saddle nightmare

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sghc88

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Having a total saddle nightmare.......maybe someone out there can give some much needed advice. When I bought my Connamara x tb I decided I was just going to go straight for made to measure to avoid any hassle of getting the fit wrong as she was REALLY backy, only it hasn't turned out that way! Initially she loved her brand new saddle and instantly started going beautifully (from being like a giraffe on acid!), it was reflocked about 6-8 weeks after getting it and all remained well for the next 6 weeks and then she suddenly went more and more downhill and now I have the very backy unhappy pony I had when I first inherited her! :-( I instantly looked at her saddle and realised it was really tight round the withers and shoulders where it was sliding forward. She has changed shape and grown a tiny bit to be fair!
I had the saddler out to try and sort it out, she decided to put MORE flock around the front/withers to try and keep it back. Is this the right course of action? I only ask as, now if I don't manage to girth it up tight enough/ or saddle is a fraction too far forward I have a HUGE paddy on my hands from the mare, where it starts restricting her shoulders.
Opinions most appreciated.
 
More flocking is a terrible idea unless she has actually lost weight and muscle. Do you have any pictures of the saddle on her girthed up from the side, rear and front? It is hard to advise without pictures.
 
That depends if the problem has been caused by the new flocking settling and bedding in. Quite possible that its now bridging or something and could be lifted with an adjustment to the flock. I would feel your panels, you want them to be symmetrical firm and lump free throughout but not bulbous or hard indicating over flocking. Or soft empty feeling areas ehere the flocking may have settled or moved. You need to sit the saddle on and see if you have even contact throughout the weight bearing panel and no areas where it isn't in even contact with the horse thus reducing the weight bearing surface creating tight spots in other places.
Check the angle of the tree at the points of the tree is visually parallel to the angle of the horses shoulder within 10 degrees variation maximum. If the tree is still a good shape you can adjust the flocking. If he's changed shape go back to the manufacturer and see if they can alter the tree a little.
 
I shall try and get some pictures :-) thank you for your advice so far. I shall check those points this afternoon as I have the chiropractor coming up, hopefully she may be able to help me check it. The mare has a very forward girth area, with little shoulder or withers, and a slight tummy - though she's not what I would call fat (I try my best to keep her weight down but she is a very good doer!) I have a feeling this may be an ongoing issue until I can get some muscle build up around the shoulder area and get her a bit slimmer :-s
 
I have a mare built like this who also happens to be part connemara. She had saddle issues when I bought her due to the exact same reasons you state - saddle overflocked to keep it off the withers causing interference with the shoulders and consequently making the saddle tip back and putting the riders weight too far back.

The way she is built, virtually any saddle would do this and I now use a Solution treeless saddle on her which she adores and it allows free movement of her shoulders to the extent that she has now remuscled enough that I don't need a curved girth any more.

Sometimes it is best to change tack completely (both literally and figuratively speaking!) Good luck :)
 
It's really common for saddles to move forwards on natives - the most common reasons are that either the saddle is too low at the back (so making higher at the back will make it worse), it is too curved and rocking a little (flocking the front may help but often you need a little at the every back to balance the saddle) or the girth straps are wrong, making the girth pull the saddle forwards over a forward girth groove.
 
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