Contributing Member Denise Posted January 6, 2009 Contributing Member Report Posted January 6, 2009 Is it rubbing behind the bars? I was thinking from the pictures it was, but I can't really tell just from the pictures. (If it is the back bar tips rubbing there, they are awfully close together.) Best thing is to look at the end of the ride when the saddle has moved to where it normally sits, and see where the hair is broken off compared to the pad, the back of the skirts, etc. Are those bald spots or just different colored hair? What is above them? Pad? skirts? Where compared to the back of the skirts? If you put your saddle on without the pad in it's normal spot you can feel the back bar tips. Put your fingers under them as a marker and pull the saddle. Where are your fingers in relation to the rubbed areas? Take pictures, pointing out where the bars end, the skirts end, the pad ends. Hey, it's still cold out, and we can use the entertainment/education... And if you are taking more pictures, take a couple of the bottom of the saddle too. Maybe we can see if the sheepskin is worn a bit extra someplace. If it is packed down maybe we can tell a bit about how the skirts are blocked. All sorts of possibilities. Quote
Members Tosch Posted January 6, 2009 Members Report Posted January 6, 2009 From the first as well as the second set of pictures you provided I have the impression that your horse's rear end is higher than his front end. I am wondering if this contributes to the problem. Doesn't help with finding a solution, though. Tosch Quote
Members SITTINGUPHIGH1 Posted January 6, 2009 Members Report Posted January 6, 2009 Yes Denise is right find were the spots compare to the saddle. Were on the saddle the spots are. The center spot seems like it could be the back part of the saddle tree bar. It looks like the spot is bigger on the right side. What lead does your horse favor? I can't see the other spots. Again see if the saddle tree is bridging is important. If you are bridging your have to much wieght on the rear of the bar. Just a note it may be rubbing only when your horse is running and trotting. Quote
Members Traveller Posted January 7, 2009 Author Members Report Posted January 7, 2009 Denise, here are the photos you suggested I take. I hope this is what you had in mind (sorry, the focus isn't great on some of them!): this is where the back of the bars are this is where the rub starts this is where the nearly bald spot is the underside of the saddle - there don't appear to be any rub marks The saddle isn't that old. A friend of mine bought it new last October and I bought it from her this summer, so that might account for why rub marks haven't shown up yet. I hope this information is helpful. Thanks again, everyone! Quote
Contributing Member Denise Posted January 7, 2009 Contributing Member Report Posted January 7, 2009 It looks like the bald spots are at the back of the inside corner of the bar. Is this right? And that is an awfully funny shape to the back of the bars if I'm seeing it correctly. They look almost square! Is that really the shape of the bars? That shape matches the rub marks pretty well then. Is this by any chance a flex tree? Quote
Contributing Member Denise Posted January 7, 2009 Contributing Member Report Posted January 7, 2009 Thinking some more here... I can't see the inside edges of the bars. This means to me that the skirts have not been blocked (moulded to the bar) there, so whatever relief may have been built into the bar is negated by having stiff skirts lying flat underneath underneath them. Those bald spots are way too close to the spine for where the back of the bars should be, especially for a wide tree like you are supposed to have. So either it is the unblocked and tight laced skirts that are rubbing the bald spot there, or those back bar tips are way too close together. Picture taking time!!! Could you take another picture of the underside of the tree pointing out where the inside of the bars are? Often saddle problems are not just a one thing wrong/easy fix answer - as you are finding out. Quote
Members Traveller Posted January 8, 2009 Author Members Report Posted January 8, 2009 Denise, I won't be able to make it out to the barn until Friday but will get more pictures then. I don't know off-hand which shape the bars are, but I'm pretty sure it's not a flex tree. It's also a fairly heavy saddle -- about 40 lbs -- so the tree may be wood and rawhide. I'm seem to remember checking for rawhide but it's been a while, so I'll do that again, too. Thanks for your help! Quote
Moderator bruce johnson Posted January 8, 2009 Moderator Report Posted January 8, 2009 Alright now I am seeing some suspicious areas looking underneath. Not much blocking between the bars. That should increase pressure over the back. My other concern now is what is holding the skirts together underneath. I may not lace to the end, but I lace them together between the bars. I am not seeing anything holding them together and I am wanting to see some overlap under the cantle? Almost looks like the right skirt is laying over the left under the cantle. Another concern - are these pocketed bars and the bars are just kind of floating around over the top of the skirts? Or the other side of the equation, the skirts are floating around underneath the bars? I am pretty sure those back strings are not doing much to keep anything stable. Quote Bruce Johnson Malachi 4:2 "the windshield's bigger than the mirror, somewhere west of Laramie" - Dave Stamey Vintage Refurbished And Selected New Leather Tools For Sale - www.brucejohnsonleather.com
Members SITTINGUPHIGH1 Posted January 8, 2009 Members Report Posted January 8, 2009 The Billy Cook saddle is a wood/hide tree. I've looked at those before. I agree the right rear inside of the bar is were the rub mark is coming from. A few things could be causing that. The rear part of the bar doesn't have enought angle on them. So all the pressure is on the inside of the bar. Your wither pocket is to wide for that saddle. So that is causing a saddle to sit to high in the front. There by causing a bridge in the center of the saddle. That would cause to much pressure on the rear part on the saddle tree. And the rear bars could be to close for your horse. All these problem would show up more when running then walking. You may give him a brake from running for a away. See if the hair grows back. Changing the pad may help the problem not be as bad. It's hard to tell in a picture. That's just my opinion. I would bring your horse and saddle to the nearest qualified saddle maker and let him look at it. After seeing it he may have some suggustions. In the end you may have to get a saddle tree made to fit your horse correctly. And then get a saddle maker to do the rest. I had a problem with my Billy Cook. My horse grew to big for it. It's three things that cause back problems the horse, saddle or the rider. Here is a interesting article to read about saddle problems. Saddle Fit by Dusty Johnson Mort Quote
Members jwwright Posted January 8, 2009 Members Report Posted January 8, 2009 Bruce...........my eyes caught the same things. I will bet that those skirts have a couple of nails drove through them into the cantle gullet. Most all of the Texas factory saddles I have messed with have been done that way, and then laced together only the last inch or two. Seems bass ackward to me. JW Quote www.jwwrightsaddlery.com
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