proper placement of harness saddle?

[MPR]

I'm having some trouble with my harness and I'm thinking may be I'm not putting the saddle in the right place. Does it go behind the withers, or over the withers. I've been putting it behind the withers. But since the girth area is more forward, the saddle tips back a little. Then the thinner staps coming off of the saddle that connect to the shafts are going more backward, putting pressure on my horse. I noticed from a photo, that my horse's previous owner had the saddle more over the withers. Here's a couple pictures from last weekend. Hopefully you can see those straps that go to the shafts.

 

[disneyhorse]

It goes behind the withers, sort of like where a riding saddle would go. Not in the middle of the back but further forward, but not on the withers.

I can't really tell the quality of the saddle, but some are not made well and don't have sufficient padding. I would highly recommend getting a nice thick saddle pad for your pony.

Andrea

 

[Chamomile]

I agree that your saddle needs some padding under it. It will be much more comfy for your horse with padding! I usually put my saddle about a hands width back from the shoulder blade. That is about 2 or 3 inches back from the withers.

You look like you have a gorgeous place to drive!! Oh how I wish I had a trail like that around here

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[MPR]

I had this harness custom made by an Amish harness maker. It has a built in pad on the saddle that 1" thick. I could get an extra pad to add to the built in one.

These pictures are from our harness club drive last weekend. The trails are great....nice light (not deep) sand.

 

[willowoodstables]

Your backpad should go behind the withers, but not too close. Here are some examples of where I set my backpad.

If you set it back from the withers a little it gives more room for the shoulders to roll without pulling the skin right behind the elbows. This can cause some nasty rubs. Too far back on the horses back can cause it to act like a bucking strap. It just takes putting it in spots and tightening it and then go ground drive so you can stand back and look to see if the horse is comfy.

Kim

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Well, you don't want it in the middle of the back either because with a two wheeled vehicle (no matter how well you balance it) there will be weight on the saddle sometimes and you want that weight resting on the solid sheets of muscle further up and not in the weak middle of the back. The horse is conformationally better suited to bear weight up there, plus the padding on most saddles is meant to create gullet clearance so that it can be that far up without actually sitting on the spine as it slopes down behind the withers.

The ones Kim pictured (and very nice horses, I might add!) are turned out for shows where things are a little bit different for the sake of presentation. It looks like you do more trail driving, where you need a wider saddle and to be a little more concerned about weight-bearing.

Bah, I'm babbling but the point is put it far enough back it can't pinch behind the elbows when the horse is moving, and far enough forward that it "sits" well on the spine. Where that is precisely will depend on your particular horse's conformation.

Leia

 

[MPR]

I will experiment around today with placement and take some pictures. It's raining right now, but hopefully it will clear up later today so I can do this.

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

Whenever I harness up my horse it seems like it takes forever for me to get the saddle in the right place.

: I have a 36" gelding with a really short back so I guess that means there's only one right place to put the saddle & it takes me forever to find it *groan* lol :risa_suelos: . Keep us updated, I like your horse (& Kims) lol.

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Ash