Does my saddle fit?

[HettieTheHorse8]

I have had my XJS DJ Buffalo jaguar saddle for nearly a year now and I got it fitted to my 8 year old ISH mare (who is only broke a year now). When I got it fitted she didn't have the good conditioned and muscled body she has now, but now I've noticed that the saddle lifts when in take off over fences but settles back down when we are over the fence before landing. It also rises ever so slightly with the movement of canter when I stand up in canter. Then when I get off the saddle pad is sitting up off her back about 3mm because of when the saddle was lifting in canter and jumping. The saddle is close contact and is fitted to her so that I am only supposed to use a thin saddle pad under it. However, I tried one of those acavallo memory foam close contact half pads and even though they are quite thick, it seemed to cushion my saddle on my horses back and it didn't move anywhere near as much as it would without the pad. But I'm scared that in long term it could maybe be too tight as it is holding the saddle up off my horses back (obviously) so the saddle isn't resting on her back like its fitted to. So I'm afraid this could do more harm than good? Any advice would be brilliant, please no criticism. I'll try to attach photos of the saddle, how do you do that? (I'm new here)

 

[paddi22]

safest to get a saddle fitter out again to check. could save you money in the long run on vets and physios!

 

[ester]

It sounds like it is well overdue a check anyway.

Re pics it is easiest to have them on a 3rd party - facebook/photobucket etc and then copy the image locations here with

either end to make it show

 

[booandellie]

It sounds like it doesn't fit and your mare will certainly have changed shape since it was fitted, i know from experience what damage an ill fitting saddle can do in a short space of time and now the damage is done it is even harder to get a saddle to fit properly and it will take me a long while to build her muscle evenly on both sides. Personally i would stop using it and get it checked by a qualified master saddler who is well recomended ( good luck there!!). Some horses don't give any obvious sign they are in discomfort and she may not be yet but you are right to be concerned and looking to sort it out. A correctly fitted saddle shouldn't need pads, shims etc. Hope you get sorted soon