Saddle rubs

[Baileysno1]

My horse has been on lease for 5 months, when he returned in Feb he got a nice new Ideal Suszahna with all the pocket money he'd earnt. We have had a few schooling issues with him backing off the contact which is odd for him, but I am doubting my riding and do have a fair dose of munchausen. Anyhow he is clipped out but for a saddle patch as he has been every year for the past 4 years I've owned him, however he leaser got a bit clipper happy and his saddle area has lost an inch or two at the back, the new saddle appears to have rubbed the clipped hair right back to nothing at the rear of the saddle, evenly but even so he seems sensitive and they appaer to my eyes to be a little raised / swollen. The saddle was professionaly fitted by a master saddler, is this a hair cut issue which will go when his coat comes through or should I call the saddler? Friend advised sheepskin half pad and get on with it but I'd hate to think he was uncomfortable and am now connecting this with his wierd hollowness.

 

[CrazyMare]

I don't know about connecting the two, but my older mare gets rubbed very easily when her coat is changing - i.e. now! She is rubbed by anything and everything, but one of the worst culprits is a saddlecloth/numnah/pad - she ends up with the outline of it rubbed into her coat.

She now doesn't wear anything under her saddle, and has no rubs.

 

[ironhorse]

Lots of horses do get saddle rubs at this time of year even if not clipped as the coat is a bit brittle - my mare has got two crackers from her western saddle pad, which is merino wool lined! But she doesn't care if you touch, rub or brush then tho, so it's obviously only the hair and not the skin. Trust me she would let me know if it hurt
I would worry if they are sensitive or the area looks raised tho - I would stick to lungeing without the saddle until it heals a bit, and then perhaps use an oversized pad so there is no risk of the back pf the numnah rubbing it.

 

[ester]

ginger pony always gets saddle rubs at this time of year at the back, he is actually better if a clip the saddle patch off as there is no hair to catch and rub (you just have to be brave enough to do it!).

I normally use a lambskin numnah but have switched to a poly pad as it has more innate slippiness!

He certainly isn't sensitive with it though which would concern me a bit more.

 

[Baileysno1]

Thanks for the replies I used a sheepskin half lined pad last night and he schooled really well and gave him a good bath, he has rein rubs and like crazy mare says appears to have rubs on his belly from the corners of the saddle pad too and a bit of a headcollar rub on his face .... he has basicall gone bald, I have called the saddler anyway just to be sure