Does My Saddle Need a Reflock

J

Joyous70

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I had a new saddle fitted for my boy back in June, in January the saddler came out to check the fit of the saddle, she said she was happy with the fit of the saddle and no need to re-stuff as my boy had gained weight and therefore filled out in the places where she would normally re-stuff WTF he's been on a diet since November and has actually lost almost 60kgs!!!

Anyhow, i have noticed that he is getting rub marks at the back of his saddle where the end of the saddle & the saddle cloth meet, if you look you can see as he is walking that the saddle is moving & consequently moving the saddle cloth side to side. I think that the saddle needs re-checking and adjusting, I have recently bought a new nuumed saddle cloth (he has very sensitive skin) which is thinner than his Roma pad and seems to have rubbed more in the last week or so.

So in the meantime until my saddler gets back to me, im unsure what to do, i did think possibly put my prolite under the saddle and then his sheepskin to see if that is better.

Bacon butties for all that got this far :D
 
Sounds like it is worth getting the saddler out again for a check, esp if he has been on a diet. My mare is more suseptable to coat rubs when her coat is changing though, so it might take less of a rub to make his coat wear differently at the moment. I also find nuumed ones (love them!) a tiny bit thinner than roma so that might make the smallest difference too?
 
It definately does seem too have rubbed more since ive been using the nuumed numnah, so i think i'll put the Roma back on for now its thicker and wool is softer.

Just so worried as his old saddle didn't fit particularly well and rubbed him and caused a scab on his back, which has now gone!! but he is such a sensitive skinned pony hence the sheepskin on the saddlers instructions.

He has a hunter clip, so the only hair he has is on his saddle patch, which again saddler specifically said DO NOT under any circumstances take it off.
 
You might want to think about a second opinion from a different saddler. Ask around and see if you can find someone others reccommend. The saddle shouldn't move and obviously there shouldn't be rubs. There is also no real reason not to take off the saddle shaped patch if the saddle fits well. I find leaving the saddle patch on a clipped horse makes the horse sweat up under there and actually causes more problems than it solves.

A short term fix for saddle fit problems is a poly pad. They are not nice and I wouldn't reccommend them for any other reason. But they are one size fits all, well padded and support all sorts of poor fit for a short while whilst waiting for the saddler. Personally I feel that things like prolite pads can make matters worse as it is not always possible for soemone who isn't trained (like me) to be 100% sure of what the problem is they are trying to fix. Poly pads don't worry about any of that - it is just a thick and forgiving pad. The run for the experts!
 
I did think about a poly pad, but saddler has specifically said only sheepskin as his skin is so sensitive and im worried to try one in case i make it worse :o

There is another saddler some of the other liveries use, who if i cannot get hold of mine i will give them a call, but it does concern me that every time you get a new saddler out they tell you that you need a new saddle, ive bought what was recommended a Kent & Masters as it is very adjustable, lets hope it is :rolleyes:
 
Funnily enough I had my saddler out to re-flock my hunters saddle on Tues. We had a conversation about my other horse who like yours also is a sensitive lad, who recently came up in lumps under his saddle area caused by sweat. My saddler told me to clip off the saddle patch, NOT to wear a woolen numnah (I have always used numed for hunting) and to only have a very thin cotton numnah instead!

I have no idea which theory is right as every horse is different, but will follow his advice to see if it makes a difference to my lad.

I would also agree with the comment re change of coat as my other horse often has what look like saddle rubs at this time of year, but dissapear as soon as his summer coat is through.
 
Sidney - how odd, different ideas for different horses. Only time will tell

Maybe i am over reacting to the coat rubbing away, im just a little paranoid about his skin, since the ill fitting saddle & then a nasty bacterial skin infection last spring/summer :)
 
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