Saddle Fit vs. Pad?

[Canaan's Mom]

Hello Friends,

After riding this weekend for the first time since November, I noted that the sweat patterns under my saddle were very uneven. On the right side it was uniformly wet on my horse's back, but on the left side the only wetness to be seen was a small spot closer to the withers. Never saw this pattern before and I have been riding him in the same tack for 2 years. He's back didn't seem to be sore to the touch afterward and I watched as he happily rolled all over before I left. :cool:

He is almost all quarter horse (and although my western saddle is not the best) it does have semi quater horse bars. Can I try a new saddle pad (I currently use a big fluffy fleece pad) or does this seem to definately be the result of a "cheapy saddle" that has failed somehow? No wonder my horse bucked toward the end of the ride.. :(

Here's the problem - I don't want to torture my horse or my husband's wallet - so what say you all?

[Kanuma]

I realy dont know about western saddles, but an english saddle that doesnt fit, is often made worse by a thick Pad underneath.

[lisae]

I'm not a pro at saddle fitting but it sounds like there's some muscle wastage on his less dominant side from being out of work, which is creating a pressure point which will be uncomfortable for him. It's a guess. Fleece pad probably won't do much of anything, don't they compress pretty much?

:confused:

[Canaan's Mom]

Hi Guys, thanks for your replies. I don't know anything about good pads vs. bad ones :( The fleece pad does compress, but it is about 3.5 inches thick before the saddle is placed on top - so maybe he gets an inch in actual protection.

What is the best type of pad (even if English what is it made of)?

[Scarlett 001]

I would guess western saddles must be symmetrical - there is no wool flocking to get mis-shapen over time (from a crooked rider or horse). I don't suppose there is any twist in the tree that could cause the saddle to be unbalanced? If not, then perhaps your horse does have uneven muscling (or conformation). Not sure what you do about that for a western saddle. I have some advice for english saddles, but with those you can tweak the flocking over time as the horse builds up muscle.

Do you have a saddle fitter in your area you can call out?

[Canaan's Mom]

I guess I could look into that - but it sounds expensive. :( Maybe it would be cheaper just to get a better saddle. This one I ordered on the internet.

Are saddles generally fitted by having someone come out or by taking measurements of the horse or by another method? (sorry if this is really a green question)

[galadriel]

I'd guess that the tree has become twisted over time, if this is new.

With Western saddle fitting, typically I'll look at whatever saddles the owner has or has access to (saddles they can borrow to get a look at how they fit). If they can't find a type of saddle that seems to fit, I will make up a set of measurements for the owner. These can be easily compared to a saddle to see if it's approximately the right shape for the horse's back. Thus you can carry these around (they fit in a legal sized envelope) and look at used saddles, or you can also fax them to people selling saddles to compare before you have it shipped to you.

Makes it much easier when you have the "shape" of your horse's back in an easy-to-carry form. For a quick reference, here's some information on saddle trees & sizing (English & Western both):
http://lorienstable.com/articles/z-fitting/tree_sizes/

The important thing often turns out to be the curve from front-to-back, and the "flare" at the front of the saddle (curve away from the horse's shoulder); a lot of Western tree makers don't put enough of either in their trees. Neither of these are described by the size of the tree; that is only the width and angle across the front. So you have a lot more to think about than just the size of the tree as given by "semi-QH" etc.

[Canaan's Mom]

Thanks - I *knew* I was missing alot :o I'll check out the site now - thanks again (p.s. always good to get your advice :D )