gel pads ?

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nemesis2311

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hi,

had my 14.1 cob at a show and her saddle (wintec wide) slipped forward and ended up on her withers! steward reccomended getting a gel pad for next time so can anyone reccomend a good gel pad/anti slip half pad that can be used for showing and isn't too expensive ?

thanks.
 
http://www.kmeliteproducts.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=ge006

I was looking at buying one of these for my boy they are supposed to be good and only £19.99 !

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Prolite non slip pads are really good. Not the gel pad, make sure you try the non slip pad. I did use a Stephens non slip pad, but Star didn't like that - too sticky I think.
 
Would you be better off spending the money on having a saddle fitter come and check you saddle fit, just in case your pony has changed shape? If its not the fit that is the probem then surely he/she could recommend a gel pad or non-slip pad that would be suitable.
 
Wide shouldered horses frequently have this problem. The shoulder blade swings as the horse moves, but hits the tree point at the front of the saddle. If the saddle can't move back out of the way because of the girth and rib cage behind it, the front of the saddle will be forced upwards and the shoulder will slide underneath it.
 
Have to agree with Dressage_Diva.

No matter what shape your cob is, its a sign of a badly fitting saddle I'm afraid.

I had a cob, wide, no withers, short coupled, tried 19 saddles in various wide fittings before I found one that fitted correctly, a lot of them looked like they fitted but some rode forward or just slightly when I jumped.

Is your saddle too big?, sometimes going down half an inch can make a difference if you've tried all various wide sizes.

Please also bare in mind that wintec saddles only alter in one place, you have to consider the whole shape of the saddle could be making it slip forward because it does not fit the contour of your cobs back.

Could be wrong but worth thinking about.
 
It's definitely a badly fitting saddle, but it's often impossible to find a saddle for a cob that doesn't hit the scapula.
If you try and pin down a saddle with grip pads, point straps and tight girths you will only cause pain for the horse and damage to his back.
The Solution saddles work well with cobs - there are some great pictures on totalsaddlesolutions.com
 
I also agree with Dressage_Diva - Wintecs (even the wide versions) are too banana shaped for flat cobs. Changing the gullet only changes the front of the saddle and therefore although it is now wide enough, it will slip forwards and the cantle will be in the air. If you choose a narrow gullet, the saddle is now pinching at the base of the withers, the saddle is tilting backwards (now the cantle is being pushed nice and flat against the pelvis) and yu end up with muscle atropy at the base of the withers and a sore pelvis.

Spend the money on a saddle fitter - problem is getting a good one and not just one who will sell you the saddle they just happen to have in their van and which fits your horse perfectly.
 
I'm with Dressage Diva too. My exmoor used to suffer slipping saddles and I was told to try all sorts of wonderful contraptions, including breeching, crupper, you get the idea...

I had a made-to-measure saddle produced (and it wasn't expensive either) anjd have had no saddle slipping problems since. Previously I couldn't mount from the ground and had to dismount on steep hills. His m-t-m saddle hasn't caused a problem in the 5 years I've had it.
 
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