Saddle not fitting anymore!

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graliz

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Recently I have noticed a rub on my horses withers, and assumed it was his rug. However after riding yesterday the rubbed area has come up in a hard lump and is currently rubbed almost raw. He is a 16hh bwp and is seventeen this year. He is currently wearing a 17 1/2 inch bates Caprilli with a medium gullet. This was fitted nearly two years ago and I can only assume that his back has started to dip due to old age and the saddle is now rubbing on his withers (?) my questions are: is this a possibility? And are there any saddles that you would recommend for a short coupled warmblood with high withers? As a side note, I am not riding him until this issue is resolved :) thanks for any help!
 
Very much a possibility. Saddles ideally need to be checked about 4-6 weeks after initial fitting, then every 6 months if the horse is prone to real weight changes through the seasons. You don't say what style of saddle you have, but I though The Caprilli was normally a cutback saddle so if it is managing the rub the top of the withers then it is really not fitting.

You need to make sure the saddle is fitting you as well - a riders shape and weight can alter a fit of the saddle because of weight distribution.

Would be worth getting a reputable saddle fitter to check. Ask around your local area/yard/tack shop for one that is recommended. Don't be concerned overly if they are not affiliated to Society of Master Saddles, they just need to genuinely know what they are talking about and word of mouth will help with this.
 
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Forgot to say that it has been checked around eight months ago, and cair panels were redone by bates. It doesn't appear to touch the withers when I am riding, but as the rub is worse now I can't see what else could be causing it. Thanks NLP :) , I was the one riding when the saddle fitter was originally fitting the saddle, and havent changed shape since really, Romeo has a pretty stable weight etc generally so I am rather at a loss!
 
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