Saddle Slipping Problems - please help!

IWTO

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I am having major saddle slipping problems and its starting to get on my nerves.

Ive had a saddle fitter out twice to a £800.00 saddle HE fitted and after another £100 to get it tweaked etc which made no difference i told him to sell it because it clearly wasnt doing the job and slipping badly.

I have (in the meantime) borrowed a cheap synthetic which also slipped but notwhere near as bad as my leather one, unfortunatly this one slid right up his neck when going down a hill on a ride and almost threw me over his head. This saddle has the balance straps which i think is what helped slightly.

I am starting to give up, i know its not me because others have ridden him to rule that out, he has physio every 3 months and she came about a month ago and said there was no pain she could find so its not that hes holding himself awkwardly.

He has a very table shaped back, i use a stubben string girth as i was advised this can help.

-can anyone recommend either something to stop a saddle slipping or a saddle (leather or synthetic) that is ideal for table backed cobs?

Thankyou all.
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Hi

Sorry to hear of your problems. We had problems with Dad's little cob and had several saddlers visit several times each. In the end we bought a Prolite non-slip pad and haven't had a problem since. We don't use a numnah, just this pad.
 
A pony at our yard used a crupper, dont know if that would do any good or what sizes they come in. There are some non-slip numnahs/saddle cloths on the market.
 
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i would say that the saddle actually doesn't fit.

[/ QUOTE ]

Both saddles didnt you mean?

The one im borrowing is the Maxam Cob east fit as put above, its better than the leather one (which has subsequently gone now) but still slips even if not as much.

Its borrowed so not mine, although i was able to purchase it after it slipping it seemed pointless.
 
Please don't take this the wrong way, but when you say table backed, is the horse over weight? if so, then you will struggle with most saddles, even ones specifically made for cobs, anything with a tree in it basically.

I know some cobs are just built like that, but you can find saddles to fit them, its just takes time, some people who have this problem often the saddles are too wide and could go down a size, which is why there working forward over the withers, so it might be something worth looking into. Perhaps change your saddler?

Or if you can spend a few months on seeing if your cob can drop some weight (if it needs to
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) , so there is some definition between the withers/shoulders/natural girthing line etc
 
No offence taken, he's not overweight and has not been so far so I can rule that out. He's just a nice, typical barrelled cob which is lovely to ride bareback as he's so comfortable but I need a saddle really.

I've tried our only master saddler we have in the area and am currently looking into taking him somewhere to another saddler as we lack master saddlers here unfortunately.

I'm just trying to get some ideas of saddles that have worked for flat backed cobs so I can build up some knowledge to start looking into them.
 
If the saddle slips forward you want a crupper, if it slips back a breastplate or breastgirth.

Loads of cobs are difficult to fit and have saddle slipping problems especially if they are jumping or in fast work.
 
I would look at the native pony saddle company which makes saddles especially for wide natives (and have appropriate girthing arrangements which can make all the difference) and also an ideal built on a H&C tree.

You might find that you need to get something straighter cut, like a WH, to get appropriate clearance of the shoulder.

I don't as a rule like pads to stop saddles slipping unless we are talking remedial fits - then I would look at a sheepskin.
 
i have had to fit saddles to some pretty awkward Highland ponies - they are true table tops! I found a Silhouette Working Hunter saddle in XXW was a good fit and the Saddle Company saddles are great and very adaptable - and they have WH and dressage styles to accomodate chunky shoulders
 
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