White hairs under saddle area

[HorseMaid]

I've got the saddle fitter coming this week, my mare has had a few weeks off while we've been waiting as I'm not sure her saddle wasn't hurting her. Got her in today for a groom and have noticed some white hairs in the saddle area, but they're not concentrated in a patch like you see when the saddle is pinching at the front, more like a VERY light peppering of them across the whole area where the panel would make contact - there aren't many at all but they're definitely there! I'm going to pick my saddlers brains but has anyone else had this?

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

What is age of mare?

 

[Regandal]

If it’s only under the saddle I would be suspecting the fit. More widespread then it could be very slight roaning.

 

[HorseMaid]

She's 10, she's bay, I'm 100% sure it isn't roaning

 

[milliepops]

I have seen this appear with someone else's horse... the marks did disappear at the next coat change after a correctly fitting saddle was obtained. You might get lucky.

 

[L&M]

I have seen this appear with someone else's horse... the marks did disappear at the next coat change after a correctly fitting saddle was obtained. You might get lucky.

This happened with our bay mare - the saddle she came with pinched and created 2 symmetrical white patches either side of her withers. We had a new saddle fitted and the the patches disappered when she grew her winter coat and never came back the following spring when she moulted.

 

[sbloom]

There's so much we still don't understand. I would say that, before the coat change that there was too much pressure, or movement, under the saddle, but more than that it's hard to say. I would consider a sheepskin or hi-tech shock absorbing pad like the Invictus when you get your saddle looked at.

 

[HorseMaid]

Thankyou SBLOOM, I was thinking along the lines of whether some sheepskin would be appropriate, I only ever use a very thin numnah. I'll look into a shock absorbing pad. The saddle is an ideal event with quite nice wide panels to spread pressure so maybe she is just super sensitive, who knows!

 

[sbloom]

Thankyou SBLOOM, I was thinking along the lines of whether some sheepskin would be appropriate, I only ever use a very thin numnah. I'll look into a shock absorbing pad. The saddle is an ideal event with quite nice wide panels to spread pressure so maybe she is just super sensitive, who knows!

There are lots of pads marketed as shock absorbing, marketing can be misleading! I stick with proven materials, and the d3o in the Invictus outperforms everything else in the areas that matter . I would say that you might have had shear forces, the saddle moving across the skin, rather than, or as well as, minor movement up and down. So hard to say, it's all still theories for most of us.