Riser Pad help
 

So long story short my saddle did not fit D well at all. Bought a new one (about 2 or 3 years ago) and it fits him better but (to me) it seems like it still pinches his shoulders a little. I asked my vet and she said I am worrying too much but if it helps I could get a riser pad of some kind. So I am looking around and wanted some input. I tried to stick with pads that would lift in the front since that seems to be where the pressure is.
A.
http://www.valleyvet.com/GetThumbnai...50&W=225&H=300







B.
http://www.sstack.com/images/us/loca...tail/15215.jpg
C.
Roma Pro Tek Original Riser Pad - Dover Saddlery...
D.
Comfort Pad with Raised Front - Dover Saddlery.
E.
Dovers Seat Riser Pad - Dover Saddlery.
Looking to buy either tomorrow or at the latest mondayish while I still have money lol.

A riser pad will only make it pinch at the shoulders worse. I would recommend using a ThinLine Half pad or Contour pad and moving the saddle back about an inch. That will help give his shoulders more room to move and the ThinLine pad will eliminate any pressure points.

Vets don't know anything about saddle fit ;-). If you're really worried, have an equine chiropractor out (one that's also a vet) or a professional saddle fitter.

If you post some pictures, we might be able to give you an eyeball opinion. Put the saddle on, no pad, lightly girthed up. Pay attention to where you're placing it. The front d-rings should be 2-3" behind the back edge of the horse's shoulder blades. Take a side shot showing the whole horse, stand on a stool and tack a rear shot, and take a 3/4 angle showing the WHOLE SHOULDER, so we can see how the saddle lays against the horse's shoulder. Make sure the horse is standing on level ground. With his head up and straight ahead.

I will see if I can get some pictures tonight. I was thinking a 1/2 pad delio might help? a friend of mine cut the front 1/2 of her raiser pad off and put it in the back of her saddle and it seemed to literally lift the saddle off his shoulders, I was hoping to achive something similar. If you can't tell I have not had saddle fitting issues before lol but this is one... unique horse LOL.

I was thinking the exact same thing, the risers would lift up the back and make the front pinch more.
If the saddle fits, I can only think of moving it back a bit. Personally I would get a professional saddle fitter out.

Yeah that's what I was thinking, I also thought maybe a lolly pop type pad to go along his spine might help out. I will have to see if there are any saddle fitters in my area.

Photos
 

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...0efb37aef5.jpg
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...14663be277.jpg
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...b06f9a321a.jpg
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...678045e77e.jpg
Hope I did these right lol.

You did fine. It looks like a fine fit to me. Do you feel like it's putting you in a chair position? If so, then the balance might be too low in back. If it's wool flocked, a saddle fitter can adjust the stuffing to even out the balance.

I think a normal riser pad would lift it too much in the back. Something like a ThinLine Saddle Fitter or Trifecta pad, or a Skito Correction pad would be a better idea. The Skito would give you some nice cushion all the way around, with 1/2" bottom foam, and a light rise with 1/2" rear lift. You can take the shims out of either pad, which makes them both pretty versatile.

I had a saddle fitter out to help my horse last year. What she recommended for keeping on top of any changes in my horse's shape that would affect the saddle fit was to ride with just a plain white saddle pad under the saddle and analize the sweat marks after the ride to look for spots where rubs are occuring. Ideally you want even sweat marks on both sides.

That saddle looks like it fits well. Maybe just come back an inch to fully free up his shoulders. I love the markings on your horse.

Thank you :D I wont lie when I first saw him I wanted to buy him on color alone :lol: I will give the white saddle pad a try the next time I ride him. I will also take a picture of his shoulders when I am in the saddle to just double check everything. I tried to locate a saddle fitter and the closest one is a 2hour drive away :cry: so I think I am a little out of luck there but I am going to talk with some horsey friends to see if they might know of someone on the inside hahaha.:wink: