Horse reacting to new saddle/girth?

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I have recently bought a lovely horse. She came with tack. Which didnt fit her! I got the physio out to check her back then a saddle fitter came out and measure her and told me which exact saddle to get and the size. So I got that and a new girth. And 2 week after getting new saddle she has started reacting to it. She has always been so calm to tack up. Now soon as she sees saddle shes not happy and when you start to do girth she swings her bum and lifts her back legs ! I have called saddle fitter and she is coming back out. Has anyone had this with a new saddle. I really dont want her to start associating saddle with pain. As she has always been so calm when being tacked up. Dont want this to turn into how she is going to be. Thanks x

 

[Kaylum]

So the saddle fitter didnt fit the saddle but just recommended a saddle. Change your saddle fitter. They should also see how it fits on the horses back, how the horse moves in it and that it fits you as well.

 

[:0)]

This is exactly how I feel. Shes my first horse so I have never done this before. But after she left I thought surely this is not having a saddle fitted properly not even seeing the saddle on the horse ! X

 

[Red-1]

Every saddle fits slightly differently. Yes, the saddle fitter should have seen the actual saddle on the horse and also ridden. If it is a new saddle, they can also bed down quite quickly and need altering. If it is a second hand saddle, then sometimes they have been altered to a particular horse and are no longer the size stamped.

I am always amazed how a little bit of flocking can change the fit of a saddle hugely.

 

[:0)]

Thankyou. It is a second hand one. In very good condition. It's the T4 , cob with changeable gullet. I just feel so upset that she has always been amazing to tack up so quiet and calm and now she is finding it stressful . Saddle fitter is going to come back out asap.
She is absolutly fine once I am on its just while putting saddle on and doing girth. X

 

[Red-1]

Thankyou. It is a second hand one. In very good condition. It's the T4 , cob with changeable gullet. I just feel so upset that she has always been amazing to tack up so quiet and calm and now she is finding it stressful . Saddle fitter is going to come back out asap.
She is absolutly fine once I am on its just while putting saddle on and doing girth. X

I would also look at diet (access to forage) and any stresses such as having company etc.

 

[:0)]

She lives out 24/7. She is very settled now With the others. X

 

[eggs]

My old mare had very definite opinions as to which saddles she liked or didn’t like. At one time I had two brown saddles for her. If I approached her carrying one of them she would start to swing away (this had been fitted to her) but f I approached her carrying the other one she would stand quietly. In theory the first saddle was a better fit!

 

[:0)]

Ha did she. It's crazy isnt it ! Her old saddle she came with was miles too big and definitly didnt fit but she was fine with it ! Now I have this shes not happy ! I just dont understand it. X

 

[Cob Life]

After experience with something similar I’d definitely get it fitted to her as others have said, and if shes still not happy with this one (but fine with the old) I’d get a different fitter out too

 

[:0)]

Have you had a similar experience ? I totally agree. The saddle fitter is coming back out and if I dont feel happy I will definitly try another. In fact I might have a ring round tomorrow and see if I can get another x

 

[Cob Life]

Have you had a similar experience ? I totally agree. The saddle fitter is coming back out and if I dont feel happy I will definitly try another. In fact I might have a ring round tomorrow and see if I can get another x

she Went funny after a routine saddle check the saddler said she needed a new saddle. She never went quite right in it, had it rechecked twice and they were insisting it fitted. She started pinning her ears and kicking out when tacked up, throwing HUGE bucks that no one could sit to (and I’m fairly sticky).
So got an independent saddle fitter out and he said the old saddle needed reflocking but fit fine, the new saddle was far too narrow and really pinching her. Which I can see looking at it now with more experience, but at that point as a teenager you’re told to listen to those older than you. After that she was never quite right, even now some days she’s not happy being tacked up if you’re too rushed, but is very slowly improving, and still isn’t back in ridden work. It’s taking time for her to unlearn that saddle=pain.

 

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Gosh that really is a bad experience. And this is what scares me and why I want to get her sorted quickly as she has always been great getting tacked up. My children sometimes come with me so this was something i was glad about. I just dont think become a habit and associate saddle with pain. She is a absolutely fine once saddle and girth is done. And fine me getting on her too x

 

[Cob Life]

Gosh that really is a bad experience. And this is what scares me and why I want to get her sorted quickly as she has always been great getting tacked up. My children sometimes come with me so this was something i was glad about. I just dont think become a habit and associate saddle with pain. She is a absolutely fine once saddle and girth is done. And fine me getting on her too x

She was ridden in the saddle for months as the fitter kept insisting it fitted

 

[fredflop]

Many saddlers will tell you what saddle make and model to go and buy, however they should always come back and fit it.

 

[sbloom]

Flocking makes a massive difference, the fitter must see the saddle on the horse, and ridden, once you have bought it. Two further thoughts, it's a commonly available saddle and often recommended for wider horses but in my experience that means it's often recommended because the fitter doesn't know of many other options, I see so many that aren't right. But second, as said above, until you see a saddle on a horse you can't be 100%, even then with really tricky ones until you've tried adjusting it you can't be 100%. Customers like certainty but it's not always possible.

 

[Shysmum]

I tried Shy in everything I could afford, but he got me off every time they were uncomfortable. We went treeless and have never looked back.