The “old school” says dry spots on a horses back are bad. This is not necessarily so…

A dry spot is a place where the saddle tree is applying pressure. They usually occur under the front part of the saddle. However, a dry spot that is slightly larger than the palm of your hand can actually be a good thing. A saddle tree is designed to distribute pressure over the horses back. The front bar pad is about 4 to 5 inches across and somewhat circular in shape. Therefore, if the dry spot is nearly that size, then the tree is fitting well in the front.

A small 50 cent piece dry spot, which is normally right at the edge of the shoulder blade, is concentrating the pressure too much and can be a sign that the saddle does not have the proper fit.

Dry spots occur under the front of the saddle for several different reasons:

1.)  Your front cinch is usually the tightest, locking down the front of the saddle.
2.) The horse’s back doesn’t move as much under the front of the saddle.
3.) The front bar pad is smaller (aka – more pressure per inch)
4.) When a saddle is fitting properly, the horse will work better (aka – stop harder, pull harder, etc.) & this can contribute to dry spots.

So, to wrap this up…Watch out for small dry spots, but don’t be overly concerned about the larger ones. Pay closer attention to how your horse and working & go get the $$MONEY$$….