Saddle slipping

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starry94

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I have a wide pony & use a thorowgood maxam wide saddle, how can i stop it slipping? His girth is done up tight enough and it slips to the side when you get on but doesnt slip backwards or forwards. I try to get on using a mounting block when i can, it kind of helps but it does still slip, but of course if i was on a hack and i just had to get on from the ground i would prefer it if my saddle didnt slip haha!
At the moment im using a thorowgood girth that is elasticated at one end, is it better to use a completely non elasticated one?
Thanks :)
 
oh and it has 4 girth straps, some people say put it on the 1st and 4th but some say put it on the 1st and 3rd, whats right?
 
I suppose the saddle has been fitted correctly and checked by a saddle fitter and its just the fact the horse is wide with no withers that is making it slip. You could try a breastplate thats helped me in the past.
 
I think you may find it's the girth! The ones with elastic at one end are common for making saddles slip to one side especially with wide horses. Try a different girth and see if that helps.
 
Ditch the girth, use no elastic for rollys! Breastplate if you find it slips back when going up hills. Other than that just try and mount from something all the time and not the ground! You can get a limpet pad and everything but they have mixed reviews.
 
Oh meant to add, use 1st(point strap) and the 3rd strap as I was told if you use the 1st and the last strap you're counter-acting them both?
 
thank you guys :)
he was overweight but has been on a diet and is now looking good, will get another girth tomorrow and i will try attaching it to the 1st and 3rd to see if it slips, then the 1st and 4th to see whats better :)
 
I've got something of the same issue with my boy, who's the same shape, and he's got a leather Atherstone girth with no elastic. I use a Prolite Stay Pad, which helps but doesn't kick the issue completely. Sort of resigned to it now and the saddle's been checked twice in the last eight months. At least they're ponies and not 18hh so finding a makeshift block is less troublesome ;)

ETA also got a new saddlecloth recently with a grip pad on the outer - so with the Prolite, there's extra grip under the saddle cloth and extra under the saddle, which has also helped a bit. Pone was very fat when I got him in May and is now a more suitable size but still a bit 'rolly'.
 
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MissChaos said:
I've got something of the same issue with my boy, who's the same shape, and he's got a leather Atherstone girth with no elastic. I use a Prolite Stay Pad, which helps but doesn't kick the issue completely. Sort of resigned to it now and the saddle's been checked twice in the last eight months). At least they're ponies and not 18hh ;)

ETA also got a new saddlecloth recently with a grip pad on the outer - so with the Prolite, he's got one under the saddle cloth and one under the saddle, which has also helped a bit.
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Is your horse even on both sides? e.g is one of his shoulders bigger than the other as this can cause or do you have any wonkyness (please don't take offence).
 
I used to have this problem! Was advised to buy a fixed girth, which I did and really helped. Also bought a 'sticky pad' from ebay, it looks like the stuff you put under rugs to stop them slipping on the floor, and on the near side I only use girth straps 3 & 4. Since doing all this my saddle has not slipped :)

Good Luck
 
kylie88: no offence taken. My natural 'lean' side is left, which I've been trying to address. He tends to find the left rein slightly stickier but has improved on this in the last couple of months and there haven't been any back issues so far, though he is due a check soon. No difference in shoulder size and saddle is same with whoever's on board.
 
Hi

I was told a very simple trick many years ago when I was having the same problem with my dales cross, (wide girl) the answer was to use a window leather and put in under belly between skin and girth, you woulnt belive it but it works.

:eek:
 
I would beware of using anything non slip - saddler advised strongly against it and there is a horse in the yard with a bad back that is living evidence. If it is slipping to one side all the time then it is probably assymetry in the back.
 
Google 'flexigirth' and see what you think? I haven't got one myself but may do a bit of research,as they 'sound' very good and might be worth a try?
 
starry94 said:
I have a wide pony & use a thorowgood maxam wide saddle, how can i stop it slipping? His girth is done up tight enough and it slips to the side when you get on but doesnt slip backwards or forwards. I try to get on using a mounting block when i can, it kind of helps but it does still slip, but of course if i was on a hack and i just had to get on from the ground i would prefer it if my saddle didnt slip haha!
At the moment im using a thorowgood girth that is elasticated at one end, is it better to use a completely non elasticated one?
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Please tell me if you find anything that works!! I have the same problem with my young pony, no withers plus he is croup high as he is only four, so not only do I slide to one side but also feel as though I am riding down hill!!. Have just had the saddle fitted and I'm sure when it settles down and the girth straps are a bit more supple it will be much better, at least it's comfortable. Forget the elasticated girth- makes slippage much worse.
 
1) definately change your girth! I bought a wintec fully elasticated jobby for the same reason and was astonished at the difference a) in the movement of the saddle and b) how much 'looser' the girth would actually do up - The elasticated one / both end jobbies can be really overtightened.

2) Get the saddle checked again - may need flocking looked at.

3) consider changing saddles. I find that synthetic saddles sometimes don't suit certian types of horse because they don't have enough weight in them to hold them in place... not sure if that makes sense but it does to me!! Throwgood are the same company as Kent and Masters who's leather saddles are fully adjustible and reasonable price.... that said, you might need the flocking adjusted in these - I did in mine as i had similar problems to you.
 
CBFan said:
1) definately change your girth! I bought a wintec fully elasticated jobby for the same reason and was astonished at the difference a) in the movement of the saddle and b) how much 'looser' the girth would actually do up - The elasticated one / both end jobbies can be really overtightened.

CB FAN - do you advise to get a double sided elasticated girth or a non-elastic one in your comment above ??
Thank you
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HuntingFiona said:
Hi

I was told a very simple trick many years ago when I was having the same problem with my dales cross, (wide girl) the answer was to use a window leather and put in under belly between skin and girth, you woulnt belive it but it works.

:eek:
Click to expand...

I was just about to post the same as Hunting Fiona, a chammy leather (not a fake one) really will grip a saddle without causing sweating like a synthetic grip pad will. Also I always use a breastplate which really helps secure a saddle.
 
I fit mainly roly poly horses and ponies as a fitter for Native Pony Saddles - I always recommend an elasticated girth but strong elastic (you shouldn't be able to stretch it much at all between your hands) at BOTH ends, I think people opt for non-elasticated girths when they have unstable saddles. I've not needed to go to one yet. Is it only slipping on mouting? This is the toughest test for a saddle and if it's only moving then, can you try mounting holding on to the top of the stirrup leather on the off side to help balance your weight? I'd not recommend a non-slip pad and would think that, as long as it doesn't make the saddle move forwards, using the first and fourth straps should give th best lateral grip.
 
sbloom said:
I fit mainly roly poly horses and ponies as a fitter for Native Pony Saddles - I always recommend an elasticated girth but strong elastic (you shouldn't be able to stretch it much at all between your hands) at BOTH ends, I think people opt for non-elasticated girths when they have unstable saddles. I've not needed to go to one yet. Is it only slipping on mouting? This is the toughest test for a saddle and if it's only moving then, can you try mounting holding on to the top of the stirrup leather on the off side to help balance your weight? I'd not recommend a non-slip pad and would think that, as long as it doesn't make the saddle move forwards, using the first and fourth straps should give th best lateral grip.
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^^^This^^^.
This may not be relevant to you, but just a thought..
If the slipping only happens when mounting, as well as holding the top of the off side stirrup leather, do some exercises to improve your springiness when mounting from the ground.
Following surgery, I lost muscle in my left leg which meant mounting from the ground (out on hacks), meant that the saddle slipped. As my leg improved, the slipping stopped.
 
GLG77 said:
CBFan said:
1) definately change your girth! I bought a wintec fully elasticated jobby for the same reason and was astonished at the difference a) in the movement of the saddle and b) how much 'looser' the girth would actually do up - The elasticated one / both end jobbies can be really overtightened.

CB FAN - do you advise to get a double sided elasticated girth or a non-elastic one in your comment above ??
Thank you
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I wouldn't get a double sided elasticated one as you can overtighten them, although the pressure is more even than one elasticated one side.

Wintec do ones that are elasticated all the way through, which I have found to be quite good and my sensitive boy likes.

Or go for non elasticated.
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Some great info everyone and thank you CBFan, I have a girth with no elastic and it doesn't work on my cob! Hard to do up too especially as he blows out when doing it up ;-/
 
thank you everyone!
was just about to order a new, non elastic girth but now not sure if i should get one that is elasticated at both ends or not at all...
 
CBFan said:
GLG77 said:
I wouldn't get a double sided elasticated one as you can overtighten them, although the pressure is more even than one elasticated one side.

Wintec do ones that are elasticated all the way through, which I have found to be quite good and my sensitive boy likes.

Or go for non elasticated.
Click to expand...

If a girth is stitched from one end to the other it can't stretch, the name is a misnomer in my opinion. It is a rider's responsibility to learn how much to pull the girth up - if the girth works slightly looser, as the right elasticated girth should (with the right saddle that really fits and is stable) then there is less temptation to over tighten it. I do this day in day out, fitting horses where other saddle fitters have failed, sometimes four or five other fitters with some really wide flat horses (this is much to do with the saddles they stock, amd not having a pop at their skill levels) - non-elasticated girths are not the kindest to the horse and I truly believe that if you have a saddle that fits the best girth is one that is wide and grippy (ours are soft padded leather and fairly wide) with very strong elastic at both ends plus roller buckles.
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sbloom said:
CBFan said:
If a girth is stitched from one end to the other it can't stretch, the name is a misnomer in my opinion. It is a rider's responsibility to learn how much to pull the girth up - if the girth works slightly looser, as the right elasticated girth should (with the right saddle that really fits and is stable) then there is less temptation to over tighten it. I do this day in day out, fitting horses where other saddle fitters have failed, sometimes four or five other fitters with some really wide flat horses (this is much to do with the saddles they stock, amd not having a pop at their skill levels) - non-elasticated girths are not the kindest to the horse and I truly believe that if you have a saddle that fits the best girth is one that is wide and grippy (ours are soft padded leather and fairly wide) with very strong elastic at both ends plus roller buckles.
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Ok, I agree with you that it is the rider's responsibility to learn how much to tighten their horse's girth.

I was utterly shocked that I was able to do a (good quality) 52inch elasticated both ends girth up TWO holes higher than a 54inch wintec elasticated girth and still feel movement in the saddle. Yes you did read that right, I was able to do a shorter girth up two holes higer than the longer one!!

I do believe the shape and STYLE of the girth has as much bearing on it's suitability as whether it is elasticated or not and I opted for the wider wintec one rather than the shaped one because of this. Re the wintec ones.. they aren't stretchy as such, they just have a little 'give' in them. I was sceptical of them at first but since trying one, my horse is so much happier than in his double elasticated atherstone one (which he litterally threw himself on the floor at!) that I would be reluctant to try anything else.
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