Does anyone know how to stop dry marks after riding? I’ve tried padding her up, and I’ve tried thin pads. Nothing works. She is 6 this year and is now starting to get white hairs where the dry spots are. I don’t want her to get muscle atrophy etc. My saddle is a circle y regular tree, but it bounces up in the back when I run barrels on her. We are going to buy a new saddle soon if there is no fix to this.
Do you have a trained saddle fitter to consult? IME saddles bounce in back when they are too narrow over the withers or too steep in the panels. You can’t pad up a saddle up make it wider!
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Exactly. It’s like putting on 2 pairs of socks with shoes that pinch. It doesn’t cushion. It compresses
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They can also bounce if the saddle is too wide. It would be wise to get someone out for an evaluation.
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If there are white hairs the saddle is putting too much pressure there. Stop using the saddle immediately and they may disappear with the winter coat.
Looking at the size and position, the angle of the bars under the swells may be too flat for your horse, and be putting all the pressure right at the top. This can’t be corrected. Or the gullet isn’t wide enough.
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Dry spots, bouncing, and white hairs would have me immediately stop riding. By the time you’re seeing those external signs the back muscles have taken a real beating. Bad saddle fit can cause a cascading list of issues. I’d work with a good independent saddle fitter who can see your horse in person.
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Your saddle does not fit. A pad won’t fix that and that’s why changing pads hasn’t worked.
Now, did you make this thread first, and then made your next thread about finding a brand??? (because yes, ultimately, you just need a different saddle)
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Yep I did! I know this one hasn’t fitted her for a while, but I thought it might have been because she wasn’t filled out. I’ve used it for three years and she’s had these dry spots before but I was told if they were bigger than my hand that a thicker pad may temporarily help until she fills out. She’s 6 now and so far it’s getting worse so if you have any high quality saddle recommendations lmk! I am hoping she won’t need a super custom tree because I’m getting a 3 year old to train soon too and hope it may fit her, but if she needs a custom tree I’ll get her one.
