From my dressage saddle. Is there any pad I can use to take this pressure off? If you could not replace the saddle, how could you make this work? Shims, gel pad, thinline…all of the above?
Take a 29.99 half pad (wither relief one) from Dover, and cut out the wither relief part over where the dry spots are…
Dry spots there often mean that there is too much pressure there; in other words that the saddle is too narrow. If you add padding to a too narrow saddle you will make the fit more uncomfortable.
If you’re currently using a thick saddle pad, you probably could improve the fit by replacing it with a thinner one. If you’re already using a thin pad, then you don’t really have any options to make this saddle work.
Good luck.
[QUOTE=Posting Trot;8209405]
Dry spots there often mean that there is too much pressure there; in other words that the saddle is too narrow. If you add padding to a too narrow saddle you will make the fit more uncomfortable.
If you’re currently using a thick saddle pad, you probably could improve the fit by replacing it with a thinner one. If you’re already using a thin pad, then you don’t really have any options to make this saddle work.
Good luck.[/QUOTE]
This saddle has an adjustable tree. I will make it a bit wider.
I think there is a YouTube video by Mike Corcoran, a saddle fitter/maker who says sometimes you get dry spots, but it doesn’t mean your saddle doesn’t fit.
[QUOTE=candico;8209459]
I think there is a YouTube video by Mike Corcoran, a saddle fitter/maker who says sometimes you get dry spots, but it doesn’t mean your saddle doesn’t fit.[/QUOTE]
My horse has had the same dry spots behind the withers for years, despite working with a couple of different saddle fitters, checking the fit, etc. I don’t believe it’s pressure. Is your horse sore? Have you palpated his back after riding? Does he move out freely and work happily? If so, I wouldn’t worry about the dry spots.
[QUOTE=candico;8209459]
I think there is a YouTube video by Mike Corcoran, a saddle fitter/maker who says sometimes you get dry spots, but it doesn’t mean your saddle doesn’t fit.[/QUOTE]
He is getting white hairs under the dry spot on one side.
Widened the tree and checked for spots after an hours work. Seemed to be ok on one side but the side with white hairs still was more dry…better though. We may have to go with the wither relief pad mroades suggested.
[QUOTE=candico;8209459]
I think there is a YouTube video by Mike Corcoran, a saddle fitter/maker who says sometimes you get dry spots, but it doesn’t mean your saddle doesn’t fit.[/QUOTE]
Ditto. And the horse’s back changes so much as the horse moves that there is no tree in the world that maintains consistent contact with every centimeter of the horses’ back for the entire ride. Walk around with shoes on, do some jumping jacks etc- even though you can feel the pressure changing on the soles of your feet, that does not mean your shoe does not fit.
If you have dry spots and you are getting white hairs, I would have your fitter out again. It would concern me.
[QUOTE=sheltona01;8211375]
If you have dry spots and you are getting white hairs, I would have your fitter out again. It would concern me.[/QUOTE]
The white hairs indicate poor fit. I had a Rocking R saddle with a well regarded Steele tree in it, and the horse got some white hairs. Switched to a saddle with the Circle Y Flex2 tree and they went away.
