saddle rubbing loins

["Olivia Greene" <taniahearts@hotmail.com>]

I have had the problem you describe with two of my Orthoflex saddles (I used 
to manage a riding academy where four Orthoflex saddles -each a different 
model - were used).  The problem was with the longer saddles  on either a 
short-backed or a flexible-in-the-hips horse.  Different remedies worked 
with different horses.

You say you've tried various wool pads.  I found that because wool slipped 
less on the horses' hair it worked better than synthetic fleece. A folded 
woven wool blanket worked well with a couple horses I had.  At one time I 
sewed a piece of slippery polyester fabric to the bottom of the cantle area 
of the saddle (where it would move against the back) and that helped the 
movement of the saddle slide over the wool pad which separated the saddle 
from the horse,s hair and skin.

I eventually began using just the shortest saddle on horses I used myself 
for endurance (the others were used just for lessons and shorter CTR's).  I 
too went to all this trouble trying to remedy the loin-rubbing problem 
because it was the least problem I'd had with any saddle I'd had (and at 
some point every one has a limit on money available to try "yet ANOTHER" 
saddle that "could finally be THE one that fits - and we know that then the 
horse's back would change shape due to a change in fitness or just due to 
age, or perhaps we'd need to go through the whole process all over again 
with another horse)!

I hope this rant gives you some usable ideas.

Olivia Greene
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