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Expert
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Location: MI | Question - and I'm sorry about how dirty the hoss is, but I've been getting these dry spots from the saddle (I posted earlier - LM Nueva w/ 1/2" 5 Star).
In talking with people, I've heard of people that think the saddle bridging, mainly because there are dry spots, and therefore causing dry spots. But when I put the saddle only on his back and feel, I feel pressure under the area that the bars lie. This is what happened when my Billy Cook was pinching him, although he doesn't act like there is any pain and he isn't acting ugly (like kicking when entering the right lead) like he was. But, he's a year older and has matured generally throughout the past year. Also, when I was cleaning my saddle pad, it looked like there had been pressure from the saddle pad in that area - and quite a bit of it.
The saddle fit well last year - no dry spots - but they are appearing this year. If the saddle is bridging, I'd rather try a new pad. But, I'm not certain that it is (he's a growing boy, 5.5yrs right now) and don't want any pain to start. Since I don't have a ton of know-how, I thought I'd ask others opinion.
Personally, I don't feel that if he's getting wider and the saddle is pinching, that a pad will fix it.
Thanks for any thoughts! (Sorry about this post, I feel like the run-on queen :)
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 Did I miss the party?
Posts: 3864
 
| A bridging dry spot would be further back. That's a bar pressure spot. Myself, I'm not "as" concerned about the large spots if the skin under it isn't not plumped up the hair ruffled. The smaller one that's lower, approximately where your D-ring is, might concern me a bit though.
Sometimes depends on the horse too. I have a gelding whose saddle fits him well. Yet the front bar area is the last place that sweats. If I ride him long enough, he has full sweat marks. If I don't, he has a dry spot the size of my palm under that area.
Edited by barrelracinbroke 2016-05-18 10:33 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | Thanks Barrelracin. He's still riding well, and I only see the dry spots after we've ridden hard - the 5 Star does a good job of wicking.
Last year though, he had no dry spots...the smaller one is likely me cinching too hard. I have a fear of the saddle rolling, and I need to find a sweet spot where I'm not slicing him down the middle. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | Ok, I just went through this with my horse who just had surgery on his back. Mine had no muscle behind his wither, so no matter WHAT saddle I put on him there was always a dry spot. I went to a chiro/massage person who helped me with my saddle. I had a shim with me. We placed the shim behind the withers where the dry spots are instead of way up under the saddle horn as it is usually place. Turns out there was little to no rock in the saddle that way, and when I rode, the dry spots were WAY better, almost gone. It is amazing the damage that can be done to a horse with the wrong sized saddle. see on mu horse how it dips behind the wither? we are doing exercises to build that up, and there will be much less propblems. I would buy a shim, they are often sold where you buy Martin Crown C saddles, like $25.
Edited by snoopy 2016-05-19 3:00 PM
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Did I miss the party?
Posts: 3864
| A pressure spot can be from both the saddle being too small in that area (which the nueva has a wide bar angle at the BOTTOM, I know the top is narrow but their angle is what makes it fit so well on horses with a wither) or, it can be from it being too big and the saddle bars are sitting low. Such as in the case where you'd need a shim.
Hope I explained that where it makes sense.
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Expert
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Location: MI | That makes sense, and you've given me more to think about (thank you!) - I just don't see how it fit well last year, he's done nothing but grow this year, and now it's too big and is bridging? That just doesn't make sense to me...not trying to contradict :) just trying to wrap my head around this! Thank you! | |
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Did I miss the party?
Posts: 3864
| Ridenrun4745 - 2016-05-19 9:41 AM That makes sense, and you've given me more to think about (thank you!) - I just don't see how it fit well last year, he's done nothing but grow this year, and now it's too big and is bridging? That just doesn't make sense to me...not trying to contradict :) just trying to wrap my head around this! Thank you! It could be either (too tight or too loose and sitting low) or it could be no big deal if there's no swollen skin or ruffled hair. I still don't see those spots as being from bridging though.
Sorry, I know saddle fitting sucks and it's hard to get help with just pics. But, horses backs do change all the time. Growing, weight, how in shapre they are, age, muscle mass and even muscle atrophy from a poor fitting saddle.
A nueva tree is gonna usually fit a horse with a wither (as yours appears to have) it's got a narrow gullet at the top but, they spread the bar on the bottom a lot so it can, and does fit even big horses. That tree fit a big 16h gelding I have perfectly but, I've been riding Caldwell's for years and I just prefer those over anything else. Lynn's saddles are nice though. 
Edited by barrelracinbroke 2016-05-19 9:53 PM
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Expert
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Location: The Great Northwest | Their backs do change as they mature. Withers get higher, shoulders get broader, ect. I would try a different saddle a while. | |
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The Advice Guru
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| Ridenrun4745 - 2016-05-19 11:41 AM
That makes sense, and you've given me more to think about (thank you!) - I just don't see how it fit well last year, he's done nothing but grow this year, and now it's too big and is bridging? That just doesn't make sense to me...not trying to contradict :) just trying to wrap my head around this! Thank you!
Some horses will go through different body shapes throughout the year, and need different saddles/pads/shims during these changes.
It all depends was the horse in or out of shape when the saddle fit well last year, is the horse in the same shape now. If not you may need to change a few things to get proper fit until the horse is in the same shape.
Diet can also affect horses body condition, ie ulcers can casue absorption issues where horses can loose muscle mass and top line which will affect saddle fit, you may want to look at his nutrition as compared to last year. | |
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