Slipping saddle

[Gemma16]

Ok so I have just got a new saddle. Its so comfy and fits Taff like a glove. the only problem i have with it and the same prob I have with all other saddles is that it slips back! I currently wear a breastgirth to stop it and it does the job. The only prob is I can't wear it for showing.

The saddle slips to a certain point then stops. The same place each time! So my question is do some horses have a certain place there saddles just 'fit'.

The girth ends up about 5 inches back from where it started!

Any ideas?

[luv2jump2!!!]

I have the exact same problem!! Just not that far back and i don't use a breastgirth! (martingal which does nothing as no reinstops insted!)
Help me to Plz!!

Lucy and Fern!

[Fuzz and This]

that used to happen to bullseye so i used a breastplate for a couple of months and then the saddle stopped fitting, i think he grew into it.

[Fuzz and This]

i mean slipping not fitting! lol

[ros]

Couple of points:

1. Most people put their saddles too far forward, which means when the saddle is in the correct position it may look odd. The girl where I was keeping Merly until a few weeks ago thinks of herself as fairly experienced, and one day I was setting out for a ride when she shouted out to me that my saddle was further back than usual and was sitting on his loins. It was actually where I always put it and it was nowhere near his loins - it would have had to have been at least two feet long for that :rolleyes: . She just wasn't used to seeing a saddle in the right place.

2. Some saddles on some horses will always end up in a certain position, no matter where they start off or how tight you do up the girth. For example, if the panels are interfering with the shoulders, the saddle will be pushed back each time the shoulder moves back; or if the saddle is too long you may find it's pushed forward up the withers by the horse's movement. If it's too narrow, it will often work its way up the withers because it's narrower up there. Or it may just be badly made, with the girth straps at the wrong angle and the panels badly balanced.

On a well-fitting saddle the position of the points of the tree should be at least an inch behind the shoulder blades; the girth should sit in that convenient concave dip which is known as the "girth seat" (approximately a hand's breadth behind the elbow). The panels should leave the shoulders unrestricted, which doesn't mean they can't be forward-cut, but it does mean that they shouldn't be tight and rigid. And when you put the saddle on it shouldn't work it's way somewhere else - PROVIDED you put it on in the right place, of course ;) .

[Lucy J]

a nf pony at our yard had this problem, the owner got a numnah which solved the problem, not one of the expensive ones, just normal priced, its made of sort of foamy / neoprene material. quite thin and would be suitab;e for showing.

my YO always says my saddle is too far back when it is where the saddler showed me where to put it. i always check it is behind the shoulder muscle before i do the girth.

[Tor&Warrior]

The lady I work for has this problem on her big dressage horse. She bought this jelly pad thing (will try find picture) its a beige see through jelly and its got lots of holes in it. I used it on Warrior whos saddle slipped awful and it worked brilliant.

[Tor&Warrior]

This isn't the one I was talking about but it also seems good. It says it uses the heat of the horse to form a bond between the saddle and horse to reduce movement.
The G.P is £36.50 so fairly pricey. I have seen them used in the show ring as a numnah always wondered what they were!! Still looking for others...........


Here (http://img32.photobucket.com/albums/v97/Flyte/backpad.gif)

(http://www.derbyhouse.co.uk/)

[Tor&Warrior]

Found it!! And its only £25!! Its quite a strange looking thing but you dont notice it once its on.

Here (http://img32.photobucket.com/albums/v97/Flyte/gelpad.jpg)

http://www.robinsons-uk.com/robcl/

[Yann]

Limpet pad if I'm not mistaken - they do work but of you do a lot the horse can get horribly sweaty under it, we have one and used it under the treeless saddle for a while. Also very good for shock absorption apparently if your horse has any soreness.

Think the saddle moving back is a welshie thing, I can put ours where I like but it always ends up in the same place, big shoulders methinks:)

So long as it isn't so far back that it's causing problems then I wouldn't worry.

[Jamey]

Sasha is ID x Dales and her saddle slips back to a more natural position after a few minutes of riding. I think it must just be the shape of cobs!!!! :rolleyes:

[Gemma16]

Ok so, do you think i should carry on using the breastgirth or leave it?

Its starting to rb him a little too. I'll try and take a pic to show you where it ends up.

Thanks for everyting.

[Yann]

Does it stop where it is once it's gone back? If so and the resting position is OK then I should leave it. Posting a piccy would be a good idea, there are lots of people on here who will be able to tell you if its right or not.

Where is it rubbing? See the thread about saddle rubs, seems to be a trend developing here...:D

[Gemma16]

Hi Yann, I ment his breastgirth was rubbing:D

Yes the saddle does stop once its moved. I was thinking it might just be where his saddle sits?

The pic will be up asap. Thanks

[Yann]

Got you:D But your post does seem to suggest the breastgirth is also slipping back if you don't read it carefully;)

[ros]

I agree with Yann. Trying to force the saddle into the position you think it should be in isn't a good idea. You really need to know for sure a) whether it likes to sit in the RIGHT place and b) if it actually fits when it gets there :) If it doesn't, then you've only really got one option :(

[Gemma16]

Well I had a good look last night.

It seemed to fit even better when it was a bit further back. Where it ends up that is.

He seems just as comfy in it when its back as he is when its where i 'think' it should be. I have had people look at it and they have said it fits well. I'm off today so will take a few piccies.

Thanks

[Gemma16]

Ok so have just been for a ride and decided to get a friend to look at where abouts I was putting the saddle on. she is quite exp. at fitting saddles by the way. She said I was putting it a little bit to far forward. So I girthed him up with the saddle in the new position and hey presto!!!! We have a secure saddle. I put is breast plate on just incase but quite loosely. It ws just as loose when I got back, which proved to me that the saddle had not moved.

Also with having a bit further back his numnah didn't slip either.

It just shows what a little adjustment makes.

Thanks for all you help everyone.:D

[Sidesaddlelady]

Gemma, sorry if this is an obvious question which you've already considered but if the saddle is new have you had the saddler back to it to check the fit and adjust it if necessary? New saddles sometimes settle a bit in the first couple of weeks of use so within, say, the first month the saddler should come back to check and adjust it free of charge. It may be a matter of fine tuning.

However, all things being equal, I do agree with Yann and Ros and the others about where to put it on the horses back.