Horse is so fat my saddle is slipping!

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poiuytrewq

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My horse had been off work and turned away for 6 months. He came back about 3/4 weeks ago and is just huge! His back is almost flat!
Obviously his saddle wasn’t going to fit, I didn’t even bother trying it!
He has a Fairfax GP which was purchased and fitted for him, it had a Medium/wide gullet and has short points.
I’ve always girthed with the second and third straps.

A different saddler came out. They are known locally to be very good and were able to see him a lot faster than
The saddler I purchased and previously used for adjustments etc.
she put an XW bar in and altered the flocking a bit.
So it apparently now fits and he seems happy in it. He used to be quite able to make his feelings clear if he wasn’t saddle happy.
The problem is it’s slipping to the right, only ever to the right and just feels like it’s perched on a barrel and could just slide round him.
Someone else ride him today and it was even more obvious to see than it feels- although I’m very conscious of it so constantly correcting.

Is this to be expected and something we kind of have to deal with until he looses weight?! I’ve never ridden him this huge and the saddle never moved before.
Is there anything I can use or try? Should I switch girthing straps? Maybe try the point strap but I’m a little hesitant to clamp down incase he does object.

He has a 3 point breast plate and Fairfax girth.
I’m not enjoying it!!
 
I've had saddle slipping only one way problems. The 'cure' has included
..firstly a lop side rider, me. However a lesson on the mechanical horse proved I'm not.
..slight uneven shimming because the pony's shoulders are uneven
..the discovery that the pony takes a shorter hind stride on one side. He is a bit arthritic behind and has been injected. We are working on exercises to help him use the weaker leg more.
Also I use a Stubben style cord girth mostly and a neoprene lined girth for hilly rides.
the saddler suggested asymmetric girthing. On his weak side I use straps 1 and 4, on the other 2 and 3.

I'm not sure if any of this will be helpful as my problems weren't caused by a chubby pony but thought I'd answer just in case.
 
As Meredith said as it's only slipping in one direction I would have both myself and the horse checked over for asymmetries. I've spent 2 years getting straight(ish) following a car crash. If your horse is coming back from injury it's also quite likely they may still be holding some compensatory movement patterns. I'm very lucky to have excellent horse and human physios so my first stop would be a routine treatment from them. I trust that they'd flag up anything that required a vet check ie lameness

Edited to add my saddle always slips to the left when I'm sore/squint and in need of a physio appointment!
 
Thanks both. It is only going one way yes, and I had thought of it being me. However, it’s not happening when I ride anything else and happened today with another rider, worse than with me (but as I say I correct it so maybe if I did a whole ride without doing so it may be as wonky by the end)
Horse isn’t coming back from injury, he just had a holiday.
I will get him checked. I too am lucky enough to have a chiropractor for them that I really rate. I’ll give her a shout.
Asymmetric girthing is something I’ve never done/ considered! I’ll check in with the saddle fitter who came out and run this and girthing in general past her.
 
I have one is a total barrel, just invested in stuben string girth and a 2nd hand nonslip numnah (not that nonslip actually) we are just trying to make do and carry on exercising, hopefully she will soon slim down and everything will fit better
 
Experiment that may provide a short-term fix: are you so wonky that having your stirrups different lengths would help? This fixed a similar problem for me a few years ago. It was part my wonkiness, part stirrup leathers never being equal lengths as your mounting side tends to get stretched over time. If you looked at me from the front, my feet/hips were balanced if my stirrup lengths were one hole out.
 
Horses are one sided naturally, I would get him looked at then if not him then the saddle may need shimmed or the saddle just doesn’t fit.

I have the opposite at the moment. Farans lost so much weight that his saddle doesn’t fit as too wide. He has a thick prolite with front shims to lift it until his new one is made
 
I've messaged the back lady I use to ask when she can fit him in.
I was a bit worried he looked off behind a few times when he was out in the field but he had no shoes on and the ground was like concrete, since being home and shod he's looked and feels (to ride) fine but maybe there was something there. I *think if was off hind I kept getting drawn too- but it was a while ago now.
Would that make sense, right hind lameness and right handed saddle slippage?
 
Roasted Chestnuts said:
Horses are one sided naturally, I would get him looked at then if not him then the saddle may need shimmed or the saddle just doesn’t fit.

I have the opposite at the moment. Farans lost so much weight that his saddle doesn’t fit as too wide. He has a thick prolite with front shims to lift it until his new one is made
Click to expand...

Saddle *should fit. The fitter adjusted and was happy with it.


Well done you and Faran though, Goals! 🥰 :D
 
tda said:
I have one is a total barrel, just invested in stuben string girth and a 2nd hand nonslip numnah (not that nonslip actually) we are just trying to make do and carry on exercising, hopefully she will soon slim down and everything will fit better
Click to expand...
No slip as in silicon on the underside of the pad or upper?
I have one with grip between the pad and saddle but I'm not sure he'd be keen on grippy feeling on his actual back.
 
poiuytrewq said:
I've messaged the back lady I use to ask when she can fit him in.
I was a bit worried he looked off behind a few times when he was out in the field but he had no shoes on and the ground was like concrete, since being home and shod he's looked and feels (to ride) fine but maybe there was something there. I *think if was off hind I kept getting drawn too- but it was a while ago now.
Would that make sense, right hind lameness and right handed saddle slippage?
Click to expand...

I hope this makes sense and explanation of my previous post.
My pony's saddle slips to the left. I push it to the right. Pony is uncomfortable, gets angry and the saddle slips to the left again.
Pony's near hind takes a shorter stride, arthritis as said previously. The stronger hind stride pushes the saddle to the left diagonally and the weaker stride doesn't push it back.
This would mean if your saddle is going right look at the off hind.
Oh, goodness, I hope I've got that right!
 
I've always said that by the time you go up or down two width fittings it's highly likely you need a different shaped tree and/or panel, then add in the myriad reasons a saddle can slip (and more so as he's been out of work so is moving differently) and it's not surprising. A bareback pad can be really helpful here to help get moving and get the weight off without having to ride in a saddle that's not quite right.
 
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