Do you use sheepskin pad under saddle?

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minimex2

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If so can i please ask why.

Daughters want for looks! but thinking about it would make sense for cushioning ponies backs with jumping and them getting on and off. but i always thought if a saddle fitted properly you didnt need them.

thanks x
 
I use one, my horse is quite sensitive and even though his saddle fits fine (had saddler last week) I use it for added comfort and he seems happier in it
 
Yes I agree with you. Saddle fitter always says you should only need s thinnish numnah otherwise it alters the
fit of the saddle. I have seen alot of showjumpers using them though.
 
If you get the saddle fitted to allow for one then fine. Otherwise it'd be like having a well fitting pair of shoes and then putting on massive thick socks underneath. Your shoes wouldn't fit. Why don't people get this. It's obvious and basic.
 
Our TB's don't have a lot of natural padding, and are losing topline as getting older, so we always use good quality sheepskin numnahs/saddle cloths - but our saddles are fitted taking them into account. We used to only use thin high wither numnahs, but now we've changed entirely to sheepskin we've altered the fit of our saddles to accommodate them.
 
I don't use them, but they are beneficial with some horses. If I were to use one I would ask the saddler to fit the saddle with the sheepskin, otherwise it would alter the fit too much.
 
and the reason you see so many showjumpers using them is that they are frequently moving saddles around on their horses..

but yes agree, if you want a pad, you need to have the saddle fitted to include the extra padding..
 
I use one on my very sensitive TB, along with a sheepskin lined girth, he is so sensitive, I can't use a dandy brush on him or Deet based fly spray.
Despite the sheepskin saddlecloth, after exercise there is only ever a saddle shaped sweat mark.
 
SuperCoblet said:
Aren't they supposed to narrow the width by half? I want one but my saddle fits him perfectly
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Not quite. It lifts the front of the saddle the same amount as maybe a half a tree size, but it can't make the saddle fit narrower as it is an even thickness from top to bottom so can't alleviate pressure points caused by the angles being wrong. To fit with a sheepskin you ideally fit the width correctly but reduce the flocking a little to give reduced clearance so that the saddle is in balance with the pad under (a thick pad lifts the front of the saddle more than the back in most cases).
 
My mare visibly cringes if you put her saddle on without one. I use the half sheepskin numnah rather than the half pad.

My saddler fits taking this into account. In fact she suggested it in the first place after seeing the reaction without one.
 
Sheepskin has been used in nursing care for many years to ease pressure,and it remains the best material to do the job despite the availability of man made fibres these days.No reason why the same should not apply to a saddle pad.We use them on our boys and have no objection from either.Saddles are checked regularly by the way.
 
Yes, horse had saddle sores when she came to us. The first thing we did was have a saddle fitted. The fitter said it was approx 1cm too wide, it could be sent away to be adjusted (a John Whitaker) but by the time it came bacj she would probably have filled out a little. She suggested riding with a pad. The horse is also quite sensitive & she seems happy with the pad xx
 
No. Saddles fit/don't slip and (cotton) numnahs do their jobs. Also, both Kal's competition numnahs (dressage and jumping) have an antibacterial lining/enhanced wicking properties . . . and we always wash his back/girth area off after he has done hard work.

I do own a dead sheep saddlepad . . . cost me a pretty penny too . . . but saddler advised that we didn't need it any more so don't see a reason to use it.

P
 
Nope don't use them.....rarely use a nummuh either :D saddles fit perfectly without them only use nummuh, a thin one, if going out somewhere.
 
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