Tack Rubbing Hair

[PalOfThePonies]

Hi, I’m looking for some advice. I’ve had my boy 3 months now and he was clipped just over a month ago - a hunters clip with a saddle patch.

He came with a rub on his chest from where his rugs had obviously rubbed and we had an issue with rugs rubbing his withers, however bought a headless hood for him and this seemed to solve the issue. However after the last week I’ve noticed that he’s got a couple of bald patches either side of his spine behind his saddle, I think caused by the saddle pad rather than the saddle (had the fitter out two weeks ago). I’ve also noticed patches where his breast plate rings are(only 3 point so by his withers), his reins on his neck, front of shoulders from rugs and his chest where the hair is starting to fall out.

Someone on the yard suggested this might be because his hair is starting to grow back and he needs clipping again, but unsure how that works? Has anyone got any suggestions for:

1. What kind of saddle pad to use, we’re currently using shaped pads like Lemieux, weatherbeeta, woofwear. Would something like sheepskin be better or perhaps the square pads (I’m not sure what they’re called, not dressage squares!), with more padding and less stitching/edging be better?
2. Other than covering everything with sheepskin any suggestions to stop tack rubbing?

He is quite thin skinned but thankfully it only is his hair that is affected and I want to get ahead of the situation before it makes his skin sore!

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I’ve always found the hair rubs away in winter and believe it’s because the winter coat is more brittle than summer coats. I’ve not found anything that doesn’t rub at all. Even Nuumed half wool numnahs used to rub at the back of the saddle on my unclipped horse. Maybe a proper sheepskin or lambskin might work. Summer I don’t see any rubs.

 

[sbloom]

Rubbing this early in the winter season should be investigated, you don't say when your saddle fit was last checked? It may be that a different pad helps but if your saddle is wagging at the back it's likely to only get worse between now and the spring.

Sounds like the coat quality is also poor, I would look into equine diets, feeding amino Acids can be useful,.many horses are actually underfed good quality protein esoecially in winter then the diet is jay and not grass based.

 

[maya2008]

If he’s just thin skinned, then a sheepskin numnah like the Lemieux shaped ones would be fine. I would get a second opinion on the saddle though - both because if you add a sheepskin pad it is more bulk so will change the fit slightly, and you shouldn’t get rubbing in distinct patches like that if your saddle is well balanced and a good fit.

Unfortunately, many saddle fitters don’t really know their stuff. A friend of mine rehabs horses with ridden ‘behavioural issues’. She hasn’t had one come to her with a saddle that fits yet. Wrong tree shape, wrong width, too long…

 

[humblepie]

Mine normally get rubs neck and back of saddle and I found the Protechmasta saddle pad good and also changing pads as all slightly different . I think I also discovered that one of the sheets I was using was catching a bit behind the saddle. He didn’t get any rubs last year.

 

[ycbm]

With that amount of rubbing I would, like SB, be looking at the diet to improve the coat condition. I would start with copper and zinc. Your mention of rubbing by a breastplate makes me wonder if he's being bathed before shows or hunting. If you do that I'd stop and let the coat get the grease (conditioner) it's supposed to have.
.

 

[Kaylum]

If your using a saddlepad rather than a numnah make sure when you clip him you leave a saddlepad shape instead of a saddle shape. Also he might of lost weight so yes get your saddle checked.

 

[PalOfThePonies]

Thank you for all your replies!

I had considered his diet and was thinking about making some changes, so those suggestions are very helpful!

The bare patches are behind his saddle, over his lumbar area, right at the back of where a saddlepad would sit; could this still be the saddle even though they are not underneath or directly behind the saddle? I only had the saddle fitter out a couple of weeks ago and he seems much happier in this new saddle otherwise.
We're currently not doing shows, etc. as he has a lot of topline to build and is very green in the school, so the only time he has been bathed with me is before he was clipped. I've (attempted) to include a picture of said pony and his clip.

 

[sbloom]

Move the saddle patch back next time, makes it far too tempting to put the saddle on too far forwards

It may be the pad rubbing, and some are more prone than others (equally some horse's movement, especially if posturally compromised) makes rubbing more likely, but it's the saddle causing the movement. Unfortunately you may not get much coat regrowth at this point in the season but is there any sign of it? If there is then the damage is likely to have happened before it was checked and refitted. Do consider some postural groundwork, it will help long term with saddle fitting (though he'll change shape short term of course) and with soundness.

 

[spotty_pony]

My breastplate used to rub my very sensitive Appy on his neck he wore it for hunting - I bought a sheepskin breastplate cover with Velcro and cut it down into small pieces and used to the pop on the top bit across his neck which solved the problem.