**1/2 PAD SHEEPSKIN/WOOL NUMNAHS** - Which are best?????

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seche

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Want to get one for new horse - who apparently always goes abit bald under the saddle at this time of year, I have been reccomended the Nuumed, and the Mattes but someone I met yesterday mentioned (who does remedial saddlery) suggested that I should use a Stephens 1/2 pad on him as that has a skin as well as fleece. (BTW both his saddles have been made to fit him when fit and I have them checked every 6/9 months or so.)
Then theres the choice of
1.With collar/ (which Im aware is "fashionable" at the moment) - is there a reason for this?
OR
2.One with out collar

Please can you lend some advice/experience on any of these products??
 
i ahev a mattes half pad, which is proper sheepskin and has the skin on it! it is lovely and very soft, but i only bought it to pad out underneath the saddle, when it wasnt quiet fitting properly. i haeva 4yo who is constantly changing so it is good if extra bulk is required under the saddle.
tbh if your saddle fits then there is the arguement that the thickness if the sheepskin might make it not fit.
lots of pros use them as they use one saddle on multiple horses, so they help pad out poorly fitting saddles.
you could maybe get a normal numnah/saddlecloth with a sheepskin lining, like a numedd one, instead of a half pad, which wouldnt alter saddle fit
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Thank you for speedy responce!

Mine too is young - 6 - but still muscling and filling out, and to be honest although the saddles "fit" he has dropped off abit due to being winter and not in full full work (he is stuffed full of the right stuff food wise!) perhaps if am honest they move alittle more hence why I think the balding patches have developed.
I thought of the full numnah/ saddle cloth yet when mentioned to remedial saddlery lady ( I know nothing about remedial saddlery!) she really stuck to her guns about a half pad! -
I have seen the Mattes ones and they look devine - but want whats best for baldy horse, to solve a tempory problem.
 
I have a Stephens half pad, and mates full numnah half sheepskin. Both are lovely.

However, they are quite thick - so if your saddle fits well, and the horse doesn't have any muscle issues do get your saddler to check it's fitting with the saddle before purchasing. It could end up making everything quite tight otherwise.
 
My horse tends to get little bald patches at the back of his saddle area in the spring/autumn - had his saddle checked by two seperate saddlers and both said fit is fine, its just he is a sensitive skinned horse and it is in fact the numnah not the saddle that rubs when his coat changes. I now use either a sheepskin numnah ( a nuumed) or one that is half sheepskine (a stephens one) or if doing posh SJ/Dressage I put a sheepskin 1/2 pad under his posh saddlecloth (not over like all the SJers!). Mine is a cheapo synthetic MT one, and is fine for the od competition but I'd like a decent one so will be interested in responses to this thread. Friend got a Rambo one at Olympia which seems very nice and was about £35 I think.
 
maybe if your saddler insists, they would be worth a try! they are quiet expensive, but also as you have a yougn horse, it might come in useful if she does make a habit of changing shape, losing weight over winter etc.
the only thing i would say is that when using mine about a month ago before saddler came, it did rub alittle hair off, it is one with a collar, and the collar part around that back of the saddle, so not with the pressure of the saddle on it, caused abit of rubbing.
my friend has one though, and has had no problems so maybe its just the collar bit.
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I have a Stephens one (half pad) and I find it too thick as my saddles always fit really well. I did like the feel of them though so have now bought a Roma Merino wool one, full pad but with only sheepskin under saddle area and also has the spine taken out. It seems much thinner and sits much nicer, seems to have the benefits of the sheepskin but without the bulk.
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I have a Kieffer half pad, got it from my saddler when she came out to check saddle. Young horse (6) and has dropped off a little due to winter, lack of work so she recommended it. It's not overly bulky and I like it as horse doesn't seem to sweat up so much with it as he does with the Prolite or other numnahs. Didn't get it as a fashion statememt! Only realised show jumpers were using it when I watched Olympia, I don't compete so not bothered about looks.
Anyway Kieffer seems well made, I have washed it a few times in washing m/c and each time it comes up like new.
My local tack shop has the Roma ones and they actually look just as nice, very fluffy(!) and about £30.
 
i've got a mattes one with the rolled edges and that has rubbed bald bits behind twigs saddle
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admittedly it was georges so may have been a teeny bit small. For now I'm just using a saddle cloth and its now growing back
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i have a LeMieux one which can be adjusted so you can have just front inserts, or rear insert, both or neither! the sheepskin is lovely and soft too so is really good for youngsters or those changing shape! i use it on my 4yr old!!
 
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