What causes the saddle pad to slip back under the saddle? I know the obvious, saddle needs to be tweaked.
IME, not using the billet straps will cause a saddle pad to slip. My saddle fits very well, and any cloth pad slides because horse has a big shoulder.
Sorry Scribbler, I’m confused, what do you mean “not using the billet straps”. Do you mean not having them tight enough?
What I mean is that the cloth saddle pad will have some cloth slots for the girth or it will have a cloth and velcro strap that connects the pad to the saddle under the flap to the girth billets. Then the pad is attached to the saddle and can’t go anywhere.
If your cloth pad does not have girth or billet straps you can sew some on.
Here is a picture of a saddle pad that has both girth and billet straps. I wouldn’t personally use this pad because the withers are way too low, but it shows the straps.
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I find that if a saddle is too wide, the pad moves back during the course of the ride. I deliberately don’t use the billet straps when I test ride a saddle for that reason.
if your horse is freshly clipped and you don’t leave a patch of longer hair under the saddle that will also cause the saddle pad to slip. Ask me how I know!
It happens to me when my horse is growing in his new coat - so late summer/fall and late winter/spring. I use a non-slip pad between the saddle and saddle pad along with tucking the billets into the billet loops at the bottom. Occasionally, I’ll have to get off and pull the pad back up, but that sort of slipping usually only occurs if I didn’t have the pad placed 100% correctly to begin with or the saddle was too far back.
My saddle fits well, my horse has a big shoulder, and every cloth pad slides back on her in every saddle I’ve ever used. A sheepskin pad with a roll doesn’t because the roll keeps it in place.
I see other folks use cloth pads without straps ok on other horses.
Saddle pads will shimmy out the back when there is movement and friction of the saddle. It can be for a variety of reasons. If the saddle is too wide, or doesn’t have enough panel support i front, or if the horse is asymmetrical or if the flocking is uneven. Any of those will cause the saddle to shift back and forth and move the pad. Another reason is if the girth is too loose.
I posted about this recently asking the same question. I had this happen with a new Equestrian Stockholm pad. I changed the girth and added a very thin non slip pad from Dover underneath the pad and it helped a lot. I’m curious to see if with a new summer coat it won’t slip as much. It’s the only pad I have that slips but it slips terribly. It’s too bad because it’s an absolutely gorgeous pad. And yes I use the billet straps and keepers.
