White Pressure marks from bridle and saddle. help!

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Skye2308

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i have had my haflinger 3 and a half years. i recently got her clipped, as i do evey winter and i noticed a large enough pressure point just below my withers on the right hand side were the hair is white and a smaller one at the back of where my saddle would sit. she also has a line of white where he bridle would sit. just behind her ears.

my yard owner thought it was rubbing her so i bought a gel poll gaurd and a fluffy half pad on my saddle, as for years she used to wear the pad but took it off last april and didnt wear it since. i thought the marks must have been from not having the pad on as i have her clipped evey year and the year i wore the pad she didnt have it. but after months without it she does.

recently however she hasnt been going well. i always pull with my left hand more, but recently her tilting her head to the left has got worse. sometimes i would drop my left rein out long and hold more with my right and she would still hang on the left rein. i know it could be to do with my riding but i feel like its getting worse rather than better. i wonder is the saddle pressure marks and bridle related? could she be tilting her head to the left because of the pain on her back on the right?

sometimes when i ride its like her trot is running on a bit and tilts and feels more tense on the left rein, which is also the rein im stronger on. she hasnt bucked at all which made me think it was more me and always be tossy with her head. any help, advise or experience of this would be great

thanks
 
Get a saddler to check your saddle, pronto.

Put the gel pad back on the bridle and don't forget to let the cheekpieces down a hole to make room for the pad.

Thirdly, once the tack is sorted, find a good instructor and have some lessons.
 
i have been riding for 12 years, so im not a beginner. i jumped yesterday and she jumped really well. its more when she does flatwork, but it could be she is just bored and not listening. if i was to go round with her head out my hands would be more even, but when i take up an outline i tend to hang on it more . do you think her hanging on the left could be from her saddle? as my friend rode her and she found she hung on the left alot.
 
What the previous poster said - get the saddle checked and get an instructor. It's great that you've been riding 12 years but if you don't know enough to know when your saddle (and bridle) fits or not and haven't had someone in to check it in over three years then I suspect that a "pair of eyes on the ground" might help even if you are such a good rider that you don't think you need lessons.
 
Hi

I would second getting the saddle checked and getting her back done. I used a Mctimmoney person as my mare used to toss her head alot more in flatwork than jumping. She was almost instantly better doing flatwork and is improving still. Have recently had to change saddles again and need to call saddler back out as still not happy with fit of new one:rolleyes:
She was found to be working upside down using all the wrong muscles, so when asked to use correct ones she objected.
 
my saddle was fitted when i first got her and i dont think she has changed shape much. i have also had the briddle for 2 years so its strange this has happened out of the blue as her tack was fine. i get lessons and she is and has always been tossy and flingy with her head so it could just be me worrying after seeing the white marks, as they were not visable until i got her clipped and she hasnt bucked or anything. i just wondered do you think the pressure marks are related as the tack was fine for years.
 
I would say what you are saying about her head tilting and back pain being related is probably true - most issues are multifactoral. Sort the tack and bridle - get a fitter out to check, then possibly vet/physio to check her over as if there is white hair = damage in some form. Good luck, my mare head tilted - the physio said her poll was uneven (if you felt her spine behind her ears you could feel one side was further back) probably due to her pulling back when tied up. She is fine now after some work.
 
OK so you haven't had the saddle checked since you got her, you willy nilly chuck half pads under it. You've obviously never considered what wanging a thick pad under a saddle might do to the fit. btw saddle fit needs checking because flocking compresses over time - and changes shape regardless of what the horse is doing.

You say when she had the pad under the headpiece she didn't have marks, you took the pad out and she does. You can't think of any conclusions to be drawn there?

What does your instructor say about her head tilting- after all she's the one who's seen her do it.
 
hannah87 thanks for the advise. it guessed they must be related as last year she didnt have the marks and its strange that they aahve came out of the blue at the same time. i think getting a saddler out and physo would be good, even to mind at rest aswell xx
 
You can get some elasticated attachments to attach to the bit then to the reins to make sure the pressure from your hands is less on the mouth, they might help? I'm not sure what kind of work you do with you're horse so not sure.
When I first got my mare she lent really heavily on my left hand, particularly when schooling her and used to get her back end up at the same time. I have found that riding her on a really loose contact in a bit that fits her mouth properly and has a lozenge so that it is more comfortable and using my seat more than my hands to slow down really worked to straighten her out. I also got a saddle fitter out and use a prolite gel pad for her with removable sections for when she changes shape as she had white marks from whatever saddle was used on her before I got her, plus a recently healed wound on her withers.
Perhaps having some lunge lessons would be good for you to even out your seat and draw the emphasis away from your hands for slowing down and turning. I'm wondering if you fiddle with your hands while riding which may be related to her tossing her head whilst schooling, keep hands still and ride into a contact rather than fiddling and half halting (apologies if you don't do this). I have been riding for a long time but everyone has little habits that need correcting and if you're not having lessons etc. it's easy for them to go un-noticed. Alternatively get someone to film you riding and judge for yourself.
Getting a saddle fitter out is a must, you may not need a new saddle but they can also to check whether your current saddle needs re-flocking and they could also advise you on gel pads etc. Put the pad back on the bridle or get a comfort poll bridle with a larger area around the poll to distribute the pressure.
Hope this helps.
 
Skye2308 said:
my saddle was fitted when i first got her and i dont think she has changed shape much. Are you a qualified saddler?

i have also had the briddle for 2 years so its strange this has happened out of the blue as her tack was fine. The pressure marks are telling you that it has not been fine for a while now.

i get lessons and she is and has always been tossy and flingy with her head so it could just be me worrying after seeing the white marks, as they were not visable until i got her clipped and she hasnt bucked or anything. It sounds like your horse is very sweet and has been putting up with discomfort for some time now.

i just wondered do you think the pressure marks are related as the tack was fine for years. Pressure marks don't show up overnight. The tack has not been fine for a while. Your horse is being very kind to you by not bucking you off and showing her pain by head tossing instead.
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Please don't think that I am being unkind to you. It is clear that you care for your horse as you have posted this thread to get advice. Please follow the advice and get a saddler to check your saddle.
 
jemima_too im at a yard with eventers and intructors constantly. they have checked my tack numberous times and often comment on my riding even when im not getting a lesson. its only recently when one of them was clipping her she notcied the marks.

she has rode her and she is very firey with her head, thats just the way she is. she is very impatient such as standing for a long time and pushy. she said i pull more with my left hand. but even when i dont pull she would still tilt her head that makes me think it might be more to do with her back and head than me pulling.
 
im so thankful for peoples advise, and time to reply, its not that im unhappy with the answers people have given me. i have taken all the comments into consideration and will deffo get my tack checked xx
 
Skye2308 said:
jemima_too im at a yard with eventers and intructors constantly. they have checked my tack numberous times and often comment on my riding even when im not getting a lesson. its only recently when one of them was clipping her she notcied the marks.

she has rode her and she is very firey with her head, thats just the way she is. she is very impatient such as standing for a long time and pushy. she said i pull more with my left hand. but even when i dont pull she would still tilt her head that makes me think it might be more to do with her back and head than me pulling.
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You have to be consistent to notice a difference, not just seeing what she does when you pull and when you don't pull. If you have ridden her this way for 3 years her resisting you in this way will have had an effect on how her muscles have developed on each side of her body and how she responds to being ridden whoever gets on her.
If you start to eliminate all of the other possibilities first, back, chiro, teeth, saddle etc. then you'll know for certain what the problem is, these would be my first port of call, if you think your horse is in pain get it seen to asap!
 
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