Well I don't know if this will help in an endurance ride situation
but the old western way of handling this problem is to get a canvas covered
felt pad or an old 100% wool saddle blanket that you don't mind cutting up and
make a custom pad by cutting holes where the pressure sores occur and for
about a half inch to an inch all the way around the sore areas. Then you
ride with this pad between your saddle and another wool saddle blanket
that sits against your horse's skin. The idea is to create pressure relief
above the sites of the injured areas. I have used this method successfully
a number of times though I consider it less perfect than finding the perfect
saddle fit (sometimes very illusive). The problem with this method comes
if you have a hot spots in an area that is hard to provide relief for
such as a line along the spine where the saddle doesn't touch but you
still get heat swellings. This is happening under a dressage saddle with a
wide tree that fits that has been stuffed to fit my Arabs. It has a wide
channel, perhaps the 100% cotton dressage pads I use are being pulled tightly
against the underlying skin and causing some pressure, anybody got any thoughts
or suggestions for that? The saddler who stuffed the saddle said that
he needed to be careful not to overstuff it because with wide flat-backed
horses that could cause excessive pressure. By the way the channel has lots
of clearance so that is not a problem and while I am concerned about the
slight swellings my horses think the fit is great, they were flinching and
cinchy before it was custom stuffed and they now are quiet and happy with
the saddle while being saddled.
Tracy and everybody
kitten@resp-sci.arizona.edu