Busting Myths 8 - "Bald patches have appeared under the back of my horse's saddle. It can't be fitting properly"

There are many myths that have been going around with regards to saddlery and the use thereof. In this series of posts, I endeavour to show most of them are without foundations and can, in some cases, be the opposite of the actual facts.

Pictured left is author Kay Hastilow, Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter.

 

As saddle fitters we will be expecting this call as soon as new year is past. As regular as clockwork the phone will start to ring between now and the start of March with this problem. Now there are a multitude of reasons why your horse might develop rub marks under the saddle but here I am only talking about even rub marks (uneven rubs should be seen as a red flag) that appear in  or just after the new year having had no problem with this or the saddle until now. If you find that your horse’s back is getting rubs at any other time of the year it must be investigated immediately as there are some causes that will need rapid intervention. However, post new year rubs are usually not a long- term problem.

Of course, you are right to get the saddle checked and in years past it was probable that your horse had lost a bit of condition, the saddle would be a bit low at the front and have a bit too much movement at the back and that would cause it to rub, but nowadays horses don’t seem to lose any weight – the opposite often being the case. Horses have fantastic rugs, so they are never cold or wet and there is a much better understanding of nutrition and that, along with haylage and good quality feed means that many now go out a width fitting rather than in during the winter period.

Anyone who has and ‘does’ their own horses will know that from the start of October until Christmas you will be constantly clipping your horse and it seems that you have no sooner removed all of the hair from your person that you are having to start again. For hunters or horses in heavy work this may well mean that you clip four or five times in three months!

Have you ever noticed that after Christmas this stops? The only hair to clip is a few ‘goose’ hairs here and there but the coat doesn’t seem to be growing any more. Also, the coat tends to go a bit dull, even if he is groomed regularly. It is my belief that this is exactly what is happening. The coat seems to stop growing and won’t grow again to any extent until the end of February when the summer coat starts to come through.

A horse is a mobile animal with sway and swing to his movement. A saddle is a fixed item. It doesn’t bend with the horse and because of this the back of the saddle always moves across the back when the horse is being ridden. If you ‘locked’ the back of the saddle down so that it couldn’t move your horse would find it impossible to work. This saddle movement is expected and correct. Usually, the growth of the coat keeps up with any hair loss, so you don’t notice it, but once the coat stops growing……

I first became aware of this when I was learning my trade. A saddle came in to have the flocking altered as ‘it was rubbing the horses back.’ (no saddle fitting in the ‘60s!) My boss put it on a rack and left it. The client would ring, he would say I’ll do it next week’ and finally gave it back at the end of February. She rang to thank him as ‘this has solved the problem.’ He hadn’t touched it! Lesson learned.  

So, what to do if this happens. Don’t panic! Check to see if your saddle is sitting a little low at the front / is looser at the back than it was, and to see if your horse might have lost a bit of weight. (I hope that you all measure your horse’s girth every week, so that you know). If it is I wouldn’t rush to  get the saddle lifted by adding flock as the horse will soon put weight back on with the spring grass. Rather, use a half pad of some sort. A Prolite ‘pressure relief’, no need for shims in most cases, a sheepskin half pad so long as it has a free centre seam and using a cotton cloth between that and the horse, something like that. I have used a folded Fybagee leg pad under the front of the saddle in the past between saddle and saddle cloth. It did the job well.

Understand that rubs may appear at this time of year – we often see them where the reins have rubbed the neck or the rug has rubbed the shoulders as well, so it’s not just saddles that cause this.  

If the saddle is fitting well, then you have options. Some people swear that when clipping you should always leave the saddle patch on. Others that it is better to take it off so that you can keep his back really clean. I have seen rubs in both circumstances,  so I leave that decision up to you.

I hear that a top groom will put a little coconut oil or ShowSheen on the immediate area when they first see the hair turning which, they believe helps the saddle to slide across the back smoothly but please note two words in that sentence – ‘little’ and ‘slide’. An excess of one may well lead to an excess of the other, and you don’t want to have the saddle slide right around the horse’s belly.

Many turn to using sheepskin directly against the horses back but it has been noticed that this seems to make matters worse in many instances as the wool seems to catch and scrub the hair. Someone whose opinion I respect suggests using the saddle directly onto the horses back. (Leather panels only.) This allows the saddle to move smoothly over the horse’s back and is less likely to cause friction. A word of caution here though. If your horse isn’t used to being ridden without a cloth or pad, girth up slowly and carefully and allow the saddle to warm up. Let him walk around with the saddle on for a while before getting on or the reaction might be interesting and really not what you want at all.

Allowing sweat to dry on his back and not brushing it out will make the situation worse, as will dirty, sweaty saddle cloths. Also rugging up too quickly while the horse is still hot from work isn’t good as hot, damp skin in the saddle area can lead to all sorts of dermatological problems. The one thing that you must look out for is whether the bald patches are pink and sore. If this is the case stop riding. You must, or the problem will get progressively worse. I have found that a salt water solution or surgical spirit applied to this area would harden the skin up a bit, and if you know that your horse is prone to this problem perhaps start this application just after Christmas. Whatever you do, please, unless it is an open wound don’t put creams or salves on it, nor something to encourage hair growth as these will soften the skin. Really not what we want. Comfort yourself with the knowledge that usually the horses that really get rubbed here are the ones with a big, swinging stride. Everything has its price! 

Understanding more about saddles and saddle fitting has the potential to help you improve your horse's comfort, performance and also long-term soundness - and you can now do that whenever fits into your busy lifestyle.

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Watch a trailer and invest in one or more of the series that together form a definitive resource to enhance your understanding of saddles and saddle fitting.
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The Right Answers to Saddle Fitting Questions

 

Throughout her many years of experience as a Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter, Kay Hastilow has been asked innumerable different questions by horseowners and their trainers. In this uniquely informative article, she gives brief answers to just some of the most frequently heard enquiries....

Q.  What is the difference between a saddler and a saddle fitter?

A.  A Qualified saddler is a skilled craftsman who can sit at a bench and make saddles, bridles or other items of leatherwork. A saddler (referred to in the trade as a bench saddler) might have absolutely no knowledge of how a saddle should fit, nor recognise good or bad fit.

A saddle fitter understands how the saddle should fit, will understand which tree, panel design and girth strap arrangement is needed for each individual horse and why, and how well the saddle fits for the rider. However, they might have no bench skills and so not be able to make, nor to adjust an existing saddle to fit the horse.

The finest saddle fitters have both the skills of a saddler and a saddle fitter. Ideally, they will also be horsemen and be able to ride, but this is not always the case.

Q. Why is good saddle fit important?

A.  We need the saddle to give us security, balance and position and all of this will help the horse to perform to the best of his ability, be it in competition or out hacking. If his saddle is uncomfortable (or in some cases downright painful), we shouldn’t be surprised if our horse is less than enthusiastic or blatantly 'naughty' when we ride him.

Q. What should we look for in a good saddle fitter?

A. The Society of Master Saddlers has been training and assessing saddle fitters to the Qualified Saddle Fitter (QSF) qualification since 1995, so has more experience in this field than other qualification awarding bodies. If the fitter is good, you may well have to wait up to six weeks for a visit, but he or she will be worth waiting for. 

Q. Where can you find out about good saddle fitters?

A. The Society of Master Saddlers website has all of the qualified fitters listed by county. There are symbols to show what qualifications each holds, so that you can see if the fitter is also a qualified saddler. Whilst there are other fitters, both with or without qualifications out there, the SMS QSF gives you an assurance that the fitter knows what is what, and you have the Society to turn to if you have any problems.

Q. How often should I get my saddle fitted?

A. It rather depends on the age and breed of your horse and the work that they are doing. Young horses especially, from being backed at three to being in a regular routine by the age of six to nine, can change a great deal in a very short space of time. I have seen horses change by more than a width fitting in a matter of weeks. For this age group, every three to four months is ideal. Older horses can change dramatically as well, so four to six months for them.

A middle-aged horse with a regular stable routine and in regular work will need checking once every six months, but if the horse has changes to his routine, such as eventers, hunters, or horses kept in during the winter but turned out to grass 24/7 in the summer, they will need more regular visits.

Of course, ANY horse showing discomfort or changes in their way of going should have the saddle checked as soon as possible.

Q. What should I look for in a good saddle fit?

Ask the horse! He should not go to the back of the stable when you walk in with the saddle. The saddle should just slide into place on the horse’s back and want to stay in the right position. When ridden in, the saddle should be level so that you do not need to lean forward to maintain your balance. It should be stable, not lifting or bouncing at the back. There should be sufficient clearance to the top and sides of the spine right through the length of the saddle so that there is no pressure from the saddle anywhere in this area. Note, we do not say 2/3/4 fingers, as this can be very misleading. The tree of the saddle (shorter than the panel) should not go beyond T18 (the position of the last rib), although it is okay if the panel extends beyond here by an inch or so. The panel should be smooth and giving, not hard and lumpy. There should be an even contact between the saddle and the horse’s back.

Q. How can I tell if my saddle needs checked?

A. If your horse does not seem happy to be tacked up, or is not going as freely and as well as normal, this might indicate discomfort. If you are finding it difficult to sit still or in balance, or you feel as if you are going to be tipped forward or back, this will indicate that the saddle is out of balance. Get a friend to film you riding and look to see if you are riding in a good position, legs in the right place and that you are upright.

It is good practice to measure your horse’s girth each week, especially when the grass starts coming through, or in the middle of winter. Measure in centimetres (all weight tapes have this measurement, and it will be the same whichever tape you use, whereas the weights shown will differ) A gain or loss of 5 cm. is roughly equivalent to 40 kg. weight change, which can totally alter the way the saddle is fitting. A 3 cm. change will signify the need to get the saddle fitter in to check.  

Q. What affects saddle fit?

A. This could be a long list!

Putting the saddle too far forward. (My pet bug bear)

Using very thick numnahs or pads with a saddle fitted using something thinner.

Different girths.

Using different girth straps (say 1 & 2 rather than 1 & 3)

Uneven stirrup leathers.

Weight gain or loss. (time of year)

Change in the type or level of work.

A different rider.

Lameness.

Injury.

Crooked riders.

Riders carrying an injury.

I could go on…….

 

 Learning more about saddles and a correct fit for your horse will never be time wasted and now you can do that in your own time with Kay's informative 2-part video series for all Riders and Trainers. 

 

In it she presents a wealth of knowledge, distilling her 50 years of experience into what is an unrivalled resource.

 

If you've read this far, you're someone interested in this fascinating and important area of equine knowledge, so find out how you can get copies of SADDLE FITTING KNOW HOW - FOR RIDERS AND TRAINERS at - https://vimeo.com/ondemand/saddlefittingknowhow

 

Find out more by visiting Kay Hastilow’s website at www.khsaddlery.co.uk, check out the Educational Films page and don't forget to join in the conversation on Facebook