Does this saddle need reflocked? Pic overload!

sandi_84

sandi_84

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Ok so I managed to get some photos today (Loki has been off for a week due to a splint so I was concentrating on de-ragworting my field and always forgot to take the camera)

Anyway since I'm terrible at this sort of thing I'd really appreciate some opinions please on whether my saddle needs reflocked (I'm going to guess yes ;)) sorry for the pictures, there's a lot of them and they are big because I have no idea how to re-size them :o I hope they are useable! :o I tried to get him to stand square but everytime I managed it and then went to take a photo he moved :rolleyes:

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I won't post the one from his bum because I've just realised he'd moved to rest a leg so it's probably useless :rolleyes:

Also since I've got you on this thread any generall CC on how he's looking atm (I know it's not helpfull that he's got a saddle on :o) would be welcome too ;)
 
It actually looks too small all round to me! And yes too far forwards on the shoulder. Is your horse a little roach backed? He doesn't have a lot of topline muscle either. I would get a good Master Saddler out to get a saddle that fits him correctly or at least can advise you on your current one.

Sorry if that all sounds negative, it's just my opinion and you can ignore it :)
 
I'm not the best at this sort of thing but I'm saying I don't think it fits regardless of reflocking?? Looks to wide to me, happy to be told otherwise tho
 
rachaelstar said:
I can't decide if it's a bit far forward or he has a long back. Is he in work? He looks quite undermuscled.
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He is back in work now, recently sharer has been hacking him out 2-3 times a week lots of hills etc so he's not really getting a lot of work atm :( I haven't ridden him for about 2 weeks myself :(
 
Hedgewitch13 said:
It actually looks too small all round to me! And yes too far forwards on the shoulder. Is your horse a little roach backed? He doesn't have a lot of topline muscle either. I would get a good Master Saddler out to get a saddle that fits him correctly or at least can advise you on your current one.

Sorry if that all sounds negative, it's just my opinion and you can ignore it :)
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Kelly1982 said:
I'm not the best at this sort of thing but I'm saying I don't think it fits regardless of reflocking?? Looks to wide to me, happy to be told otherwise tho
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It's a narrow fit, fitted by a master saddler :o Sorry the too far forwards was my fault, apparently I slide the saddle too far back (says master saddler) so I've obviously gone the wrong way now :o No he's not roach backed but yes he is lacking in topline :)
 
This is my most recent naked neddie photo - february I think - so he's all winter wooly but you can see the line of his back in this one:
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Narrow?? Really?? Coz to me that looks like it should be sitting higher up. At the moment it's sitting on his shoulders and I don't think just simple reflocking will rectify that. Was he in more work when u last had it fitted?
 
Kelly1982 said:
Narrow?? Really?? Coz to me that looks like it should be sitting higher up. At the moment it's sitting on his shoulders and I don't think just simple reflocking will rectify that. Was he in more work when u last had it fitted?
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Yes according to the saddler (who is very well known up here and widely used) it's a narrow... I'm starting to panic now! :eek:
Yes he was working a lot more so he's lost a bit of muscle but when saddler did the fitting he didn't have much topline, she said he needed more muscle and when he built up a bit to have her back out for reflocking. We left the yard fairly soon after that (a couple of months) and he went from working livery to field ornament for a couple of months and now he's being brought back into work (minus his week off) over the last couple of months.

Is it god awfully bad? I know this isn't necessarily an indication since he's so laid back but he never gurns, stamps, swishes his tail, bucks, throws his head about or otherwise shows any signs of discomfort whilst being tacked up :(
 
singing dawg said:
Looks like both to me but my first thought on looking was that the pony looked in pain, the way he stands.
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It's pretty hot up here today and he was half asleep. Also meant to say he never shows any signs of pain or discomfort whilst being ridden either.
 
Poor you, stop panicing! I don't think its ridiculously bad, just a bit forward and I do think it could do with a bit of flock. Ask you saddler to come back and flock it, they will surely tell you if its not fitting well anymore..
 
I'm not a saddle fitter so don't start panicking just yet. Someone more experienced on here might be able to tell you differently. It just looks like its sitting too low on his shoulders to me.

Some horses don't buck, swish tail etc if the saddle has gradually got worse over time and they just get used to it and learn to compensate.

If it was my horse, personally I would try and get an appointment with the saddler ASAP and in the meantime ride with a pad underneath.
 
zigzag said:
Saddle doesn't fit at all sorry
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You can't just say that, you have to add why it does NOT fit and how to solve it!


Honey08 said:
Poor you, stop panicing! I don't think its ridiculously bad, just a bit forward and I do think it could do with a bit of flock. Ask you saddler to come back and flock it, they will surely tell you if its not fitting well anymore..
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My thoughts too ^^.
 
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I think for £40ish Id get a saddle fitter for peace of mind. He looks quite tucked up and unhappy :( we can help and advise but without feel it's quite hard, but does looks to be sitting very odd, especially round the shoulders even if it was in the correct position. Hopefully with more hacking and riding he will muscle up in no time :) whilst he is muscling up I would suggest having saddle checked every 2/3 months as he will be a typical remidial case.
 
Honey08 said:
Poor you, stop panicing! I don't think its ridiculously bad, just a bit forward and I do think it could do with a bit of flock. Ask you saddler to come back and flock it, they will surely tell you if its not fitting well anymore..
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Kelly1982 said:
I'm not a saddle fitter so don't start panicking just yet. Someone more experienced on here might be able to tell you differently. It just looks like its sitting too low on his shoulders to me.

Some horses don't buck, swish tail etc if the saddle has gradually got worse over time and they just get used to it and learn to compensate.

If it was my horse, personally I would try and get an appointment with the saddler ASAP and in the meantime ride with a pad underneath.
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Fools Motto said:
You can't just say that, you have to add why it does NOT fit and how to solve it!



My thoughts too ^^.
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Thank you, I was starting to feel a bit upset that I was being an awful owner there who had just taken the saddlers opinion (granted a master saddler) that the saddle fit when it actually really really didn't :( It's really difficult when you aren't good at this sort of thing and you have to rely on someone elses opinion. My mum had a different saddler who tried to sell her a saddle that REALLY didn't fit and if I can tell it's pretty bad! :eek: it was waay to wide and was rocking on his back (bridging?) :mad: In the end she got a saddle elsewhere.

I have got a bareback saddle that I can use in the meantime - it's like a big thick pad with a girth and stirrups.

Should I get a different saddler out to see it do you think?
 
I wouldn't put a pad under it. If it doesn't fit now it won't fit any better with that under it. It's not horrendous, as someone else pointed out, it just could be better :)

ETS Don't worry! We may all give our opinions but none of us (as far as I know!) are qualified saddlers. We are just commenting on what we see and will all have our own opinions.
 
rachaelstar said:
I think for £40ish Id get a saddle fitter for peace of mind. He looks quite tucked up and unhappy :( we can help and advise but without feel it's quite hard, but does looks to be sitting very odd, especially round the shoulders even if it was in the correct position. Hopefully with more hacking and riding he will muscle up in no time :) whilst he is muscling up I would suggest having saddle checked every 2/3 months as he will be a typical remidial case.
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Do you think he's tucked up? :/ How would it feel if he was?
His breathing is fine, he moves fine, he's got no heave line I don't think (or has he do you think?) and although his tail is low just now it's not clamped into his bum. Maybe it's just the picture, he gets really hot in this weather and goes into sleep mode when no movement is required.

Hedgewitch13 said:
I wouldn't put a pad under it. If it doesn't fit now it won't fit any better with that under it. It's not horrendous, as someone else pointed out, it just could be better :)

ETS Don't worry! We may all give our opinions but none of us (as far as I know!) are qualified saddlers. We are just commenting on what we see and will all have our own opinions.
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No I won't put a pad under it, I would just worry I'd make it worse! :) I'll just use the bareback saddle till I can get the saddler out.

That's fine, I did ask after all ;) I just go into panic mode easily when it comes to him, he's my first horse and even though I've had a few years of experience of horses (not just riding) so far I've had a pretty easy time of it really so I'm still learning when things go a bit wrong what to do - and still learning in general.
 
I suggested a pad as IMO it will lift it off his shoulders a bit and give him a bit more protection but as hedgewitch13 said its still not gonna be ideal.
 
sandi_84 said:
It's pretty hot up here today and he was half asleep. Also meant to say he never shows any signs of pain or discomfort whilst being ridden either.
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I think singingdawg was picking up on the fact that in all of the photos he is stood over his front feet rather than with his front legs perpendicular to the ground. In the second pic his hinds are also tucked underneath him (giving the impression of a 'goat stood on a rock') do you know if he always stands like this or will he stand straight. That sort of stance can often be an indication of discomfort somewhere which is why it was picked up on.

I think you've had enough comments re. saddle, would be surprised if he were a narrow fit (there may be a stamp on the stirrup bar to say)

It might be worth checking you are using a saddle fitter, not just a master saddler (you can put names into the SMS website to check).
 
Lol yes wasn't haven't a go at you Kelly or OP. I just remember someone saying that if your shoes were too tight or not quite fitting properly a thick pair of socks may not help :) I guess it would help get the saddle up but it may unbalance or tip it back a bit. We need an expert to comment!
 
ester said:
I think singingdawg was picking up on the fact that in all of the photos he is stood over his front feet rather than with his front legs perpendicular to the ground. In the second pic his hinds are also tucked underneath him (giving the impression of a 'goat stood on a rock') do you know if he always stands like this or will he stand straight. That sort of stance can often be an indication of discomfort somewhere which is why it was picked up on.

I think you've had enough comments re. saddle, would be surprised if he were a narrow fit (there may be a stamp on the stirrup bar to say)

It might be worth checking you are using a saddle fitter, not just a master saddler (you can put names into the SMS website to check).
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Ah my bad! Not a master saddler at all, just looked it up! Sorry! :o Could swear that I'd been told by various people that my saddler was a master saddler :rolleyes:

He pretty much always stands like that I've had him for over a year and a half now... there's photo's in my album if you want to look I am aware that there are pics with a really badly fitting saddle in there though - it wasn't his saddle :o
 
Lawd, I do wonder if any of us put a pic of saddle up that someone would say it doesn't fit - eek! Too hard to judge and no saddle fitters have commented so far I think. And I won't comment cos I'm not qualified either ;) I'd suggest try a different saddle fitter and go from there.

From what I've been told, it is difficult to fit when they are not properly muscled up. The saddler I went to said you have to fit for how they are, not how they will be, so it may need adjusting if he changes shape.
 
The advice the saddler has given you seems to contradict itself, the saddle is narrow, which I find hard to believe as Loki is a cob type and even the average tb is wider than narrow, if he was not muscled up when it was fitted it should have required extra padding then to make it fit or had a pad under it, once the horse muscled up on its topline it will usually become wider so needing less not more padding, unless he was overweight which is another matter.
To me the saddle looks too small in general, I think the reason he is standing hunched up is that the girth is tight and pulling the points into his back, where there is probably very little padding to protect him, a different fitter is probably the best option.
 
Based on those pictures, I'd be tempted to get a different saddler out for advice/refit (it is too far forward, but it also looks a bit low at the front and as though it's tipping up at the back). I'd probably also get a physio in to give him a once over. Regarding his position, he's standing with his back legs quite far under him, back a bit hunched, which can suggest soreness around the sacroiliac/pelvic area. Before you panic, I've had one horse who started to stand like that and ended up written off and another who stands like that when she's just twinged herself (she gets cast for a hobby, puts her pelvis out, stands wonky, has the chiro, and is fine again). I took a photo the other day, realised she was doing it, and have just booked our back lady to come and deal with her. So that stance can mean everything or nothing. If Loki's mostly fine in himself, the odds are good he just needs his saddle altering and a once over to sort out whatever kinks he's put in himself. When it's all sorted, you'll find it easier to build up his topline too :-)
 
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