Saddle Rubbing Withers

He's been at the barn three weeks now. Hss rations started with (getting ready to get shot), 1.5 quarts textured sweet feed (barn supplied), 1.5 quarts pellets (Horsemen's Edge 100), 1 cup rice bran pellets all twice a day. I also added in week 1 a pro and pre-biotic. In week two I upped the rice bran pellets to 3 cups per day and added not only the pre and pro biotic but also a muscle mass builder. In week three I upped his grain and pellet to 2 quarts twice daily, the rice bran pellets to 4 cups per day along with the other additives. He is also getting 9 flakes of hay with a final "snack" feeding at night of two more flakes.

The first shot is the day I brought him "home" and the second was taken this afternoon. A little blurry but as can be seen, he is adding weight nicely and has muscled up some. He is also shedding like crazy and his showing coat is really healthy. The rub in his withers that prompted this thread is nearly completely healed, almost all the hair has grown back in and the 10 days he is probably going to be off due to the abscess should complete the regrowth of hair..no new rubs with the new saddle fitting.

Ignore the purple bandage on his foot..we are battling a possible abscess.

Update: :) The horse was finally sound and the saddle fitter was able to come out and complete the "repairs." I had gotten the Mattes correction pad and recommended girth a few weeks back but due to his lameness and trying to get our schedules to match, we hadn't finished the final fitting.

The all areound good news is that the saddle rub he had has completely healed and all hair has grown back so the change inthe gullet size definitely helped there. The saddle fitter watched me ride and noticed the saddle WAS shifting side to side so she stuffed the panels as appropriate. Once she had it where she wanted it (on bare back) we re-tacked with the saddle pad and I got back on...what a difference. There was absolutely no sideways movement in the saddle whatsoever and it, and the horse's movement, felt fantastic.

All I have to do now is work out the excess energy he still has. After the stone bruise and some sharp teeth (floated on Friday) he is feeling fantastic and probably pain (or at least irritation) free in nearly 3 weeks. Hopefully with more routine turnout and steady riding schedule this excess he has right now will even out.

Only two weeks until the first dressage show...its going to be interesting.