Uneven saddle rub

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DebP

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22 February 2013
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What have you people found to be the cause of saddles rubbing more on one side than the other? I know you can get a bit of damaged hair under the saddle this time of years, but my boys is worse on one side. I’ve had this before but on the other side and that was a twisted tree😱. This is my first winter with my new dressage saddle after the above bad experience and it’s happened again. Saddler coming next week but interested in hearing the possibilities as a really can’t afford to scrap another brand new saddle
 
I found my saddle was shifting to one side. It's not the saddle it's me.

My friend had noticed I seem to be heavy to my right & when I had saddle fitter (also a McTimoney) out, she got me to ride down the centre line with no stirrups & my eyes shut. I leant dramatically to the right.

Currently working on my own posture.
 
Good answer Dave'sMum. Uneven wear could be that you are sitting unevenly; or that the horse himself is crooked. It could also be that for some reason your flocking has compacted unevenly. You need to get the saddle checked obviously. If the tree has twisted again you might want to check every aspect of how you store and carry the saddle as obviously that shouldn't happen - but it is more likely to be you or the horse. Physio for both?
 
I had uneven wear and it was because the saddler I'd used had only been interested in selling a saddle and it did not fit. It pivoted on his back and rubbed away the area it was rubbing. This was sorted by the next saddler, who without even seeing the rubbed area, having looked at the saddle and the horse said exactly where it would rub.
 
I feel crooked in my dressage saddle but I don’t feel like that in my gp saddle which I use to jump once a week. It’s odd that this saddle rubs on the opposite side to the last one. After the saddler had been I will try one the rider alingnment people, I already do Pilates
 
Something you can do whilst waiting for the saddler is have a very thorough check that the saddle is symmetrical all over. Look from all angles at all parts and see if there is anything that shows. Also after you have ridden check that the saddle is still sitting square on your horse, not to one side which may give you a starting point.
 
Usually it's just a fitting issue, horses change shape, often quite a lot and quite quickly. A saddle that's not quite right is more likely to move to reflect even the slightest asymmetry in the horse's conformation or movement. Rubbing at this time of year isn't unusual but it should be mild and symmetrical. Yours has moved probably to the side with more rubbing. Do see the Osteopathic vet's post on FB about saddle rubs though, there are myriad causes, not all of them purely saddle fit.
 
I have found that many times saddles shifting to one side are either

1. Horse being stiff on one back leg so holding himself.
2. Saddle has been travelling on the box on the horse's back and has been leaned on so is twisted.

A saddler can improve the issue with flocking, but if the saddle fitted to start with something caused one side to compact more than the other.
 
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