Just got a new saddle for my older gelding(see previous post). I rode it today for the first time and I noticed when I went to unsaddle it had slid back and was sitting down hill. He is pretty flat backed for the most part but does have higher withers. He’s older and his back and wither/shoulder are is starting to hollow out. I’m assuming due to age because he isn’t loosing tone anywhere else. I know virtually zero about saddle fit. Can someone help me!!!!! I really love this saddle and want it to work but if it won’t then it just won’t. I can take pics and send to someone to post but I can’t post them my self. 

I was having the same issue this spring with my aging gelding.  He is high withered and big shouldered and with his advancing years had begun to loose some top line. We worked out butts off on collection and nagged the farrier about shoeing trying to build it up. His saddle was working itself back and ending up sitting right behind the withers too.  I already had an Ed Wright pad with the ortho build ups for the hollows behind his shoulders but that was no longer helping the fit anymore either. Tossed the saddle up on him with no pad and found it was bridging badly!!!  God a sway back pad and that helped quite a bit except for in the turns I could still feel hesitation and short stride, he stepped on himself a few times too in the turns.  Not the biggest fan of the treeless thing but after sitting home for most of the late spring I ended up trying one and it helped tremendously so I bit the bullet and bought one, have been very happy with it.

I ride in 5 Star pads. The saddle maker suggested shimming. I’ve never been a huge fan of shims just because in my mind it would put too much pressure on his shoulders. I’m hoping too part of it is the fact that I just went from a 14in saddle(was wayyy too small for my booty) to a 15.5. The whole saddle in general is bigger than my old one. So maybe I haven’t gotten my placement just right yet. Like maybe I need to move it more forward than what I’m used to doing.