There are many things that can cause dry spots besides improper saddle fit. Many people feel it is caused by excess pressure and that certainly can be true but not necessarily the only reason. Generally, you can access the tightness of your saddle by placing it on your horse’s back without any padding and feeling under the bars of the saddle. If you have a difficult time sliding your flattened hand under the front of the saddle without raising the saddle up, it will more than likely be too tight to be comfortable for the horse once you add your weight into the saddle.

Continue to follow the length of the bars with your hand flat against the horse’s side. Is it tight in any one area or does it gap in the center of the bars? If it has even pressure throughout, you may have a pretty good fit. The shoulder area as well as the back of the tree should be flared enough to allow for the horse to move well under the tree.

If it passes your initial inspection and you don’t have excess pressure on the shoulder area, next let’s examine your equipment. Do you use training aids such as draw reins or martingales? Have you changed your bit lately? Is your horse fighting, pulling on the reins or does he carry his head higher than you think he should? Any of these actions from your horse can cause him to hollow his back which will change the way your saddle fits his back.

I may want to check out the horse for physical problems especially if the dry spots just started to appear or changed in size. It could be dental, shoeing or another physical problem from a slip or a fall that will cause your horse to compensate for the soreness and carry himself differently hence hollowing his back. I would have this horse checked thoroughly with a competent massage therapist, dentist, farrier and/or a good equine veterinarian to rule out physical causes.

Sometimes just a change of padding will help immensely in getting a good fit. If the tree appears to fit, you should only be using ½” or less of padding. Yes, that is correct. Using too much will only take away from the fit of the saddle. Think of it in terms of your own shoes. You don’t put on extra socks if you’re going to the mall shopping, do you? It cuts down on circulation and will do the same on your horse’s back. I prefer wool in any form, fleece, felt or just a blanket next to the horse as it wicks moisture away quicker

Dry spots should be checked on both sides of the horse to see that they are the same in diameter. If not, your horse is crooked and needs to be checked by a good equine vet that understands the importance of your horse’s straightness and can help you thru those issues. We see some larger spots that don’t seem to bother the horse as much as the smaller 50c size spots. Regardless, keep an eye on them and watch your horse for attitude changes. They generally let you know if you know your horse!