Do white hairs from saddle rubs/pinching ever go?

C

Christmas Crumpet

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Am seriously cross today after looking at my boy's back and the huge white patches left after the first saddler sold me a close contact saddle for TB and I rode in it every day for about 3 months. Saddler was crap and didn't know it was close contact nor did I for that matter but assumed she knew what she was doing.

Saddle never caused rubs or sores but still has left massive fist size white patches in wither hollows. Will these ever go or will I be left with a permanent reminder of how crap and how wrong saddlers can get it at times? I should really get saddler out and show her what damage she has done to my horse. Am very cross!!
 
Actually mine did go, I used a saddler for a year who I have since found out is nortorious for fitting narrow and tight and my horse had white patches on his withers which were even more noticeable when clipped (have pics but on PC at home)

I since changed saddlers and now the saddles fit much better and this year the white patches have gone even when clipped
 
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Actually mine did go, I used a saddler for a year who I have since found out is nortorious for fitting narrow and tight and my horse had white patches on his withers which were even more noticeable when clipped (have pics but on PC at home)

I since changed saddlers and now the saddles fit much better and this year the white patches have gone even when clipped

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Really? Like others I had assumed they were permanent, they certainly are on one of ours. He arrived with them and a custom saddle the previous owners had made as he had come to them with a poorly fitting saddle. Our saddlefitter was impressed with the saddle but said the white hairs woild never go.

I wonder if it is a funcion of how long the saddle dod not fit.
 
It depends really. If it is severe enough to damage the hair folicles (i.e. like a freezemark) then they wont disappear. If it is caught early enough when it is just rubbing like in Nats case (her horse's white patches werent that bad) then they can grow out with a change of coat. I have seen a bay horse turned into a coloured by the same saddler Nat used. That one was permanent though.

One of mine has a white patch on his wither from where the previous owner used a rug that did not fit. After 3 years, the white patch is still there, and wont ever disappear.
 
The saddle was used for 3 months and as soon as white hairs started growing I stopped using it. The white patch has got a lot worse since then but I assume that's because the white hairs have grown out a lot.

I just find it so frustrating because I did what I thought was the right thing and got a professional out to sort out his saddle and paid handsomely for it.

I moaned to OH earlier and said what if someone was interested in buying him to show - if he's got white patches then they won't want him. OH pointed out that his stripy legs from being fired and the 2 massive splints he's got not to mention the scars on his hind legs might put them off too!! Even so!!
 
That saddle must have been a very bad fit to leave really big white patches, didn't you notice how sore he was getting ?

I was going to say that small saddle sores ought to disappear, but I can't imagine one's the size you are describing will.
 
He didn't complain once and just carried on as normal. The saddle was fitted with a prolite pad so the hollows in his withers could fill out and saddle should fit without the prolite after he put on weight. Stupidly the saddler sold me a close contact saddle which fitted well but they aren't supposed to be ridden in every day - that's what caused the white patches. I assumed it was just a jump saddle as did the saddler. Needless to say I got in touch with a much better saddler as soon as we realised what was going on.

I had the back lady come out three times over the summer. She said saddle was fine the first time, 2nd time she said he was in great form and third time said he was really sore in his withers which was after I'd noticed there was white hair growing underneath the brown hair. He had a sore back when I got him so when he was a bit sore we attributed it to already being sore if that makes sense seeing as saddle fitted fine.

He didn't have a saddle sore at all - there was nothing to show that the saddle was causing him discomfort until white hair started growing. If he had got a bald patch or a sore I think I would have realised sooner and its not because I didn't look because he gets groomed from head to toe every day!
 
Some horses do not complain and give you no indication that they are in pain, sadly. I have been to saddle fitting hell and back with my girl. Not once did she ever let me know when a saddle was causing her problems, which made it much, much harder.

Don't feel bad, you did your best and now you have sorted it. The white hairs may be there forever, unfortunately.
A
 
Merlin had a palm size patch of roany hair on his back under where the panel of the saddle would sit the first winter I had him..... the second winter he had one each side, but the following three winters he has had no patches
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Not sure what caused them as he has the same saddle etc, but they have gone
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It just makes me feel so bad every time I see them because I do my very best for him and can't bear the thought of him being in pain. Thankfully he doesn't seem to have held it against me and is being a star on the hunting field and at home. Saddlers are not my favourite people AT ALL!!

Suppose I could always dye them...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
The white marks on my Chestenut mare went fairly quickly (within a few months) after changing her saddle.

My Bay mare however has had a white mark on her wither since i've owned her, which i can only assume is from a poor fitted saddle previously and this shows no sign of budging after 4 years.

I suppose if the saddle is dealt with promptly, the white marks will fade due to less damage. After a long period of time, as said before, the follicles perhaps die and remain white. Although i'm only assuming this.
 
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