Just bought a trail horse with a shark fin wither. Having never owned one before (most of my horses are shaped like 55 gallon drums) I am not sure how best to protect his back and withers. Would you use a wither relief pad?
If it matters, I mostly ride Western.
I think the shape of the saddle itself is more important than padding. Are his withers super narrow as well as high? How far back do they go? My mare has the compounded issue of shark fin+massive shoulder+short back, I know it’s tough.
I’ve heard good things about Western pads with a cutback front for wither freedom/relief.
I used my saddle to do the test ride on him, so I think it fits fairly well, but of course it will be checked again once I get my hands on him, and he is home.
He is a weird mix of TWH and Paso, sort of looks like he was put together by committee. But willing, kind, and has a nice steady walk, smoooth gait, and a lovely canter.
IIRC he is fairly narrow, longer back than on my SSH, but not overly long. There is a tack sale in my area this weekend, so I think I’ll just go and buy a used cutback western pad if I can find one.
I’m not adverse to buying a new saddle, but will have to sell a couple first!
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