU are in the saddle, that it never touches the withers. A miss is as good as a mile…but if you ever bounce hard, (like the horse jumps down a bank or something) that might bring the saddle onto the withers.

[cloudy18]

http://www.diamondwoolpads.com/products/details/3

I wonder if this would work? It has padding along the top, sort of similar to the one you linked. But it also has a cutout. I wonder if you could cut the front and have it completely cut out. I have this pad and really like it. I know the saddle must fit first, but sometimes the right pad can make a difference with clearance.