Girthing arrangements for saddle being forced over shoulders?

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Bounty

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Fee has very undefined shoulder, partly from being a baby (4 next month) and partly because she is a little slimline TB.
Saddles fit her fine in walk and trot, but as soon as we canter the power from her hindquarters, coupled with her extremely short back, the saddle gets rammed forwards over her shoulders and I end up sitting on her neck
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I could stop this happening by getting the saddle fitted tighter, but I don't want to pinch her or cause long term muscle wastage. IMO that option isn't feasible so I won't be going down that route.

WOW do a foregirth option (see
here) but has anyone else experienced this, and how did you manage to deal with it using a conventional saddle? Has anyone used the WOW foregirth? Does anyone have a magic wand?!

All suggestions welcome - I am desperate and very stressed
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That looks kinda like a point strap. Do you have a conventional saddle? If so then a sadler should be able to fitted a point strap for about £80 (at least that's how much mine cost!) it worked a treat
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Yes, i agree with Princess sparkle,
a point strap should keep saddle in place, be fairly inexpensive to fit, plus also should also be easy on your horse!
 
£80
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That's a bit steep, my saddler charges £25-£30

Agree a point strap would be a good solution.
 
Right, will try a point strap then I think, as first port of call. Am a little concerned that the point strap will restrict her shoulders, but I suppose it is the lesser of two evils, being better than having the whole saddle and me sliding up her neck!

Reluctant to rely on a crupper to keep it back, in the same way that I wouldn't use a breastplate to stop my saddle sliding back (oh if only that were the problem
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) and I imagine a crupper would be very restrictive when jumping?
 
She already wears a half pad, and, from trial and error, the saddle has to be a LOT too tight to stop it from shifting
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The sticky pad thing might be worth a try, though not sure it would work with the sheepskin half pad as well? (Saddle is fitted to accomodate half pad BTW)

With the arrangement I have the saddle fits well in walk and trot - it is just canter that causes the issues
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As I have said before (I do like sounding like a broken record!) I think the movement in canter is only because she is still young, on the forehand and has no shoulder muscle to keep the saddle back. Obvious solution for most saddlers will be to fit the saddle too tight hence more atrophy.

I really think the point strap and playing about with the H girth, or at least a forward girth (from recollection the H girth is about £140!) is the best solution if you are keeping the BS saddle. It wont lose value if the point strap is put on properly (in fact lots of people would appreciate it!)

I dont like sticky pads - all they do is create more pressure on the back at the point where the saddle wants to slide. I would only use a prolite or a sheepskin, espcially on a baby.
 
I have had two horses with the same problem as you! A nightmare! You are so right not to fit too tight, that is solving one problem and creating another. On one of my horses a point strap was sufficient to sort the problem. On the other horse he has an H girth. I tried everything, different saddles, girths, etc and ended up with a WOW saddle with the H girth. I tried the fore girth but this made the matter worse for him. It is just trial and error really with different saddles. What i would say though is that although there are other cheaper saddles available you get what you pay for. With my second horse i would never have sorted the problem out without the WOW. It depends on the individual but i know no other saddle would suit him, ive tried loads. The adjustability of the WOW actually enables me to have a point strap on just one side and change the headplate and air as needed to help.
Good luck, i know what a nightmare it is!
 
Teddy - agree it is a nightmare! Add in to my equation the fact that she is SO short coupled, and the fact that I am very long hip-knee.... and you get a Bounty with VERY high blood pressure!!!
I have to say I am really leaning towards a WOW atm, the thought of having a saddle that can be adjusted as she grows is very appealing. The point straps on a conventional saddle are just giving me the eebie jeebies a little bit as I am paranoid about restricting the shoulders, especially with a saddle the might not fit her perfectly as she is changing shape so quickly.
I would really love to to just wake up in the morning and have someone say that they have sorted it all out for me
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Have you got pics of your two? Would be nice to see if they have the same sort of confo as Fee (forward girth groove, very short back, long wither, slim shoulders = NIGHTMARE!)

CBA - Have just pretty much PMd you with all of what I would have just typed in response to your post, so I will keep quiet and stop harrassing you for a minute!
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I am a wow convert, so biased, but they are extremely flexible.

Before spending on the foregirth option, there is also a point strap on the wow, you just hook it onto one of the bolts if required. Also another advantage is you can have a bigger seat for you and smaller panels for the horse if required (my seats are 18" and panels are 17")

Granted I've never had this problem as my boys have huge moving shoulders and force saddles back not forwards!
 
Sorry, cant do the photo thing! Too technical for me! Mare is narrow through shoulders, round through barrel (so much wider behind girth than shoulders), not close coupled exactly but a compact mare, no real wither to speak of, actually quite wide fit. Very powerful behind and good at bucking when excited so added push for sadde up neck. Shes actually retired now but the point strap option was ok for her.
Gelding isnt particularly narrow through the shoulders but he has well rounded ribs too and is on his forehand. I went through 4 saddles before getting the WOW. I was pulling my hair out! It took a while to get WOW set up just right, fiddling with point straps, air, etc but havnt had a problem since. And as Cotswold says, you can have a bigger seat on a smaller panel, which is what i have on my other short coupled horse.
 
Reading this with great interest, as have similar problem with daughter's pony. She has a reasonable wither, but very narrow though shoulders in comparison to her wide barrel (like teddyt's mare - very much wider behind the saddle) and girth groove far forward, so wherever you put the saddle on to start with, it migrates forwards. Saddle has point straps fitted, but seems to make no difference whatsoever.
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Depends on the individual conformation of the horse as to whether point straps work. At the end of the day you cant put a square peg in a round hole if you know what i mean. If the horses shape and movement shoves the saddle forward then it is very hard to stop the saddle moving and a point strap may not always work. It really is a challenge
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keep in mind that when a point strap is used it can have a forward tilting affect on the saddle but it wont do any damage to have one fitted and have a try. might be worth having a chat with your saddler to see what your full list of options are other than narrowing the saddle
 
Starting to think I might just jack in all plans of competing just take up hacking - bareback if needs be!
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OK - Her old WH has point straps fitted already so I will bung that on her and see whether the point straps make any difference. If not, then I will tear some hair out and cry...
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I'm presuming the H girths don't tend to come up 2nd hand very frequently? Trying a H girth with and without the point straps would be the next logical step I suppose.
Am starting to think I should just arrange a WOW demo though
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When I first got sent a photo of Fee I said 'That horse will be a nightmare to fit a saddle to...' WHY did I not let it put me off?!!
 
Not that i want to give you any more reason to cry Bounty
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but the H girths are designed for use with long girth straps, you cant get them long enough for short girth strapped saddles. So if you want to try an H girth it will have to be with a long girth strapped saddle, such as a WOW.
 
Right, that's it! I am going to cry bucket loads now, and I'm holding you personally responsible teddyt!
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Good point though, I hadn't though of that, but it would have dawned on me eventually, I am sure!
There a loads of pics of Fee up in he PG on our 'ownniversary' thread (yes, I am sad!) if you are interested in seeing what I am battling against in terms of her confo
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hiya - although your horse / my pony are totally diff type - same prob applies.
have you tried a Stubbern trevira girth ?? basically old fashioned string cord girth?? they are REALLY good and both saddlers i used reccommended them for this and also said they are kind (i thought they would pinch not sure why?!)
You can pick up new ones on Ebay for abuot £20 odd quid.
if you do get one dont machine wash it over 30!!! they shrink big time!! yes i washed mine at 40 twice and now have one that doesnt fit doh! thought pony was getting fat!


I also have a sliding point strap and its a god send.


perhaps try a no slip pad - you can get from homebase for about £3 like a bubbly material they use on boats its about 3mm thick so no affect to saddle fit - stitch to numnah and gives you move grip.

if you try an H girth could u pls post or pm me to let me know how you find it?? they interest me but i have tried so many things that are a load of poop, wasted so much money etc cant keep doing it!!

i share your pain i really do - i have had about 18 months of this til i found a saddle that really fitted pony well it was a nightmare! Atleast mine is 16 so unlike yours didnt have o worry about shape change and growth etc.

Good luck!!
 
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