I'm SUCH an idiot!!!

bitsnpieces

Active Member
Aug 22, 2007
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Puz has been a bit on and off lately, nothing specific that I can put my finger on, just a bit stuffy and not her usual bold self when being ridden.

I've had the physio out to iron out any kinks and I've had the saddle checked and all is fine. But today on my lesson she started off not quite right again.

My instructor mentioned that the saddle looked as though it was moving a bit, then got on so I could see and it really was!!! Anyway we tried a few things but we just slipped the saddle a little further back and hey presto that what was causing the problem!!!

I am SUCH a wally!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe that I have been putting the saddle a bit too far forward. Puz has got big shoulders so the saddle must have been pinching and restricting her movement.

Puz has a really nice seat that the saddle fits in, but as she lost alot of weight over winter the muscles that the saddle sits behind disappeared and as her mane rubbed out at the bottom, this meant I wasn't putting the saddle in it's usual place and it didn't look out of place.

I am SO SO furious with myself that I haven't noticed. This is the first winter she has ever lost weight so I've never had this issue with her, plus I've been tacking up so quickly (pushed for time as working late) I hadn't noticed that I'd started putting the saddle on a bit too far forward - now although it's not as though I was putting it waaaay too far forward, just too much for Puz, but still, I should have noticed, I've had her for ages so should have noticed that the saddle position had changed. :stomp:
 
Oh bless. Glad you got it sorted BnP. This is something I always worry about. Had it sussed based on the little tuft of mane near his withers...until I started mane training and shoved it all over the other side. Its a good warning though, my horse has lost quite a bit of weight over the winter so will look carefully at this.
 
Good point made about checking the saddle position. Need to do that myself.

FM - please don't tell us that Flip is fading away to skin and bones - poor thing, are you not looking after him properly or cantering about the countryside so much he can't keep weight on??
 
Thing is that this winter is the first in the ten years I've had her that she's lost weight so it has really caused the saddle to move about.

When I think about it, the flocking was re-done just before we had all that snow and she had fallen away a bit then, but the whole saddle not sitting right issue has only come about when the saddle has been improved and when fully flocked would pinch more if sitting wrong. And also she's started to build her muscle up now so it's physically restricting the movement as it blocks the muscle....which wouldn't have been noticeable before as the muscle had reduced so not really in the way - if that makes sense?!?!?!

FM - we need some updated pics, I'm sure Mr Flipo is looking very handsome ;)
 
I did the same myself.

I had a problem anyway when I let Joy get too fat so her girth was pulling her saddle forward but it didn't help that I was putting too far forward to start with. Joy is a sec d with big shoulders and a big movement and it was most noticeable when going down hills. If Thorowgood bring out a cob 3d saddle in a vsd cut I'll have one to give her shoulders more clearance.

It still looks to me like it ought to sit further forward so I have to conciously stand back and look (or check with my hands in her thinner days!).
 
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