Saddle pad slipping, any thoughts?

[RC_amp_W]

I can’t figure this out. Have a custom dressage saddle made for my big, 17.3 warmblood this past summer. It fits him great, comfy for me. Have maker/fitter (one in the same) back 3 months later to check it, he tweaks it a bit after it settled in.

Ever since then, the saddle pad, square, regular dressage pad, the one’s I always have used, start slipping back. It happens when I ride, and when my trainer rides him.

Have fitter back out again, he tweaks it again , but not very much, as the fit is really good otherwise. Zero soreness in my horses back, checked by my vet.

Yesterday I ride in a lesson with regular square pad and thinline half pad, with wool rim. Everything stays in palce perfectly.
Today I use the same set up and square pad slips way back, half pad stays put. Only difference is that he had a bath yesterday, and is very clean. Used no slippery substance, but he doesn’t have a winter coat, never grew on last year either. (In NY)

He is fit, and shiny from great care. I am not sure what to do. Fitter can come back anytime, but he is not sure what else to do, as the saddle is fitting so well otherwise.

I am off to Nationals in 2 weeks and need this solved. I have tried a couple different brand Pads too. All the same results.
I don’t have a problem buying a all in one pad, like a thinline or Mattes with wool rim, but not sure if that will work either, seems it might. But I really would like to just have the regular pads not move around anymore.

Any suggestions are welcome. I appreciate the input. Thank you!

[UrbanHennery]

I have this happen with my slick shiny QH gelding when the saddle is sitting just slightly low in the front from a slight flocking imbalance. Try shimming just the front half of the saddle (under the points) with something really thin, like a leg 12" leg quilt, or a dish towel. See if that stops it.

The first time you rode with the half pad you may have accidentally gotten that effect with pad placement, and then placed the pad slightly differently the second time and not gotten the same benefit.

[theresak]

I use a non-slip pad between the saddle pad and the saddle to fix this - on my horse the saddle pad slips spring and fall when he’s blowing out the old coat and growing in a new one.

[Training_Cupid]

Does your saddle pad have straps for the billet? My saddle has a point billet, so with some pads I can only put the rear billet through the bottom one. I haven’t had issues with the pad sliding though - my biggest issue is a diagonal crease up and across from behind the girth.

My favorite pads are the Back on Track ones, which have sufficiently long straps on top to run through the rear billet and a separate slot for each billet under the flap. Never had a problem sliding, and always lie smooth.

[Edre]

I had this issue with my old horse - for us, part of it was related to the anatomy of his shoulder and how the saddle we had custom fit for him was shaped and positioned on his back, to allow for shoulder freedom. Ultimately the only solution we ever had was to feed a billet through the girth strap on the saddle pad (I would only ever do the front billet through, but you can play around to see what works).

My saddle is a monoflap so the straps up towards the top weren’t an option, I could only use the one at the girth area to feed billets through. One of my favorites is the centaur imperial saddle pad - you can envision, if you pull up a picture of the pad, if you have the first billet through that keeper, enough of the pad is forced to stay in front of the saddle that it prevents slippage (and the slight rise at the front top of the pad means there was never any issue of it sliding down/pinching over the wither).

[alibi_18]

Does your fitter adjust the saddle with the half pad?

If not, there is your problem.

[jaybird660]

It’s often related to saddle fit or asymmetry in the horse. If your horse is asymmetrical in its conformation or the horse isn’t perfectly even in its way of going The saddle can shift or shimmy slightly causing the pad to workout the back. Does your fitter do active fit? Have someone check that the gullet is and stays centered over the spine and equidistant from the wither sides when mounted. Also have someone watch from behind to see if the saddle shifts much side to side. Sometimes a horse with very big movement can also contribute to this.

[scruffy_the_cat]

I had this problem with only one of my pads, a lovely Equestrian Stockholm pad. My horse was also very naturally shiny. Short-term I solved it with a thin, rubber pad right on top of my horse’s back and under the pad. I think I got mine for about $10 at Dover. It was thin enough not to change the saddle fit at all so horse and humans were still happy. Eventually, the pad broke in enough that it stopped slipping.

[RC_amp_W]

Thanks for all the responses. My horse is pretty even, and a huge mover, and big! Showing 1st and almost second level.

My fitter does any and all fitting after watching me ride, then again after the fitting He did not fit the saddle with the half pad, that was my idea to keep the pad still.

The pads I use, several different brands, but all large square dressage pads, have straps for the billets. One had placements for the billet straps in different positions, so I feel I have tried most configurations. I will try the suggestion of raising the front a bit.

My trainer is riding him this afternoon, I am curious to see if it moves as much for her. It was suggested that I might be keeping my knees to tight at times, which even though I am an experienced rider, my big horse can be a handful at times, hence the tightness. I do try not to though, knowing that doesn’t help anything.

Thanks again for the the advice and ideas. I will be calling my fitter again, he is more than happy to help me and my horse, and is pretty close by.

[Inclined]

This is a lovely invention: https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Professionals_Choice_Non-Slip_Under_Saddle_Pad_Liner/descpage-PCNSP.html . I have had zero slippage when using this. (Before this, every pad slipped.)

[mydogs]

I had this problem with my horse. My saddle fitter boards at my barn and rides with me so I had constant eyes on his fitting.

For me, trying different girths is what fixed the problem. My horse has a forward girth groove so straight girths pulled the saddle forward on to his shoulders, which meant the saddle didn’t fit great while riding.

I think I tried about 4-5 girths and settled on the ProLite girth. Haven’t had a problem with saddle pads slipping back or fall down on his withers since then.

[Potato]

Using an Ecogold saddle pad stopped slippage issues I used to have.

[outerbanks77]

I would try the LeMieux pads. They have straps that go through the D-rings by the pommel, which make it nearly impossible for the pad to slip. The girth loops also have individual loops underneath so you can put each billet through the loop that is in the best position to hold it in place. The mesh air pads are fairly substantial, so they would be too thick to sort of crumple up and wriggle their way back the way some thinner pads might. I only have the Mesh pads and the Merino lined pads, so some of the others in their line might also have the same thickness and substance as the Mesh.

[RC_amp_W]

Thank you all! I just bought the LeMieux pad! Will try it tomorrow. Also will check on girths.
Interesting experiment today. Had another trainer ride my horse today, lovely rider, she has ridden my horse before as well.
pad wasn’t slipping at all until she did a few sets of sitting trot. Off the pad went, slipping back!

This is making me crazy. Horse seems perfectly fine with all of this thankfully. He probably thinks we are nuts.

Fitter will be out soon, so just trying different things to see if anything works.

Another thing that crossed my mind is the saddle might be moving forward? Not much, but maybe it can get the pad moving back.

Thanks again everyone!

[RC_amp_W]

Wish I could figure out how to get a photo and or video I took today on here. They are in google photo.

[staceyk]

I have had luck with Success pads: https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/success-equestrian-deluxe-dressage-noslip-saddle-pad-9834 I’d loan you mine but it is black…

[RC_amp_W]

@staceyk

I have had luck with Success pads: https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/success-equestrian-deluxe-dressage-noslip-saddle-pad-9834 I’d loan you mine but it is black…

Thank you, that’s very kind to offer yours. I will check it out.

[Peggy]

Short term, and for peace of mind at Nationals, I’d use something to physically keep it from slipping, like the pad that Inclined suggested, or one of the shelf liner things this one - https://www.amazon.com/Non-Skid-Draw…/dp/B00IXYIWC8

Long term, talk to saddle fitter.

Good luck and have fun at Nationals!

[Farys]

If your saddle was fitted without a half pad then I would think this is your issue. A saddle that is fitted properly should no need a half pad. Adding the half pad would be like adding extra socks into your perfectly fitted shoes. Try without the half pad and make sure that your saddle is placed sufficiently behind the shoulder with a tight enough girth.

[mvp]

BTDT. IMO, this happens when the saddle fit is narrower in the middle (the rails of the tree) than right up front. Your horse or may not object to that. If your horse doesn’t care, you shouldn’t care. At least that’s how I sleep at night with stuff like this.

I have a mare who is built to create this fitting problem. And, yes, saddle fit that is narrower in the middle of the back than the front will also tend to make a saddle slide forward. You probably don’t have a big problem with this if you are just wondering, but don’t have firm evidence yet, but just know that it comes with the territory of this geometrical problem.

But! Having BTDT, I can tell you that the best and cheapest solution is one of these:

https://www.sstack.com/Horse-Boots-W…iABEgJFCfD_BwE

Or I’d get that black rubber one with holes for a bit less money.

The blue one will be stickier and here’s a pro tip: If you get it wet and wring it out before saddling, it’s the stickiest option out there. It’s thin enough that it will not change your saddle fit; the fussiest of princesses might feel a tiny tad of shock absorption, too.

If everything else fits and the horse is going great, there’s nothing wrong with increasing the friction co-efficient between pad and horse fur and getting the job done that way.

I will say that anatomical girths are another helpful ingredient, especially if your horse as a girth groove that’s farther forward than the top of his back says the saddle should sit. (Srsly. Who designs horses like that?)