Got my saddle but have a question.

I got my barrel saddle in the mail yesterday. I hurried over to the pasture to try it on my horse because it became pitch black outside. Anyways the gullet is perfect(I have enough clearance and she also has enough area to stick my hand under without a ton of pressure on my hand if that makes any sense to any of you) and it's not pinching her at the withers by the concho area(tried on a saddle before and near the conchos it was really tight where it looked to be pinching)..anyways it is a round skirt and the back where the leather is pops up about a half inch when tightened. It's not way in the air or anything. It seems that the bars do make contact and I asked my husband to check with me on her and with me not on her and it seemed good. I was wondering if I should use a back cinch to help hold the end down.. It's only the leatherpart.

The flank cinches are usually only snugged up enough to barely make contact. Not really to hold the saddle down on the horse but to keep it from completely flipping up, I imagine if it fits so well in the front unless You have a really short backed horse or something. Once that saddle gets some wear in it it will be fine.

Maybe you could post pics.

Yes; post pictures. Popping up can be a sign that the saddle is either too narrow or too wide. And a back cinch should be snug, though it is not designed to make an ill-fitting saddle fit. Too loose, however, and not only is it not doing any good, but it also poses a safety hazard.

I will try an d get some pictures.
My horse has a very short back.

I have to agree with Bubba. The back cinch is suppose to be snug,not loose as it is a saftey hazard. You want to make contact.If it's loose a horse can trip on it or get's it's hoof stuck.

I had one of my friends ride with a loose back cinch and jumped a tree on the trail. She got it caught on a branch sticking up and her horse got pulled backwards, panicked, and the branch punctured the horses stomach. It was awful. It wasn't safe to jump anyway but she would have cleared it had it not been for the backcinch being SO loose.

Anyway. Pictures would be fabulous

It is not bad if the back edge of the skirt is up off the horse's back a bit. In fact, this can be good because when the horse rounds its' back , such as going up and down hills, it gives some space for the back to round up into. I large gap , however, might indicate that the front was too wide and allowing the saddle to tip down in front. Can't say without pics.

Alright. I will get pictures. I know it site the same as it does with Horsesdontlie's horse,Jake.

I will attach a thread that she started that shows pictures. It's the first saddle and it's the blue link that says "Saddle Package"

http://www.horseforum.com/using-hors...e-worth-95555/

A 1/2" pop is nothing. As the horse moves that changes.

If you'd like to diminish the damage on the fork, dampen the leather fairly damp, doing the entire fork so that a water line isn't created. Using the back of a tablespoon start at the out edge of the wrinkling and gently coax the leather toward the cap. No promise that it will work but I've had success with that technique.