Saddle slipping - any suggestions to stop it please?

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Sandylou

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I ride my MW cob in a Wintec Wide saddle which when I first got it fit him lovely. As he's changed shape (he's only 5) it's started to slip to the right. I've tried changing the gullet both wider and narrower, using different girth strap combinations, padding it up with a sheepskin numnah and prolite pad, just the numnah, just the prolite and no padding at all but it still keeps slipping.

I've been looking at Saddle Company Working hunter saddles and wonder if the serge wool panels will help by moulding to his shape as he's very flat backed and quite broad on the shoulder???

Also, what exercises can I do with him to build up the muscle in his right shoulder?? Maybe he's developing slightly more on the left??

Thanks for your help everyone, I know you'll give me some good advice!
 
I have a similar problem with my arab- only the saddle can slip forwards when he is being particularly prattish- he's the typical round witherless shape too (he's an XW)

I got one of these...

http://www.equestriansuppliesshop.co.uk/products/Prolite-Saddle-Stay-Pad-.html

Its wafer thin, doesn't affect the fit of your saddle and goes underneath the saddle cloth. Its working for me so far.
 
i'd get a good saddle fitter to pop over and take a look and assess the fit and balance of the saddle- it may just need the flocking adjusting or your horse may have completely changed shape. A physio would also be able to look at the muscle symmetry too.

Sometimes if they are better on one rein than the other or stronger on one side it can make the saddle go over the the weaker side- but only a saddler could advise you really!

As an interim measure you can get sticky mesh pads that go directly on the back under the saddle cloth which may help until you can get it sorted! you can pick them up for a few pounds on ebay.

Also is your saddle flock or air?- i had a bates saddle once as an interim measure and i found that a bit wobbly too, i found wool flocked saddles to sit much better on their backs.

wibbly wobbly saddles are a nightmare though and some makes are better than others!

Good luck hope you can get it sorted!
 
I would get a saddler out to check the saddle first and then when you know that it fits properly there are many things you can try. I have a Kent and Masters cob saddle with changeable gullets (leather version of thorowgood).
Limpet pads, the thinnest numnah - no padding, thorowgood cob girth (no elastic on girths), have a balance strap added to your saddle. I had a problem with my saddle slipping on my cob but it is much better now.
 
Hi there, I know your problem as my TB mare pushes her saddle over to the right as she is stronger in the left haunch than the right one.

We found that putting a damp chamois leather under the saddlecloth really helped, it doesnt make them sweat like the gel pads do and if you use a square saddle cloth it wont show. You can get them on e bay very cheaply, get as big as you can because you can always trim it down. It is also worth getting a good saddle fitter to take a look first though. Some horses however well there saddles fit will always manage to move them, they can also push the rider over to one side as well.
 
Thanks for the suggestions.

K27 - It's a flocked saddle.
Katherine1975 - will try some sort of 'sticky' pad while I wait for a saddler.
amymay - You're always so sensible and straight to the point! :)
 
Most horses (but not all) muscle up more on the nearside than the offside, this is quite common and dare I say normal.
We, as saddlers tend to have to overflock the offside to balance it up, get your saddle checked by a saddler to be sure, Oz :)
 
Horses are left handed - hence why they are stronger/bigger on the left and not so developed on the right. If you think about us as humans, who are predominantly right handed, we have more muscle definition on the right. Thinking like this has helped me school my horse.
Speak to an instructor to see what the best cause of action is going forward with regards to excerise.

Agree with others re saddle fitter. You can shove the kitchen sink under the saddle if you want but, if it doesn't fit anymore, it just doesn't fit!
 
amymay said:
Why not get out a saddler to assess your saddle and advise you on how to proceed??
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Because that's a far too logical solution :rolleyes:

Everyone knows if you have an issue you should ask on HHO rather than call your farrier/vet/back person/master saddler ;)
 
If you are sure the saddle fits & it's his rounder shape causing it to move, try a thin-line saddle pad. Reduces the bulk under the saddle with gentle cushioning. Same material as the synthetic saddle cloths jockeys wear to stop their tiddy saddles from moving on sweaty mounts.
 
A Limpet saddle pad did the trick when I had that sort of problem (even with a made-to measure quality sadlle, fitted by an extremely good qualified saddle fitter!)
 
caterpillar said:
Because that's a far too logical solution :rolleyes:

Everyone knows if you have an issue you should ask on HHO rather than call your farrier/vet/back person/master saddler ;)
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Really though?! Is there any need to be so rude?
When I need a professional for help I get one. I have actually spoken to saddlers about the problem and the next step is get one out!
I was just asking if anyone had any similar experiences and what their solutions were!
No-one knows everything and I am not shy to ask when I need help which I thought was the purpose of this forum?!! Please do correct me if I'm wrong and this is actually a forum for bitching and snide remarks!
 
DIY shops sell rolls of grippy stuff designed to stop things sliding off, say, a table. This stuff works really well in preventing saddles slipping on flat backed horses (this is assuming that the saddle fits the horse correctly)
 
Sandylou said:
Thanks for the suggestions.

K27 - It's a flocked saddle.
Katherine1975 - will try some sort of 'sticky' pad while I wait for a saddler.
amymay - You're always so sensible and straight to the point! :)
Click to expand...

Good luck with everything! hopefully you'll be luckier than me- one of mine recently had a slippy saddle and where he had got really fit since it was fitted new last year he'd gone narrower and the tree was too wide for him so the only option for me was for me to either buy new saddle (eeek!) or get head plate changed by manufacturers- which is what i did- there goes some of my holiday money down the drain! but well worth it in the end i guess!
 
I have had two cob types in a wintec wide. Both fitted fine to start with, and both had problems after several months. One slipped to the side, the other slipped forwards. I have also had problems with a standard wintec on my warmblood, slipping to the side. I find wintecs are fine for TBs and other similarly built horses, but rubbish fr flat backed types (even the wintec wide). I was able to 'solve' the problem with a korrector pad, but this was not a satisfactory long term solution. I bought a pessoa Blythe Tail that fitted several wide horses at my yard beautifully without slipping.
 
While your waiting for saddler/back person to come out, you could (for pure interest) have a look yourself and see if he's more muscle on one side than the other, stand a box behind your horse while your horse is stood square and have a look down his back, his shoulders/wither area and see if there is any difference. Also you could long rein on a hard flat surface (road is better than a school) you may notice that a hip is dipping to the right of the pelvis is slightly out (when I say this I mean tipped forward or back on one side) ever so slightly to the right, but perhaps only more noticeable in trot, which could be why your saddle is slipping when there is more movement.

It's quite interesting what you can notice if you have a good old look and it might explain the reasons why our saddle has been slipping.
 
Just out of interest what type of girth do you use? I had a problem with my saddle slipping to the right and it was because I was using a girth which was elasticated at one end (which I now understand to be the work of the devil) which was pulling the saddle to one side. I changed the girth to a stubben trevira and saddle is now staying put.
 
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