Tack problems, help please!?

Question

So after riding at the fair every day, I realized i have some tack problems. My poor horse got a saddle sore on her withers from the saddle pad slipping back (i have a small barrel pad, never had that problem on my other horses). So I'm buying a new pad, any suggestions on good barrel pads less then a 100$? I do not like fleece & i would like something with good air flow. the cheaper the better. also after riding all fast timed events at least three times a day for 6 days in a row, i have come to realize my horse gets really excited/antsy after we canter at all & she will grind her teeth horribly if we do anything below a canter. Any suggestions? someone said a bit with a roller, any1 use one of those?

Answer 1

The only thing I can suggest is to get a 100% cotton pad. They they have the best air flow, are moisture absorbing, and will form to your horses body to help prevent any saddle sores and will give you a little extra when it comes to staying put - which helps your saddle stay in place and allows for looser cinch around the girth.

As for her teeth and the bit - it could be that the bit does not fit her properly and speeding up usually causes more contact to occur which could be irritating her - make sure the bit is not too big for her mouth or too small. Also try something with a sweet grass copper roller or connecter - usually this can help a horse that has nerves. But if she plays with the bit at all when you are in your events then I would stay away from anything like this that could distract her.

Answer 2

neopreane pads, they dont slide at all and to clean them off all you have to do is spray the bottom down with a water hose and let it dry off. same thing happened to me, my horse has the biggest withers ive ever seen.

Answer 3

I wouldn't waste money on a new pad...especially a cheap one.  You need a different saddle.  I don't know what you have now, but I'm guessing it is a full qh or arab tree, and you need a saddle with semi qh bars.  Also, a wither sore doesn't heal fast, so plan on resting the horse awhile.  Anyway, you need a higher and narrower gullet to protect the wither...a new pad will  likely still slide back and ultimately have the fork sitting on your horse's wither.  Pads can help when you have an almost perfect saddle fit....not when you have a blatant bad fit, which I believe you have.

I'd like to see your bit question separate from this one, with more details.

Answer 4

the saddle doesnt fit her correctly.

but in response to the canter problem, you need to gain control.

start from the beginning. teach her (even though you ride fast timed events) that speed is not always the answer. whenever she grinds her teeth or runs through your hands, stop her and back her off a few steps. then WALK forward. it may take a while but this is a great way to teach them that you are in control of the speed, not them.

and dont just change the bit, unless you really have to but that just isnt the answer, putting a harsher bit in the mouth only masks the problem.

and you need to FIX the problem.

Answer 5

the pad isnt the problem the saddle is pinching her its to big or to small

Answer 6

Rebel,

While I understand your desire to stay as cheap as you can - it's tough to get good stuff without paying well for it - unless you can find it at a tack swap or something.

Consider this for your pad - your saddle does not fit right if the pad is allowed to slide around - saddle sores are not good.  You are not going to find a pad that will work optimally - would you mind please adding what shape back your horse has?  The way the problem is fixed will depend on how her back's made.  For example, many TB lines have 'sway backs' - do NOT picture the old horse in the cartoons here - Very high, narrow withers that are "hollow" behind them are sway backs.  The opposite is a horse with a flat back and no withers - often termed a "picnic table".

I cannot come back and answer more once I've submitted so I must make some educated guesses - I'll guess your mare has a condition closer to sway back than picnic.  The saddlepad with usually slip back under the saddle on a sway backed horse.  "MY sister has such a horse - young, but very sway backed - very high hollow withers.  There's only two ways to fix this - purchase a built up pad in the right place (probably more than $100) or make your own - buy two or 3 cheaper pads to cut up, glue and sew.  I sold an all wool, gel pad specifically for a swaybacked horse on Saturday - top of the line - price =$198.  You better have a valuable horse you plan to keep to make that worthwhile (and this gal did).

The alternative, as described to us by Ed Wright (a VERY solid source of information to barrel racers btw).  Is to purchase a couple cheaper wool pads.  He agrees with my opinion that wool is best - the natural fibers wick away moisture as they will absorb about 5X their mass in moisture and expel it out the end of the shaft of wool - taking the moisture away from the horse rather than allowing it to build up.  So you put your good pad on the horse where it should sit and with your hands get a physical feel for where the empty spots are beneath it.  Cut one pad to fill in an area a bit larger than this empty spot - lay that on the horses' back and test the fit then.  Adjust the cut piece as necessary - it might even require two pieces if the empty area is quite deep - then you must have someone sew on this for you - you'd need to glue it in the proper place with fabric glue, then sew it properly with a machine capable of going through thick fabrics.

This isn't easy - and it won't be free, but it's the best I can think of with your situation.

If you just can't make something like this work, ensure that after every run you undo the saddle, allow the back to breathe, reposition the pad and go again - don't ride all day letting it slip and slide.

As to the energy level of the horse when she's excited- try a couple different things.  If at all possible, when you are done competing - before you leave the arena, dismount.  This tells her, we are done and the work is over - allow her time to blow and relax.  There is something you are doing that's making her think she needs to stay in high gear - horses don't naturally WANT to stay hopped up - their reward is stopping and relaxing - you must teach her that you understand this reward, will give it to her and expect her to take it.  I remember being your age - I was a little speed demon - when we came out of that arena, my adrenaline and my spirits were high - we'd come out of there and keep running - my body would be tense and my feet not quiet - this would cause my horse to jig and jog because my body was telling him this is what I wanted - they don't understand words, we must build a body language dialogue with them.

So - getting off immediately and allowing him to rest will give him the reward, teach him to take it and take you with your high adrenaline off him so he's not feeling it.  It will also make you learn to stop being "high" from the adrenaline soon after the competition is over.  Later, when you've conditioned yourself and her to immediately seek relaxation after a run, focus on controlling your body - riding like a limp rag immediately after the run is over and allowing her to be quiet as well - think "wet tired rag" to keep your body from being too tense - exercise your ability to bring your energy up in the saddle when beginning competition (after entering the arena) and bringing the energy down immediately once done.

If you try turning circles as you would with a jigging horse on the trails to get them to calm and slow down, it probably won't work as a first step until you learn to control your body language.  Your body has to fit what you expect of her.

A change in bit won't work if you're an accomplished rider  - because the bit is a communication tool not a control device (if it's not a communication tool now, make it one)  If you find yourself relying on bit pressure 100% to control the horse, you're using the bit as a control device not a communication tool.  Your body and it's energy should control the speed of movement, your hands control direction.

Finally - if you've never had the opportunity to get to an Ed Wright clinic - get a part time job and save yourself up a few hundred dollars - ask for money for your 18th and get to a two-day clinic of his.  "Uncle Ed" will teach you way more in two days than you can get from decades of experience - he'll also work one on one with you at the level you currently enjoy to take you to the next level - he'll analyze your horse's back and tell you how to fix it and he'll physically help you control the horse's energy level at any time inside the arena or out.  If you can't afford to take your horse- simply get there and watch, you'll still learn a lot from this.

I hope this helps - good luck.

Answer 7

There are pad with rubbery bottoms so they stick and don't slide, look for one of those.  The one I have is like a mesh but made of neoprene, so the air still gets through it but it has lots of grip.  But I use that on a horse that has no withers and everything you put on him slips.  If just the pad is slipping then the saddle isn't fitting right, so that's what you need to fix.  Remember, you get what you pay for, so a cheap pad/cheap saddle, is not really worth your money.

Most barrel horses have the same problem because all they do is run run run.  You need to do some cross training, some things other than speed events so she doesn't think that she just has to run all the time.

Answer 8

i cant give you anything on the pads, but i do know that using a bit with a roller or ball seems to make them lighter in the mouth. they dont pull so much or leans on the bit, so you might try it if she's getting heavy in the mouth or grinding her teeth.

Answer 9

Reinsman puts out a pad called Tacky Too.  some of them are colored on top with the rubbery bottom.  They have good air flow and clean up real easy.  This is the only pad I've used for well over a year now and I just love them.  I purchased one for each one of my horses.

http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/reinsman-...

I also own a couple of these which have performed very well.

http://www.jeffersequine.com/ssc/product...

Answer 10

First of all, sounds like it's your saddle and NOT your pad.  Anytime you sore up a horse's withers, it's time to check your saddle, NOT your pad.  Depending upon WHERE the sore is, depends upon what the wrong size of tree you're riding in.

With the sore on the top and back of the withers means that your tree's too big, with it off to the sides means it's too small.

Changing the pad may help for a while, but is not a permanent remedy.

http://www.toklat.com/dyn_prodlist.php?k...