Saddle Slipping to the side, Help!

Lucy J

Weaver's Tale aka Ciara!!
Dec 5, 2001
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Renfrewshire, Scotland
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Finally found a saddle that my NF is comfy in, fits nicely but due to him being a rolly polly it slips to one side. He is very green and has not been ridden in a while, so I like to make sure the girth is tight enough before i get on so I don't have to readjust. But as he is round without any prominent wither, the saddle, even though girth tight enough, keeps slipping to one side. Today it was the right side, but sometimes its the left. What can I do to prevent this? He spooked today and the saddle slipped a good few inches round, no amount of weight on the other stirrup shifted it back. Today was his first ever hack out alone, so obviously I need to make sure I am on a saddle that won't slide round because if he takes off I'll be in trouble!

I'm used to riding TB type horses and haven't had this problem before! He just has a fake fur numnah underneath and a girth with elastic on one side (I tried one without elastic, but the billets are webbing and the holes very stiff and the only way I can get it tight enough is to use an elasticaced girth. Would perhaps a humane girth help or a girth with elastic at both ends help, or maybe a different numnah? The saddle doesn't slide back or forward, just sideways!

Help Help Help!!! Thanks! :confused:
 
Hi Lucy!

A couple of things to think about:

Panel shape wrong for the back
Saddle slightly too narrow
Combination of above

...which will be made worse be an elasticated girth (one ended).

If we assumed that the saddle 'was' ok then try usung a cord girth. This will go a long way to fixing the problem IF the saddle is fine.

Hope that helps?

Oh, how is Ciara these days? :)

Vicki
 
Hiya! how are you

Ciara is well thanks, full of herself infact!! (although too fat at the moment and feet got a nasty crack so she's having some time off till the farrier comes!)

It is probable that the panels are not the right shape, it is wide enough at the front (and he's quick to tell you if its not!) but could do with wider panels and the gullet could be wider at the back. Problem is I only have him for 1month as he is for sale and co-owned, so I just can't invest £100's on the saddle, much and all as I would love to. I've given up work to look after little Justin, so livery for 2 is stretching me as it is! That's why i've got the time to sort this little pony out who needs to be worked every day. I realised he had been left out at grass doing not a lot. The saddle is a much better fit than the one the co-owner was sharing between ponies :)eek: ), and he is comfortable in it, so really I need a short term solution, the long term fix is for the person who buys him to buy a nice properly fitted saddle! I know its not ideal, but funding at critical stage! I just need to get him schooling well and hacking out so someone will actually want to buy him!

I'll try the string girth idea (its ciara's old elasticated girth I'm using as she's off elastic now :D ), shame actually - I sold mine on ebay quite recently!

Are you in hampshire soon at all?
 
I used to have this problem with my loan horse, you could try using a non slip pad and I found that a thick numnah made it worse so try using a thinner one.

Get someone to watch you to make sure you are sitting straight as that can influence it too.
 
Saddle

Hey there, i have the same problem with my highland pony. she is on the large side at the moment, and i dont really want to tighten her girth too tight, but you can get a thing caalled a balancing strap which goes behind the 3rd girth strap. so instead of using the 1st and 3rd you use the 1st and 4th. really handy little invention!!

hope this is ok

Leah xx
 
one of the ponies that i ride is very flat withered, shes a cobby but i think u can have the same problem with youngsters. shes also chubby which doesnt help
you can get saddles designed for flat whithers which might help
 
thorogood (i think its them, not suer of the spelling either) make a saddlepad for cobs with a non slip backing, they are amazing and only £20, they are not too big and will probably be ok for a NF.
solved my problem
 
Breeches - can you use those under a dressage saddle? (sorry - shamelessly hijacking thread as I have exactly the same problem with my NF and his thorogood dressage saddle so I'm interested in possible solutions!)
 
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