Saddle Fitting - stress!!!

[hApPiNeSs]

i have managed to borrow a 17" dressage saddle from my friend because i cannot afford to buy a saddle and i cannot sell happies because it is not mine. the saddle i have got now fits her quite well although it was designed for a larger horses she is wuite tubby. it is certainly a better fit than her pony saddle. the problem with this saddle is that it is wide enough yet sometimes the back end creeps a bit close to her withers. my fried said its because i am not doing the girth up tight enough (but she tightens it TOO tight!) and that i am doing it up wonky. she doesnt show any signs of pain apart from blowing out a bit when i do it up (but ALL horses do that)

do you think i should carry on using this saddle for hacking. its either that r not ride at all :(

[hApPiNeSs]

SORRY i meant it creeps onto her spine not withers :rolleyes:

[katieB]

So areas of the saddle are pressing on the spine?

[galadriel]

Sliding forwards and sinking downwards are both symptomatic of a saddle which is too wide.

And no...not all horses blow out when saddled. Horses who do not associate girthing with pain may not blow out at all. Neither of my TB's do; both have their girth done up a hole at a time, and tightening the girth does not cause the saddle points to dig into their shoulders (as a too-narrow tree would); tightening the girth doesn't cause the saddle tree to bear down on the spine (as a too-wide saddle would).

[hApPiNeSs]

no its not too wide - im not sure what it is. the tree is not on the spine! she only blows out until i get the first hole up then she relaxs. but she has done this before i owned her so she must have had the girth done up roughly or something before. i dragged my mum out last night and asked her to watch the saddle and she said that the only time the panel went near her spine was when i turned around to check if it was on her spine! she said everytime else it was fine. i might do the chalk test though - just to be sure

[500]

Well, if it's on you horse's spine that's not good, but not riding isn't good either. Keep your eyes open for another saddle- there is nothing wrong with a used one and you just never know when you might run into one at a yard sale. Until then, try ridding bareback (even with a bareback pad to make it more comfortable for you and your horse). Riding bareback is good for you too! The only thing is that you can't show in a bareback pad. Good Luck!