advice reqd re-saddle bruising/bald patch

[Val C]

I generally do quite long rides on my fell pony Duchess but after doing two long rides close together a 3 day one (50 miles) and a two day one (41 miles) she ended up with bald patches on her withers.I have had my saddle checked and it is said to be ok but I used a limpet numnah due to a past history of saddle slipping forward and the damage has been attributed to this.I realise now I should not have used it for these long rides.I've stopped riding while she recovered and now the hair is growing back well (but white-she already had white patches due to a previous saddle) I just want to ask if anyone that does endurance riding may be able to suggest the type of numnah or equipment I can use in the future to avoid such damage and where I could obtain it.I have started riding again using a foam back protector with holes cut out where the damage was to try and keep the saddle off it but a good long term solution is needed.Can any one help???

[Tootsie4U]

How long ago was the saddle fitted to her? As a general rule of thumb, some saddlers here advise having it done every six months as a horse can change shape very easily depending on so many factors.

If I remember correctly, white hairs are signs of extreme pressure points. You'll have to check in with the more knowledgable saddle people here (Galadriel, cvb, Wally, etc.), but I dont think general rubbing from a numnah would cause permanent white hair marks. Unless the numnah is very dirty (dried sweat and dirt) or wasn't pulled straight, I doubt it could create enough pressure to cause that much damage. It may rub her hairless and cause blisters or open wounds.

Im sure someone else will chime in and can hopefully give you a better explanation / suggestion than me.

[galadriel]

Though your sddle has been checked, it sounds like it still has some real fit problems. Can you get a second opinion? Slipping is a sign that a saddle doesn't fit; rubbing like that is a major indicator of saddle fit problems, not of saddle pad problems. And using a saddle pad to try to hold in place a sliding saddle can make rubbing much, much worse--you really need to go at it from the saddle direction, not the saddle pad.