sweat marks under saddle

[clashnoir]

My friend recently go a loan horse and we have been trying to find a saddle to fit him. His own tack was not in a safev condition.
He is extra wide and she has aquired a Thorowgood saddle for him but which looks a reasonable fit but is causing huge sweat marks under the back of theb saddle and not at the front.
I assume pressure caueses dry patches? Why the excessive sweat marks?

 

[notpoodle]

i am no expert but could the saddle be a tad too narrow? this could cause it to be tight/pressured on the front and lifting up (or worse still bouncing up and down) at the back?

 

[clashnoir]

i am no expert but could the saddle be a tad too narrow? this could cause it to be tight/pressured on the front and lifting up (or worse still bouncing up and down) at the back?

Having another good look tonight. Its one of the widest ones I have seen tho. I hate saddles!

 

[carthorse]

Even if it's the right width it could be the wrong shape for him, check it's not moving from side to side as well as up & down. Needless to say you need to check with the rider on!

Is there anyone on your yard that knows a bit about saddle fit who could look at it for you?

 

[poohsmate]

My friend recently go a loan horse and we have been trying to find a saddle to fit him. His own tack was not in a safev condition.
He is extra wide and she has aquired a Thorowgood saddle for him but which looks a reasonable fit but is causing huge sweat marks under the back of theb saddle and not at the front.
I assume pressure caueses dry patches? Why the excessive sweat marks?

Have you got any pics of saddle being ridden in...you would think that it is to narrow, and causing pressure hence no sweat..

 

[clashnoir]

Even if it's the right width it could be the wrong shape for him, check it's not moving from side to side as well as up & down. Needless to say you need to check with the rider on!

Is there anyone on your yard that knows a bit about saddle fit who could look at it for you?

Not on a yard. It looks like it fits reasonablly well with and without rider on.
Even contact and good spine clearance both with and without rider.
Going to get someone else to check it too as he is totally table shaped.
I have had my saddle for my horse professionally fitted but still get a sweat mark if working hard.

 

[Joyscarer]

I have to admit that I really don't understand why people wouldn't get a saddle professionally fitted to start with?

Yes I had issues when my saddle was professionally fitted badly but having found somebody who knows her onions so will have her out a couple of time a year to make sure Joy's seasonal changes on weight are considered.

 

[popularfurball]

I agree JC - though in our case was sort of not possible - the one saddle who would come out fitted a blatently not fitting saddle to madam, and the others either don't think its possible or "dont want thier names attached to a bad job".

Until we found poohsmate he comes out twice a year probably? Though we are treeless and have gone many long spells of no riding.

As for the saddle - XXW is not wide enough for either of my two, so it is totally feasible TG will not fit a table. Sweat marks are not bad under a saddle, but uneven ones are

 

[Libbylou]

I would say get a fitter out but would think its the pressure at the front stopping the sweat, have tried riding with a thin cloth underneath to see if that changes the sweat marks ?


I know someone who just went to the shop bought some second hand saddles, plonked them on the horse, checked you could see day light for spine clearance and they fitted...........

 

[clashnoir]

Thanks for all the comments.
The tack he arived with was unsafe and falling apart so while a treeless was ordered and waiting to arrive a saddle to fit him was looked into just to get him into work as he was rather large.

 

[Kate F.]

As you say, Clashnoir, the dry bits are potentially more worrying than the sweaty bits. However, if the dry bits are large (more than 2 or 3 inches across) it's probably not pressure points so much as an imbalance - ie the weight isn't being evenly distributed. The way the weight (and sweat!) distributes under the saddle depends not only on the saddle fit, but also the type of riding you're doing at the time. Sweat under the saddle in itself is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.

I think I'd look at how the rider is sitting, and maybe compare the results with a couple of different people riding. It may be the rider rather than the saddle that's causing more sweat in one area.