How many of you wear more than one numnah??

Scaty_Bird

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Hi all,

just wondering what the feeling is about saddles and numnahs. I have always been told to wear the thinnest numnah with a correctly fitted saddle and to try and avoid putting too much under the saddle.

Only got me thinking because i went to a demo day at the weekend and nearly all the professional riders had a saddle pad on with another half pad ontop? You'd like to think that they have the best fitting tack anyway.

What's your thoughts?
 
I'm currently riding Gerry with a padded saddlecloth and a sheepskin half pad. I'm only doing this on the advice of my saddler though because he came to me with no topline so she felt he needed some cushioning while he develops. My previous two horses were only ever ridden with a thin, plain numnah as I've always believed as you do that if the saddle fits correctly then you shouldn't be adding extra bits to change the fit.
 
Mine has 2 on. I have trouble with the saddle slipping, despite having it made to a template and altered twice. I have a Barnsby grip pad with a thin cotton Nuumed high wither numnah underneath, because my horse has sensitive skin and the grip pad has grippy rubber waffly stuff on it to stop it moving and I'm worried it will aggravate his back.

Works for me.

But I agree - should be no need for 2 if the saddle fits correctly but I have a wriggly horse.
 
Am another who sticks with a thin one! Saddler fits the saddle with just a nuumed high wither numnah on (no sheepskin) so the saddle fits perfectly as it is. Perhaps if you were spending alot of time in the saddle - perhaps in endurance, then you might want extra padding for the horses back. When they are only in the ring for 5 mins or so then I don't know why you would have a sheepskin half pad as well. Like you I would assume that their tack would be beautifully fitted. I hate to say it, but I suspect fashion has alot to do with it!
 
I always assumed that professional riders use a handful of saddles on a large number of horses so their saddles will not always be the most perfect fit. That was the case at the event yard I worked at anyway! My saddle is fitted to my horse and she wears whatever numnah or saddlecloth I fancy that day. I'd like a sheepskin half pad because they look comfy :)
 
I only use a half numnah under my saddle. We have tried numerous saddles on him and had it sorted by the saddler but it won't sit straight. With a plain numnah the saddle rolls and with a 1/2 pad and numnah the saddle rolls! He also has old damage to his back muscles (previous to me owning him). So now he has 2 pads of this foamy stuff (!!!) one under the right of the saddle were your seat is and the other under his left shoulder. I know that is a certain circumstance, but it is my only dead sheep so not fashionable but we HAVE to have it!

ETA

Local eventer only has one dressage and one jumping saddle which fits about 8 horses! They just have different prolite pads underneath
 
When I tried my TB out at a P-2-P yard she had 3 polypads under the saddle!! Eeek! All the time I owned her she had back issues and was very particular about the saddle.
 
most racehorses are ridden with 2-3 poly pads, its impossible to get a saddle to fit EVERY horse perfectly so extra pads are used to AVOID causing the horse back problems due to not perfect saddle fitting.
 
I couldn't be doing with using a half pad - I had to use one for a while and felt so far away from the horse, I hated it! Just thin cotton numnahs for me (or should I say the horse! :p)
 
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