White hairs under saddle area

gemisastar

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I have noticed in the last week a very light frosting of white hairs have appeared under where my saddle sits - I'd say it covers the whole area where the panels make contact. I have two saddles (a gp and a dressage) both of which were recently reflocked when having a saddle check. The GP I have had for over a year, the dressage one i have only used a couple of times since having the saddle fitter. My mare doesn't seem uncomfortable. The GP one has a tendency to move back a little bit I think pushed by her shoulder, the dressage one doesn't budge. I have noticed that she is rarely sweaty with both saddles where they make contact and thought total dryness was a sign of an issue, just not sure what to make of it! Should I be worried?
 

Carrottom

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Has your horse changed shape since the saddle check? They often do this time of year. I would speak to the saddler and in the meantime use your dressage saddle.
 

gemisastar

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Well it was only checked and reflocked a matter of weeks ago, thing is I'm not sure if it's the GP or the dressage, as the white hairs have only appeared since starting to use the dressage one (had it a while sat on the rack before getting it fitted), but as I said that one doesn't move at all and she seems happy in both!
 

sbloom

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In ten years I've not come across that but it would concern me, has the horse ever had white hairs before? Could you take a photo and post it? I would guess that perhaps you have a slight movement forward and back, but I've yet to see that cause this issue.
 

gemisastar

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No she has never had any white hairs, I'll take a photo tomorrow and post it. She has only just turned 7 so may well have changed shape also!
 

sbloom

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Horses change shape at any age, they even change between morning and night! Worth getting your saddles checked at least every 6 months, every 3 months is ideal, especially for younger horses or remedial fits (would be a minimum for most remedial fits ie where there has been damage to the back etc).
 

gemisastar

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Yes have been going with around 6/7 months for checks and all has been fine up til now, most peculiar! Thankyou for your reply I shall update with some photos maybe tomorrow or Friday
 

Red-1

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I knew a horse that did this, total frosting throughout the entire panel area. It had worn a memory foam pad, similar to a Prolite but not a Prolite, under the saddle. We decided that it had scalded the back with the heat. The pad was removed, a Nuumed numnah used, and when the coat changed the hair came back mostly black, as it was before.

I think white marks never go, but if you catch frosting early enough I have seen 2 who have reverted to their usual colour at coat change time.
 

Tarragon

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My pony got white marks within days of a particularly fast hunt ride I did when he had been recently clipped and using a treeless saddle. The marks followed the line of stirrups which just shows how that can be a problem. The white hairs completely grew out before the end of winter.
 

sbloom

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I knew a horse that did this, total frosting throughout the entire panel area. It had worn a memory foam pad, similar to a Prolite but not a Prolite, under the saddle. We decided that it had scalded the back with the heat. The pad was removed, a Nuumed numnah used, and when the coat changed the hair came back mostly black, as it was before.

I think white marks never go, but if you catch frosting early enough I have seen 2 who have reverted to their usual colour at coat change time.

Actually most white marks do go with the next coat change. I think this could be a good explanation though, could be heat.

My pony got white marks within days of a particularly fast hunt ride I did when he had been recently clipped and using a treeless saddle. The marks followed the line of stirrups which just shows how that can be a problem. The white hairs completely grew out before the end of winter.

Much more common and easy to identify. Not uncommon in treeless saddles that the bars (or riders seatbones) cause pressure points. I even had a customer get white hairs in the pattern of the stitch lines on her numnah, clearly from one ride which we identified as a 15 mile pleasure ride, when the saddle was much too low in front (where the marks were) as he'd lost a lot of weight since she last had the saddle checked.
 
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