Saddle rubbing?

Chottsy

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Hopefully you don't all think I'm a complete fool but I wanted your opinion.

My horse has a patch on his back (where the back of the saddle sits) where the hair looks like it has been rubbed, so is short hair. It's only on one side and he doesn't seem to be particularly sensitive. He's not clipped so it's noticeably shorter.

I had the saddler out yesterday who said it fits fine. So in the last 2 months 2 different saddlers have said it fits well. He is also having the "back lady" on Thursday (she's qualified vet, massage etc etc). Hopefully she can check he's not sore anywhere. Again he had a different "back lady" in December and they said all fine so will be good to get second opinion. (I recently moved yards so that's why I've had different opinions in such a short space of time).

He's a coloured with white and brown hair in this area so I find it hard to compare to other side muscle wise.

He is a fairly one sided horse so I know this could contribute. He likes to lean on the left rein to balance himself and finds right canter difficult to balance. This is improving slowly through long and low work combined with lunging. His walk and trot particularly have really improved and his canter is slowly improving too.

Interestingly I have recently bought a thicker numnah and he goes beautifully in it. So maybe that's contributing but I just don't know.

Any ideas of something to help? Or anything that could be causing it.

Thank you for any ideas (or critique of what I'm doing wrong) he's an 11 year old WBXTB who had been doing very little until I bought him last year April.
 

ester

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mine does, he is ginger :p worse on the right side due to a bit of wonkiness in both him and me, worse during coat changing time, worse with long winter hair, worse if saddle starts to sit a bit low in front.

Solution- I usually use a nuumed/similar numnah - I change it for a polypad forma so that the hair can't catch at all. Best solution is a full clip for him - which I have just done as he takes months to lose his coat anyway.

I think it isn't ideal but is unavoidable for some so long and as long as you can manage it so they never get to the point of being sore it's not the end of the world.
 

Sukistokes2

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If you are having a qualified person look at it and you have had the saddler I think you are doing all you can really.I had this and it was where the saddler had fitted the saddle wrong. ( not saying yours has) the saddle was pivoting on that spot. Your Chiro Vet will sort you out!
 

Toby_Zaphod

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Every years our horses get this just behind the saddle. Our saddles fit well, the rub is due to coat change. The hair becomes brittle & breaks easily. When the spring comes & the coat changes you will see that it goes.................. assuming your saddle fits properly.
 

Mrs G

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This happens to my horse this time every year, I was worried initially but had the saddle checked and checked again and physio out and they confirmed saddle and back ok; it seems as his coat changes the hairs are more delicate and the saddle/numnah always rubs the hair on his back, sometimes to almost bald! Since then I'm not too concerned unless it isn't rubbing symmetrically (when this happened last time the physio confirmed he was being a bit lazy with his left hind, and some schooling exercizes sorted that out). I also try to keep the area clean and use clean numnahs and moisturise the skin where it rubs the most to prevent it getting sore.
 

ozpoz

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Have a look at the Saddle Research Trust on Facebook.
Rubbed patches are a sign your saddle does not fit. Maybe it is because of the one sidedness and his way of going. He has to be fitted while ridden, not just standing still, and if he isn't moving in a copybook fashion, and very few do, then your saddle has to accommodate that too.
A thick numnah will also alter the fit of your saddle and should be fitted when your saddler is there.
 

ROMANY 1959

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I had similar with sashas saddle last month , it turned out to be some lumpy lining on the saddle cloth I was using, I never noticed it , even washed the saddle cloth and never noticed! I swopped it for a poly pad and problem went away..after I paid saddler 80 to come out to tell me saddle fine...
 

Chottsy

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Thank you everyone. I'm glad it's a common thing although obviously still want to prevent it. Had a good look tonight and there is some rubbing the other side but more so on the right.

I asked for his saddle to be fitted with his thick pad as I couldn't get off work and I know it affects fit.

Thank you everyone for your advice! I will wait until back lady has been then reassess.
 

lhotse

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My mare is shedding coat like mad and the rubs at the back of her numnah have just started, just like every year. Saddle is fine, and I find that using a woollen numnah lessens the rubbing. Spraying the area with coat shine helps to smooth the hair too. It's just the change in the hair, it's becoming brittle at this time of year as it starts to come loose. As soon as her summer coat comes through, all is fine. I wouldn't worry about it.
 

Pearlsasinger

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Have a look at the Saddle Research Trust on Facebook.
Rubbed patches are a sign your saddle does not fit. Maybe it is because of the one sidedness and his way of going. He has to be fitted while ridden, not just standing still, and if he isn't moving in a copybook fashion, and very few do, then your saddle has to accommodate that too.
A thick numnah will also alter the fit of your saddle and should be fitted when your saddler is there.

This, no matter how fragile the hair, the saddle should not be moving enough to rub it. If every-one, including your 2nd opinion chiro vet agrees that the saddle fits well enough (and sometimes that is the best we can manage) a prolite or similar saddle pad might help.
 

Kaylum

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When your saddles are fitted do the fitters see you ride in them and see what saddle cloth you use and girth you use? They should and they should watch for movement of the saddle. It's a whole package your saddle might fit well but without the correct cloth and girth the saddle can be quite useless.
 

Goldenstar

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Check the balance of the saddle it may have changed fit .
However at this time of year even the slightest movement takes the hair out so you donot necessarily a huge issue ,if it's only on one side it's more serious either you the horse or the saddle have an issue that needs sorting .
 

Sussexbythesea

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If the rubbing is uneven then there would seem to be an imbalance. That could be your saddle or because your horse is muscled unevenly and/or moves unevenly i.e. stiffer to one side or you are crooked when you ride him. However I've always found that my WB's winter coat (what there is of it) is very brittle and rubs incredibly easily and I think that is pretty common and nothing I have tried has ever really stopped it.
 

Christmas Crumpet

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I have found that if i swap whatever numnah for a polypad if the saddle is rubbing, it doesn't do it anymore. I think it is because the hair can't catch and rub. Worth a try.
 

ossy

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I use medicated talc to help the chaffing during the coat change my horse gets them everywhere at the time of year, like where the reins are, buckles of her breastplate back of sander, edges on numnah ect. But the talc really helps.
 

sbloom

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I would be slightly concerned that the saddle is sitting to one side, a tiny bit of rubbing at coat change is just about acceptable, anything else usually means a slight pivot point, and it being worse on one side does indicate to me that it's an asymmetry. Did the fitter see you ride in all paces on both reins? And did they have an explanation as to why it was happening?
 
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