Please evaluate my horse's conformation and the fit and placement of this saddle. Thank you.?

This is what I see. The poor fit saddle does not really fit you. A saddle that is to small will cause you lean forward, backwards and everything in between because it is not comfortable and you cannot get in the correct position in the middle of the saddle. And if you are shifting around, your horse will react. The roping saddle more than likely fits you better and you in turn are sitting more balanced. I don't think the pad is "rubbing" your horse. I ride and rope with this very same pad and have never had any problems with it. BUT this is what I do see and I think this is what the know it all cowboy was trying to tell you. Look at the pictue that shows the front of your horse with the roping saddle. The pad is pulled down tight across her withers. This can cause a binding, pinching feeling, and can result on back and wither soreness. Kinda like wearing jeans that are to tight. What I would suggest is when you saddle, put on your pads, put on your saddle, and then reach under the front of the pads and "tent" them up into the gullet of the saddle before you tighten the girth. When you look at the front of your horse, you should see a space between the horse and the pad, not the pad and the saddle. This will take the pressure off the withers and will result in a much easier moving horse. I have to do this with my high withered roping horse, or after a day or two he will be so sore that he cannot move. So I started "tenting" all my horses, and the change was very noticable. Good Luck and I hope this helps!