How on earth do you work out padding?

Kirstineridesagain

Kirstineridesagain

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I'm getting a treless saddle, an Icelandic "Diddi Special" which is meant to fit most Icelandics (my horse is Icelandic). My mare isn't yet with me, she's still in Denmark, but I want to try the saddle (which I will buy from a friend for a cheap price) with the horse I'm currently riding. He's of a similar size to my own, but probably not exaxtly the same shape. I was advised by the friend I'm getting the saddle from to get a shimmable pad. But how do I choose one, and how do I know how to pad it so that it fits? Do I need to get the saddle fitter out, and will they have pads to try before I buy? I want to try the saddle to see if it fits me (and not just the horse), but if I get it set up just to try on my current share horse, then I risk it not being right for my own horse? I can try the saddle before I buy, and I have knowledgeable people to help when I get my mare, but I'm wondering if there's an easy way to do this that will work. It's just a bit risky to get an Equitex or other expensive pad, and then they don't fit. Or do they always work? Or the Edix?

I know you can sell stuff secondhand, but that's quite stressful. It's just a new world to me - I have a few "normal" saddle pads, but nothing that provides proper shock absorbency. I probably won't ride my mare much (if at all - she's in foal after all) but I still want to have a saddle in case we find out that some very light hacking will be okay. Also, I can use the saddle on my share horse in the meantime, so it's not as rushed as it may seem.

I've looked at Equitex half pad for treeless saddles, and various other ones, but I really need some helpful tips! As the saddle itself is very reasonable, I want to get the best pad, but I know most expensive doesn't always mean the best quality.
 
Oooh, I think I read a similar post to this recently - let me find it and you may find some of the replies helpful :)
 
Oh, it was your post! https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/equitex-or-other-pad-for-treeless-saddle.842597/

I'm not quite sure what you're asking. You want to try the saddle on your current horse but not to set it up to fit him in case it doesn't then fit your mare? Can you not just wait until you get your mare and then try everything on her? The friend who advised you to get a shimmable pad, can she suggest how to choose one, and how to pad it so it fits? She is probably best placed to advise you with the specifics, if she knows you and the saddle?
 
JenJ said:
Oh, it was your post! https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/equitex-or-other-pad-for-treeless-saddle.842597/

I'm not quite sure what you're asking. You want to try the saddle on your current horse but not to set it up to fit him in case it doesn't then fit your mare? Can you not just wait until you get your mare and then try everything on her? The friend who advised you to get a shimmable pad, can she suggest how to choose one, and how to pad it so it fits? She is probably best placed to advise you with the specifics, if she knows you and the saddle?
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Yes, you may be right. I just thought it would be interesting to try it on the other horse. But I should be able to wait. Or just get the pad she suggests (if she has any suggestions) and try it on him so I can try the saddle once.
 
Midlifecrisis said:
In all honesty I would wait until your mare has foaled and is being brought back into work before buying a saddle as her shape will change after birth.
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This, along with a caveat that, even with a treeless saddle, the fitting is not as easy as buy pad X, play with shims and expect it all to be balanced and stable.
 
Do hold your horses re investing in padding and stuff until after she gets her figure back after foaling

From your pics she has a pronounced goose rump, is that typical of her breed and allowed for with the breed specific treeless saddle that you’re thinking of getting? She could be a challenging fit for a saddle, but maybe Icelandic fans have workarounds for that type of back profile.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Do hold your horses re investing in padding and stuff until after she gets her figure back after foaling

From your pics she has a pronounced goose rump, is that typical of her breed and allowed for with the breed specific treeless saddle that you’re thinking of getting? She could be a challenging fit for a saddle, but maybe Icelandic fans have workarounds for that type of back profile.
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She's been wearing a saddle in the past, no issues that I'm aware of.
 
Kirstineridesagain said:
She's been wearing a saddle in the past, no issues that I'm aware of.
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She may well have a changed back profile from being in foal. It would be best to be patient. If you think she is up to a bit of quiet hacking when you get her, perhaps a good bareback pad with no stirrups would be comfier for her and would not require to be fitted. In hand work to build up her riding muscles would also be good for the two of you to start establishing a connection and get a good foundation for your riding future together.
 
planete said:
She may well have a changed back profile from being in foal. It would be best to be patient. If you think she is up to a bit of quiet hacking when you get her, perhaps a good bareback pad with no stirrups would be comfier for her and would not require to be fitted. In hand work to build up her riding muscles would also be good for the two of you to start establishing a connection and get a good foundation for your riding future together.
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Thank you, yes, good idea. I'm not planning to hack out for miles, just to do something together to build a bond.
 
A goose rump usually indicates postural challenges in controlling the pelvis, and the pelvis is vital for helping a horse not "fall forward", ie be on the forehand, causing extra wear and tear, saddle fitting challenges. We don't see these things as issues but they are, though of course the longer she's been like that the more compensations she'll have that may not be suitable to be "unwound". It will make it harder as her belly gets heavier and drops more, make sure she has a good bodyworker etc.

I haven't seen horse or saddle photos but which pad you need depends on how the saddle is constructed and how well it stays in shape, distributes pressure and absorbs shock, how heavy you are relative to the seat size/panel area, how balanced a rider you are, and the type and amount of work you'll be doing. The more you have negative answers to these the thicker the pad you need ie a specialist bare back pad. For lighter use Equitex is probably okay but not my favourite, if buying from scratch you're better getting a proper treeless pad.

And meanwhile doing postural groundwork while she's pregnant, and after, is better than chucking a saddle on her. Look at the things the rehabbers talk about for her management too - how you lead her, how and where she stands to eat, where (how high/low) you put her feeds etc, in some ways this is more important than the ridden side.
 
The goose rump is pretty typical especially in a 5 gaited one with a lot of pace.
icelandics.org

Icelandic Horse Breeding Standards

Breeding Standards: [[$universal_slideshow]] Description of the Icelandic Horse Breed: Origin The Icelandic horse breed originates from Iceland where it has been bred, without any known introduction of foreign genetic material, since the island was settled around the year 900 AD. Its clos
icelandics.org icelandics.org
 
Annoying - it's Annie Dillon who's been on a hell of a journey with her Icie, and has now produced an amazing groundwork programme as a result - https://www.facebook.com/annie.dillon.92. I'm NOT an expert on them for sure, I do fit a few, and wouldn't describe any of them as having a significant goose rump, and I see how much those angles and apparent lengths change in horses who improve the way they use their pelvis, across all breeds.
 
I popped over to your other post @Kirstineridesagain (https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...ait-to-meet-my-new-mare.842474/#post-15710902) and I would recommend assessing that conformation shot (sure it's only one shot, it's good to take several, look at how she stands, as habit, but I know you can't, yet) but I would take out a month's membership and look at videos 18 and 20 (there are others on posture, movement, compensation etc, it's great value) here https://www.equitopiacenter.com/video-category-2/webinars/page/2/.
 
Kirstineridesagain said:
What is described here as "goose rump" is a sloping croup, which is a typical feature of the Icelandic horse. Unless I've misunderstood what "goose rump" is.
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It's all just terminology and is never precise. Looking at functional angles is precise, and those links I referred to would help you do that, be objective. And do look at Annie Dillon to get an idea of what a truly well developed Icelandic could look like - she's doing airs above the ground etc so Gepir is more developed than most need to be, but look at how his tolt has come on too. Her journey is really interesting, and inspirational, especially when you find out she has serious scoliosis of the spine and associated medical conditions.

Just because many many horses of one breed have a slight conformational bias (flaw?) does not mean it shouldn't and can't be improved to make the horse healthier, more functional, and better able to carry a rider.
 
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sbloom said:
It's all just terminology and is never precise. Looking at functional angles is precise, and those links I referred to would help you do that, be objective. And do look at Annie Dillon to get an idea of what a truly well developed Icelandic could look like - she's doing airs above the ground etc so Gepir is more developed than most need to be, but look at how his tolt has come on too. Her journey is really interesting, and inspirational, especially when you find out she has serious scoliosis of the spine and associated medical conditions.

Just because many many horses of one breed have a slight conformational bias (flaw?) does not mean it shouldn't and can't be improved to make the horse healthier, more functional, and better able to carry a rider.
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Agreed on that - I've been reading up on it, and it can certainly be improved.
 
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