Pack Saddle Adjustment Question

[AcanthaRose]

Hi all,

I am having a bit of trouble properly adjusting my pack saddles on my goats so that they don't rub on their shoulder blades. I have the wooden crossbuck type, and my goats are both alpine and pretty narrow, so I don't think the type of saddle is the issue (?). I know the belly strap needs to be tight (I've been tightening it enough so that I can only fit one finger under it up to the first knuckle), and that it needs to be placed on the front part of their belly, before the soft and rounder part that is their stomach area. I also know that when placing the saddle, you're supposed to start more forward and slide it back so that the wooden part is behind their shoulder blades. After all of that, I make sure to stretch their front legs so that the strap doesn't chafe on their elbow/armpit skin. Still, when I take the saddles off, I notice that the hair on their shoulders is messed up. I attended a saddle fitting workshop at the Rendy the summer before last, but am I forgetting something important or doing something wrong? 
Any advise would be much appreciated. 


Thanks!

[Nanno]

Sometimes the design of the wooden saddles causes them to get pulled forward by their own cinch. I wrote an article about saddle fit which you can read here: 
https://www.goatorama.com/wp-content/upl...itting.pdf 

See if that helps at all. It might also help to post a couple photos of your saddles on your goats and maybe I'll be able to see why your saddles are rubbing. I suspect they are getting pulled forward by the cinch, but there may be something else going on.

[Sanhestar]

yes, please post pictures.

[blackie's maiden]

Decided our used blue sopris is.a.rookie saddle. Happy to say it fits Sprite well now since he has grown a smidgen more, whopping 187 lbs (quit laughing, you alpine owners!) Blackie, now 147.3 lbs., wears the new Rookie well). According to their age, we packed 19 lbs. on Blackie and 27 lbs. on Sprite for.a.last-minute practice run before our big trip. Those included saddle and pannier weight as well. Had no problems with slipping although admittedly, our topography here is mighty flat. Hubby is better at getting saddles to right tightness to prevent slipping than I am so I let him "check my work" after I saddle.

Practice run was.104 degree day but luckily we went slow.and most under forest cover. Our goats are.pretty accustomed to the heat here.

Our Nubians are typical Nubie swaybacks so for us, doubt any other saddle.but Sopris.would.work very well.