Problems in how the horse is saddled, or other padding and tack.

Problems in how the horse is saddled, or other padding and tack: Only by watching the rider saddle up can things like saddle and cinch position and tightness, blanket quality, condition and placing, and breast collar or crupper placement be properly assessed to see if they contribute to the fit problem. 
​
1)  Saddling:
a)  Position:  Given the option, a tree will move to where its shape best fits the shape of the horse’s back.  The problem arises when the rider thinks it should be somewhere else, and not only starts the saddle in the wrong place but holds it there with a breast collar or crupper.  The saddle is often placed too far forward, interfering with and even being forced to ride on top of the shoulder blades.  Placing a saddle too far forward may cause the cinch to rub behind the elbow.  Other riders are so concerned about shoulder interference that they place the saddle too far back.  A good fitting saddle will cause problems if forced to remain in the wrong position.  If it is not held there, it can cause skin irritation or wrinkles in the blankets as it moves into the correct position.  The best way to saddle is to place the saddle one to two inches ahead of where it should sit and then shake it slightly side to side.  This way it slides back, with the hair, into the correct position, where it can then be tightened.  Some riders need to step back and be shown where the saddle is meant to sit relative to the withers and the front legs in order for them to understand how far out of position they are placing it.  Tact is required in this instance.
b)  Cinching up:  A good fitting tree should only be as tight as needed to keep it in place when mounting and riding properly.  For roping or doing fast work, it will need to be snugged up more.  But sometimes the saddle is cinched up tight and then ridden or left for long time periods without being loosened.  In this case, both the cinch and the saddle are exerting unnecessary, excessive pressure on the horse and in the long run may cause problems.  The old cowboys not only “aired out their horses’ backs” during the day by uncinching and lifting the back of the saddle, but often unsaddled over lunchtime to give their horse’s back a break.  Cinching too tightly for too long will exacerbate any potential problems areas and may even cause the problems.

2)  Padding:
a)  Type:  When you ask people who do ranch work on horses for long hours, day in and day out what type of pads they use, the answer is close to unanimous – wool or wool felt.  Wool dissipates pressure better than any other material, and it conforms to the shape of the horse’s back better than anything else.  It doesn’t trap heat next to the body like a lot of synthetics do.  Wool pads are not slippery, as some synthetics are, so they stay put and help hold the saddle in place with less cinch pressure.  Pads contoured to fit over the withers don’t put pressure on the top of the withers like unshaped pads do.  This pressure, if unrelieved over a period of time, can harm a horse. 
b)  Amount:  Over padding is a common cause of saddle fit problems.  Too much padding negates the good fit between the shape of the horse and the tree by diminishing the curves.  It causes the saddle to roll around more so the cinch needs to be tighter to hold it in place, causing possible cinch soreness problems.  It also effectively widens the horse, often causing dry spots and maybe necessitating a wider, poorer fitting tree to make up for the added width of the padding. 
c)  Condition:  Dirty blankets, folds or wrinkles - anything that rubs on a horse can cause sores.  Worn or damaged padding that is no longer a uniform thickness may also cause problems. 
d)  “Corrective”:  Shims, wedge pads, pads that have varying thicknesses in different areas – all these have to be used with caution or they may cause more problems than they solve.  Thick edges are especially bad for making ridges that cause pressure points. 

3)  Other tack:
a)  Breast collars and cruppers:  A good fitting saddle should rarely need either of these.  Used incorrectly, they often cause problems by holding a saddle in the wrong position.  Improperly adjusted, they can rub and even sore a horse. 
b)  Cinches and latigos:  Synthetic cinches and latigos have no give to them, so using only synthetics all the way round makes it more difficult for a horse to expand its chest when breathing.  As well, there is no stretching or loosening up as the horse warms up to give relief from tight cinching.  It is recommended that at least one section be made of natural materials to avoid these problems.  The narrower the cinch, the less surface area the pressure is spread over.  While some cinches appear to be wide, all the tension is actually put on a narrow band of nylon that runs down the middle of it.  Some synthetic cinches also hold a lot of heat next to the horse.
c)  Uneven loading:  All manner of things are tied onto saddles or carried in saddle bags.  While each item may not weigh much individually, putting all the fencing tools in one saddle bag or continually having a heavy water bottle on one side will weight the saddle unevenly, causing constant shifting to one side and increased pressure on that side.