Why does my saddle slip forward

The opposite also applies, a competition horse that is changed to light hacking, or a stabled horse that is turned out, will lose condition which will change the fit of his saddle. Avoid storing your saddle on the common frame type of saddle rack, they crease the panels and distort the pressure immediately behind the shoulder, the most important area of contact in the fit of your saddle. We suggest you consider for example a pole rack or saddle horse.

To find out more about the TDS Saddlers professional saddle fitting service , please contact us or visit our information page about your saddle fitting appointment and charges. Saddle Fitting — A Quick Guide. Saddle Slipping The most common reason for saddles slipping is uneven saddle panels. Turn your saddle over and look along the length of the panel from the front and the rear, ensure each side is level and even in comparison to the other side.

Feel along the length of each side to make sure the composition is even, panels can often look even but one side may be flocked softer than the other causing the saddle to tilt to one side when weight is applied. Dry leather is slippery, it is important to keep the panel of the saddle clean, however it is equally important to treat the leather with a good quality leather feed or balm regularly. Using saddle soap cleans the surface of leather, a leather balm will penetrate and be absorbed into the fibres of the leather, softening and prolonging the life of your saddle, giving grip and preventing the leather from becoming dry and slippery.

A soft supple panel will also conform to the shape of your horse better thus helping to stop the saddle slipping and minimise the risk of pressure points. Slipping Sideways Make sure your stirrup leathers are even — being on the same hole does not mean they are level. It is a good idea to swap sides with your stirrup leathers regularly to minimise difference in length caused by stretch. Make sure the tension on the girth straps is even both sides, even if they are on different holes.

Make sure you have sensible tension on your girth, a saddle slipping sideways is often caused by having the girth too loose, many horses expand the chest when the girth is first tightened, once mounted circle a couple of times then re-tighten the girth. Elastic on one end of your girth may cause the saddle to slip sideways, especially on broad horses, try turning the girth around or replacing with a girth with elastic both ends or no elastic.

These can be very useful on horses with an uneven gait or conformation. If your saddle does not have balance straps, ask your saddler to assess the saddle for conversion. Slipping Forwards To prevent your saddle slipping forwards up on top of or tight behind the shoulder use the Point Straps if fitted to your saddle or ask your saddlers if your saddle is suitable for conversion, this is a proven method of reducing forward movement, Point Straps are girth straps that are attached to the point of the tree saddle frame each side that locate into small pockets under the flap and above the knee block at the front of the saddle Consider using a gel-type pad such as Acavallo or Gel-Eze on their own or with a numnah.

Use quality numnahs and saddle cloths, avoid cheap man-made fabrics, especially those with a shiny, slippery surface. Consider one of the modern designs that incorporate non-slip grip panels built into the surface of the fabric, these are available with a grip surface on the saddle side, the skin side or both. Some modern shaped girth designs, for example the Fairfax Performance Girth or the Prolite Girth, are designed to angle the girth further back and are proven to be effective with forward slipping problems.

Even if initially placed properly, some saddles seem to slide forward or backward on their own. We realize that proper saddle fit is supposed to solve this problem — and we emphasize that there is no quick fix for a poorly fitting saddle — but we also know the reality is that some riders must deal with a saddle that slides out of place despite their best efforts.

We focused this article specifically on saddles that slip forward. The equivalent of a breastplate for forward slip is a crupper, which is rarely seen except on ponies or mules. Often the forward slip is more insidious than overt, and a good no-slip pad will solve the problem.

The shoulder blades have little protective flesh, so any pressure or weight bearing in that area will quickly cause soreness and bruising. It well could be soreness in the girth area, so check for minor swellings, rubs and warm areas that may indicate early bruising or inflammation. But more often than not, the horse experiences soreness because the front of the saddle is either too narrow, pinching into him like a vise, or the saddle itself rides forward and rests too much weight on the shoulder area.

This will pull any folds of skin out from under the girth. At the same time, you can look to see if the shoulder rotates back too much under the flap, similar to when the horse is moving, and correct the problem before you mount. A saddle that slides too far forward also causes stability problems for the rider.

Anti-slip saddle pads and girths may be better choices, so we decided to try several items to see what we found most effective. This pad is designed to lift the front of the saddle off the withers, keeping the saddle from sliding forward. This pad does an excellent job of addressing the symptom of forward saddle-slip, and the cushioning effect makes it ideal for horses who are sore from repeatedly having the saddle jammed into them.

This material is soft and comfy, and horses love it. Note: This pad could change the fit of some saddles by virtue of its thickness.

Watch for undue pressure in the withers area when using it. The No-Slip Pad did just that. No saddles we tried it with moved. Not only was there no forward slipping, there was no sideways or backward slipping either. The company suggests putting the saddle right where you want it when you tack up because the saddle will not slide once it is on and girthed.

We agree. We used this pad successfully with no other pad and with another pad between it and the saddle. Our horses also seemed to agree that the pad was comfortable and soft. The pad is designed for maximum close contact and conforms well to our regular saddles it may be a bit thick for narrow saddles. The pad has an antimicrobial material on the underside to discourage the buildup of bacterial bugs. The Textilene mesh top the PVC-like material often found in fly sheets is designed for airflow, while the velvet is designed to be comfortable for the horse.

Much to our surprise, the velvet did a good job holding our saddle in place. However, we would like the seam on this pad changed, as it currently runs under the weight-bearing part of the saddle rather than the middle of the panel. Both are nice, sturdy pads, great for regular use but did little to solve saddle-slip problems. The buckles are high-quality metal and have rollers on the ends, which are superior for ease in tightening girths.

We tried this girth on several horses and large ponies and found it worked well on all. Our horses also seemed to find this well-padded girth comfortable, and we appreciate the double-elastic girth ends.

The Neoprene is limestone-based for longevity, although these pieces are replaceable. The waffled Neoprene goes on the horse side of the girth and does a good job preventing saddle slippage initially. However, on some horses we felt the gripping effect lessened as the horse sweated more. The longissimus lies deeper in the horse and is responsible for stretching the spine and enabling the lateral bend of the horse.

As the saddle is now placed on top of the shoulder blades, and they keep rotating, the saddle will also start to move from side to side. And infraspinatus and trapezius, the muscles in the shoulders, will be strained unnecessarily. To sum up: When the saddle slips forward, it is impossible to ride correctly.

The horse will suffer physical damage. If the centre of gravity of the saddle is too far back right from the start, the saddle is again likely to slip forward when the horse is in motion. While riding, the saddle will make its way forward inch by inch.

It is also possible that a saddle slips forward because it is too wide. The saddle will slip forward to find its own suitable position. The saddle will need to be refitted. This includes adjusting the saddle tree or rather the gullet plate, or changing the padding in the panels. The saddler can help by inserting a wedge panel or by setting the panel deeper with a second piping. Unfortunately, we often see that riders come too far out of the saddle when they do rising trot, partly also in the wrong moment.

Invest in a good riding instructor. You could even go back and take lunge lessons. That might sound ridiculous, but it is a necessity to educate your seat. The joints in the spine, the hip and the knees, which are responsible for following the movement in suppleness, are blocked.

In this forward movement, the rider is pressed against the saddle and the knee rolls and pushes them further forward. You should have a saddler change your knee rolls.

If your saddle is too small, however, we highly recommend buying a new one. It is often possible to stop the saddle from slipping using a front girth strap.

The solution to the problem is to correct the girth position. However, the front girth strap can also cause problems.

One common reason for that are the knee rolls. They press the front girth straps backwards. Influenced by the pull exerted on the straps, the girth will always try to go straight. If the knee roll prevents that, the saddle will be pulled forward.