You need another properly fitted saddle with a wider tree. If you really want to stay with western saddles you might consider the arabian tree, which is slightly flared at the front.
The white hairs will not disappear.
The narrow tree you are using will inhibit shoulder movement ie: horse is unable to maintain an extended trot, and eventually cause front end unsoundness.
[QUOTE=cowgurly;4617211]
I had this issue with my horse too, no back complains but white hairs! So I got a new saddle and pad (I was using a neoprene one before and think that may have been a contributing factor too?) and have been riding in it for about 2 months…the white hairs are still there though. No new ones, just the same ones as before. Does anybody know how long should it take for them to go away? Just wondering if perhaps this new saddle isn’t fitting him right either.[/QUOTE]
If the white hairs are going to go away they’re likely to disappear with his coat change in the spring. If you bought in August that was when the winter coat was growing in so they’re going to stay at least until he sheds the winter coat.
My QH was terribly sensitive to poor saddle fit and developed white hairs in various shapes a number of times during his growing years. Each time I fixed the problem and the white hairs disappeared at the next shedding.
Absolutely the white hairs can and do go away. Sadie had dollar size (silver, not paper or Susn B’s-- showing my age again) white spots on both sides of her back behind her withers. Over the course of a couple saddle changes both spots got smaller and one finally disappeared except for one or two hairs. The other one is looking like it might shrink some more in the spring when she sheds out.
My gelding also had a couple white spots though not as pronounced as Sadie’s, and his are completely gone. He also has one slap in the middle of his backbone that seems to be permanent that’s he’s had since I got him that seems to be just a white spot on an otherwise very dark bay horse.
This has been my experience as well.
I guess I could try a saddle with full QH bars. I’m afraid his withers are too prominent for that though. He’s really a narrow chested, high withered horse. He doesn’t “look” like full QH bars, but I guess it’s worth a try. I saw a pad by Clinton Anderson that I might give a try too. It has “special” padding/design right where my horse has problems. We’ll see…
This has happened to my horse on two occassions with two different saddles.
Saddle #1: Ansur Treeless Dressage
Use - mainly trail riding during the winter months, 2x a week. In the spring and summer, dressage sessions 2-3x a week.
Issue - white hairs were discovered under the winter coat when horse was given a body clip in the spring.
Location - two quarter sized dots of white on each side of the horse congruent with the rivets attaching the billets to the saddle.
Fix - got rid of the Ansur treeless and purchased a Bates Innova. Much better for both of us.
Saddle #2: Henri de Rivel Showjumping Pro
Use - Foxhunting first field with the Wentworth Hunt once a week. Jumping sessions 2x a week when the weather and footing permit.
Issue - two months after hunting season ended, two 1 1/2 inch sized patches of hair FELL OUT on either side of my horses spine about 6 inches behind her withers. Upon further inspection, the hairs were white under the black hair in a four inch diameter around the patches that fell out.
Location - Upon putting the saddle on the horse, it was found that the STIRRUP BARS of the saddle coincided with the white hairs and bare patches. The saddle tree fit, adequate saddle pads were used, but the stirrup bars were putting pressure on her back right through the padding!
This must have been from the constant riding in the galloping position, when riding first field following closely after the hounds. This was the second season using this saddle. The first season, no issues were found, no white hairs caused. The first season we rode in the hilltop field and were mostly trotting, some cantering and no galloping. First field gallops much more frequently, changing the distrubution of the riders weight in the saddle.
The hair that fell out grew in black, so I believe when she sheds her winter coat, the surrounding hairs will also grow in black. Thank goodness.
Horse never ONCE complained about the pressure from the stirrup bars.:no:
Fix - Never use the HDR again. Purchased a Wintec Close Contact which fits well and has the stirrup bars buried well beneath the panels of the saddle. Use a 1" thick shearling lined diamond wool wither back pad under the Close Contact Saddle.
So, yes, the white hairs can and do shed out and come back in the original color.
And no, you’d think the horse would complain about the pressure, but that’s not always the case!
Thank goodness for this thread! I’ve been beating myself ever since some white patches came in with my gelding’s winter coat. I was told they’d never go away. Every time I look at them I feel sad for what I did. 
My QH has developed white hairs from saddle pressure in as little as one ride. He also developed white hairs on the left side of his back and right side of his wither during a period where I was jumping gymnastics alone and was dismounting to change jumps frequently during each session - I’d then mount from the ground. I stopped doing so many gymnastics, started alternating sides to mount, and tried to find boosters so I wasn’t mounting from the ground and sure enough the white hairs vanished at the next shedding without any change in saddle or pads.
I think the lack of pain response is because constant pressure creates a numbing effect so after a short period under saddle the horse isn’t feeling it. And we as riders tend to write off initial equine antics as being “fresh” or “feeling his oats today” and work them to settle them down.
"He also developed white hairs on the left side of his back and right side of his wither during a period where I was jumping gymnastics alone and was dismounting to change jumps frequently during each session - I’d then mount from the ground. "
This is interesting. It would appear that white hairs can crop up due to something less than “constant” pressure. I wonder if some horse’s hair coats are more sensitive/prone to color change, and it has less to do with actual pain? Condiering you see sore backed horses with no white hairs all the time. Just a thought.
Sadie is so assymetrical that she will have a rough-looking patch of hair on one side and not the other–I dont think its (entirely) me because the gelding, who is much straighter and who ALSO had white patches previously, never ever ever has a hair out of place and I ride him, if anything, more than I do Sadie.
Neither one of my horses has ever acted the least bit uncomfortable, never cold backed, never reluctant to be caught, saddled, or ridden. And, oddly enough, Sadie seems to gait less with saddles that by all objective criteria, fit her better. So go figure.
I use a mounting block religiously, otherwise I wouldnt be able to get on!
It would appear that white hairs can crop up due to something less than “constant” pressure. I wonder if some horse’s hair coats are more sensitive/prone to color change, and it has less to do with actual pain?
oh yeah. Think about how some horses every boo-boo they get the hair that grows back over the scar is white, while other horses never seem to grow white hair over scars/healed cuts-scrapes or others only have white hair grow back over serious scarring.
My guy was very sensitive. His wounds had chestnut hair regrow - with the exception of the cannon crud gone bad case. He also reacted rather strongly to bites from insects (and spiders?). :rolleyes:
It took me a little while to figure out the one sided white hairs. The one ride causing white hairs was a surprise to me, but I know it was just the one ride because the white patches were obviously from the western saddle that got used once for a friend’s ride on him. I was using an english saddle or nothing at that time.
Then too there are the half crippled by bad saddle fit horses who never grow a white hair. 
One of my horses was interesting in that his white spots returned in winter even when the saddle fit was good. He came to me with white spots in his summer coat from an ill-fitting western saddle. I rode him English all summer, and the white spots turned into smaller spots when he shed his summer hair and grew in the winter coat. The following spring they disappeared almost completely when he grew his summer coat. Just a few white hairs remained. The small white spots returned again that fall when he grew his new winter coat, same size and location as the previous winter. They didn’t correspond to any pressure points under the English saddle; it just seemed like the winter coat was permanently damaged, while the summer coat wasn’t. Different follicles in play perhaps? Dunno.
Can anyone give me a reccomendation for a western pad with shims or other feature to fill in “empty” spots behind my horse’s shoulder/wither?
We went with an Arab tree saddle because even full QH bars weren’t wide enough, and the saddle fits perfectly except a dry spot behind her shoulders and withers.
Thanks!
Another possibility?
I was taught that:
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A saddle shouldn’t be cinched too tightly (hard to avoid with mutton-withered horses).
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After dismounting from a very long ride, do not immediately loosen girth; walk horse for 15 minutes, then gradually loosen it a little every 10 minutes or so.
The reason? When a saddle is tight on a back and coupled with a rider’s weight the cells of the back are compressed - blood flow is restricted. If you hop off & immediately remove saddle, all the fluid rushes back into the cells, which can damage them, and cause the white hairs.
