Saddle lifting at back question

Hackback

Hackback

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I bought a new saddle at the beginning of December for my rising 5 year old. The saddle fitter warned me it would need checking sooner rather than later. It's just gone in the space of about 3 rides over about a week from me suspecting it was lifting at the back to there being a noticeable lift.

I've obviously booked in with the fitter again but was just curious as to what has changed with my horse or the saddle to make such a difference so quickly. We have been doing more canter work but with the recent bad weather he hasn't exactly been worked hard and I can't see any significant change in his shape (low withered, wide, flat backed Arab). The saddle is an XW+ fit (not sure why it's a + rather than an additional X tbh).
 
My RS favourite Connie had a saddle that lifted off her back when she cantered. I usually cantered first and my escort cantering behind me once remarked that when we cantered she could see light between the saddle and my horse.
 
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This exact thing happened to mine, on a 4yo. My horse was just backed and according to the fitter was likely to go narrower and drop a bit of weight as he came into work. Mines a second hand saddle and needed a smaller gullet size when I had it checked. I had assumed he would bulk up as he developed top line and go wider. He didn't look a lot different but you could see it when the new silhouette was compared. It's likely he will be back in the original gullet when the weather improves and I do a bit more with him.
 
this happened with my 5 year old, she’s lost weight so i assumed it was too wide now - turns out it had compressed at the front on one side, but at the back on the other! width was actually still spot on, but as it’s 2nd hand it had a real assortment of flocking in, so saddle fitter completely reflocked it and the difference in her was amazing as soon as i got on!

she’s been out of work for a couple of months now with ulcers, so i dare say we’ll be back at square one when i bring her back in to work🤣
 
If its lifting at the back, ime it usually means its either too wide at the front, the tree is too curved for the back shape, or you have a flat tree and your horse is rounding/has a canter that's up & down and quite bowling as youngsters can have.

So that would suggest either it didn't fit in the first place, the tree is the wrong shape, the flocking has compressed at the front, the horse has lost weight or perhaps has muscle wastage (unlikely in the short time frame), or being in a light seat and the resultant shift of weight forward is allowing it to lift at the back and you didn't notice before as you were sat in it. I have also seen saddles lift if the horse was hollow when tried and then learns to lift over the back... You really need a fitter back out to see which of the million changes it could be.
 
Thank you everyone. So interesting and reassuring to read the same thing has happened for so many of you.

@AShetlandBitMeOnce - it's more evident in trot than canter. The original saddle fitting was tricky though as the horse was so stressy and I can quite believe he was hollow/tense during the fitting.

I'll let you all know what the saddler says - seeing him on 4th Feb. In the meantime I've swapped back to my previous (treeless) saddle (also professionally fitted) which still seems OK with the current set up.
 
Things can accelerate once they're "off", so if there was a slight problem it often will get worse quickly, then likely plateau but not necessarily.

Most likely the flocking has compressed, I advise all customers to have their first check at 3 months max. Once it drops in front (the most likely issue in this instance) then there's more pressure in front, the horse can't use itself in the same way, there's direct pressure on the muscle either side of the wither at the top edge of the panel, and the horse loses muscle....hence the acceleration.

Monitor your saddle fit if you possibly can, then you'll have more idea, AND be able to know when to call the fitter out, I can give way more information for instance if I know the clearance at the front has increased or decreased - https://stephaniebloomsaddlefitter.co.uk/blog-and-resources/checking-your-own-saddle-1. It might be that if you'd popped a sheepskin on (with guidance ideally!) when it first started lifting at the back it might not have got worse and might have righted itself.
 
Thank you @sbloom. Your blog is so useful. Of course I don't know what the saddle was exactly like when it was first fitted but at least I know what to take note of after the next fitting so I can monitor properly going forwards 🙂
 
It may just be the flock compressing, the timing is right for that.

But the withers can also change remarkably in a 5 year old. The wither rises with the increasing strength of the soft tissue holding the front legs onto the skeleton, and that pulls in the sides of the wither and the horse narrows in saddle fit.
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Could be flocking but for the time of year she may have lost weight as they tend to lose a bit now towards the end of the winter which is a good thing before the spring grass comes through. Obviously get it checked but I really recommend getting one of the prolite pads with the shims in it for when she is changing shape so much as they are great for making regular minor adjustments with saddler fitters help.
 
spotty_pony2 said:
Could be flocking but for the time of year she may have lost weight as they tend to lose a bit now towards the end of the winter which is a good thing before the spring grass comes through. Obviously get it checked but I really recommend getting one of the prolite pads with the shims in it for when she is changing shape so much as they are great for making regular minor adjustments with saddler fitters help.
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Shim pads are great but ask your fitter which pad they recommend, but I'd say always check re girths and pads, even stirrup.leathers and stirrups if they pay close attention to rider fit.

I don't like Prolite especially, it's a really blunt instrument whereas the Mattes shim system I usually work with has thin inexpensive felt shims that can be trimmed, and easily replaced.
 
Well I've been back to the saddler, and full marks to everyone who said the issue would be the flocking settling. The horse has changed shape a tiny bit but nothing significant. Saddler said he was happy with the flatter flocking but put a half size smaller gullet in and put the girth on different buckles. I now feel as though I'm sitting level again (I didnt realise I wasnt level until i was again).

As a bonus the horse was slightly less stressy this time. Still hard to get him to un-tense so he could move properly, but he wasn't dripping in nervous sweat by the time we finished either. Small steps.
 
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