03/16/2021
Yearly repost! Yup it's that time of year. The good news is Spring is so close!
It is that time of year where horse's coats become more brittle and even "normal" movement at the rear of the saddle can cause these rubs. Leaving the saddle area unclipped can help. (Use a sheepskin or Thinline half pad as a template to clip around)
In some instances as horses loose their fat reserve in winter the fit of the tree can become generous/wide dropping down in the front, causing the saddle to hover in the back more, and their coat to rub. Then it can become reason for concern if the skin breaks, bumps appear under the saddle area, or there is soreness and behavioral issues. A quick fix is a No-Bow/standing wrap folded in half and placed like a pommel pad (or use a half pad you can insert shims in both sides of the front, i.e. Thinline Trifecta or NSC sheepskin), until the horse puts weight/fat back on, or pasture comes back in. When in doubt call your saddle fitter.
Ironically the pony in the picture had gained a little weight and filled out on the left front more than the right, which was causing the saddle to shift to the right in the rear. You can see the rubs are more prevalent on the left side where the pressure had increased. Even rubs are a good sign it is "normal".
