saddle desensatizing

If your horse lays back his ears or moves around when you adjust the saddle blanket then just spend a few minutes moving the saddle blanket all over his body dragging it from his hindquarters to his withers and back again without picking the blanket up. My 8 year old mare hates it when I put the saddle blanket on and adjust it. What I did was just through the saddle blanket onto my horse's back from both sides not caring where it landed every time I wanted to saddle her. Eventually I took the blanket and hit her with it. Believe me it didn't hurt her in the least. "It's like hitting her with a sock!" I also like to throw the saddle onto my horse's  back without putting the stirrup over the saddle. I saw a trainer do it and thought it was a good idea just because it desensitizes the horse to the flapping stirrups and it gets the horse to listen to you while you're saddling because he has to know what you're doing and where you are. I suggest getting his attention first and swing the saddle beside him before you try this so he has a warning of what you're going to do and won't freak out. I did this with the  other horses I ride and they acted like I saddled them that way all the time.