My gelding is wide across hips and loin then becomes increasingly more narrow to withers. He's also downhill. I've tried every pad combo I can think of and still have dry spots behind shoulders. I'm done. Help me.

If the dry spots are the size of your fist or bogger, don't worry to much about it. If they are small or ruffed up hair, then there is a problem. If you can find a CHarmayne James saddle, will fit perfectly. (Wide)

any pictures? Is your horse pretty straight or does he have a dip behind the shoulders? 

What brand of saddle do you have now? Is there any rock to it? 

Its to bad that Wimpyb is not on here much, shes really good at helping saddle fitting by pictures.

Coats

I dont know anything about the Coats saddles, but does it have any rock to it? I really think you need a saddle with some rock to it for this horse.

How thick are the pads that you tryed? 

I've tried a biofit to lift the front, and a pad with removable shims to allow for some rock. I just can't get it right. Both of my Coats seem a tiny bit wide in the front, but seem to fit perfectly in the back.

Have you tryed just using a 3/5 inch pad? To me you may have caused the saddle to bridge if you were trying to get some rock. I would try to find a Double J #10 or maybe a Wide to see how they sit. I dont mean to buy but just to try

I have a mare built simialarly. Once you find a saddle that "fits" you are going to have to shim to prevent bridging. I have been thru numerous saddles and the only thing so far that does not sore her up is a treeless. I don't like barrel racing in a treeless (I don't have good body position in one) so I only used the treed saddle for barrel races. Currently riding in a Masters lightweight with shimmable pad (the name of it escapes me lol) and so far so good but its only been a 2 or 3 months.

He certainly doesn't need a wide. Being too wide in the gullet is already a problem.

I shimmed a little for bridging yesterday and it felt terrible. Like I was perched up there. Still wasn't a good sweat pattern. Guess I can't try to shim more.

I feel this post on the deepest level. My mare hates shims on top of it but I imagine because feel awkaward to her. 

The best I found so far is a Sibley 7" wwith a 5/8" SPH and a 1/4" 5 star shim. 

Is it perfect, no but the best I have found. She sounds built identical to yours and I bet ive tried over 50+ saddles and 80+ pad/saddle combos. 

How old is your mayor? I'm hoping my guild and grows out of this. He has five.

Just think if non horsey folks tryed to read this, ha ha ha ha ha..

What tree does this coats have? Just curious is this saddle a Coats or the Lazy L? 

Sorry. ?? I was driving so I used my mic. Bad idea. Let's try again. How old is your mare? My gelding is 5. I hope he grows out of this stage. 

BTW: I used a one inch fleece bio fit with a shim over the wither and bridge area today and had a good sweat pattern, but it's hot as Hades and the humidity is 101% so all you have to do is stand around and breathe to sweat.

I have two handmade by Larry Coats himself. They have fit everything I've thrown them on until this gelding. I mean fit from a 14 hand 800 pound mare to a 15+ 1100 pound mare to a huge appendix shark finned gelding and many in between.

Oh heck I think I would just call Larry and talk to him about about this problem that you are having since he fitted and build these saddles for you. 

I like the sound of a Batie Tree, sounds like they are made for a horse builted like your's. And the bwbr since they have rock. I was reading that the wide tree has flatter bars and the bwbr standerd tree has rock. 

That's a good idea.

She is 7 - unfortinately been in the same boat since she was 4/5. never grew out of it. 

You may need a thinner shim and possibly a thinner pad. I make my own shims. Either a yoga mat or an old wool saddle pad liner with a strip of heavy duty velcro on the back so it sticks.

I'd say call Larry.  He can take your existing saddle and add in perfectly designed shims to help it fit your horse.  You know you already love the way the Coats rides, and Larry is just so great to work with.  He added a little rock to my saddles to help help the particular horse I had at the time... then I had him take it out after I put that horse down.