What Makes a Saddle Slip Back?

[wanabe]

I bought a used saddle, at a very low price, and my RI pointed out that it slipped back off my lesson horse's withers. Like most TBs, he has high withers. She said I couldn't use the saddle on him without some attachment (I forget what she called it) to keep the saddle in the correct place. I'm curious as to what it is about a saddle that makes it slip back where others don't. :confused:

She also pointed out that when placed on something like a sawhorse that the front was much lower than her Wintec 250, for example. Does this have something to do with the slipping?

[Shadowlark]

I should almost leave this for one of our saddlers rather than my botchy answers but your online..

Fit would be the honest primary answer. Where exactly it doesn't fit is a question for a saddle fitter. I would have simply looked at it and said "NEXT" to the saddle shop ;) (they LOVE me.. really!..) Every horses back is pretty unique, just like our own, they don't fit into a mold as most people esp. north americans would love them to.

Now what your ridding instructor is refering too is a breast collar - and that may provide a band aid solution, but in the long run will be uncomfortable for the horse - because the saddle coupled with your weight will be constantly putting preassure on the straps - in turn creating preasure points and rubs on his chest.

As to the wintec thing, all saddles are different. You could never put a wintec on any of my horses. I have stout roud flat backed horses, and the wintec's rockered "bannana" seat as I call it wouldn't stand a hope of fitting them. I may as well sit on the rockers of a chair as a saddle. There are however other horses who they fit well. The horses I tend to own need very wide fits and are complicated to saddle because of it.

Now I do remember your situation with your instructor wanting you to have your own saddle etc. I really don't know of any leather saddles aside from the wintec (which i know you don't want) that have that same bannana seat as the wintec's do. The horses likely have muscle atrophy in following to that design so to the eye it would seem like they fit. I know now looking back that all my horses and the horses at the school where I taught suffered badly from atrophy. Ahh hind sight... But I also know you are kind of stuck.. I just am not sure what to advise you I am afraid!

[KarinUS]

It sounds like this saddle does not fit your horse very well. A breast collar might keep it from slipping back - but it won't really make it fit more comfortably on him.
Unfortunately with cheap saddles you most often get what you pay for. The type of saddle you bought is just not designed with the horse's comfort in mind. They sell so cheap because while the leather might be decent, the tree and the flocking are not up to par.
Some saddles fit some horses well and others not so well. But there are also saddles that just aren't designed well enough to fit any horse well.
I think it might be a good idea to be happy with the goodies that came with it (the bits and leathers and reins, etc.) It sounds like all the extras were worth about what you paid for the saddle.
A badly fitting saddle can have such a detrimental effect on a horse that I would not chance it. Be happy with the goodies you got and retire the saddle on a sawhorse. ;)