Numnahs/saddlecloths - what do you use and why?

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ecrozier

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A musing really! I have quite a mixed collection, from polypad type ones to sheep half pads to plain cotton squares. I'm in the process of changing roo's saddle hopefully to one that is a really really good fit and not as constrained by very limited budgets and risk of him rapidly outgrowing as we have been in the past, and I'm thinking that if the saddle is a really good fit - it should only need a cotton saddlecloth for cleanliness?! Or do people carry on using thicker pads for cushioning eg on a longer hack?
Welcome any thoughts on saddlecloths etc in general really!
 
Pretty much exclusively the nuumed high wither everyday saddlecloths. The jumping cut one for the jump saddle, the dressage one for the dressage saddle. Both with tabs to the D rings because I think they work better!

I have black ones for every day and white ones for competition....
 
Numed high wither here too - in the appropriate shape for the saddle. For longer rides I like to use their half wool (lightwool) version. Always well recieved by the fussy mares, last brilliantly and I think fit better than anything else! During coat change, straight after clipping and other 'sensitive' times they prefer the half wool ones anyway (don't worry, saddles fit perfectly, just seems to be their preference and who I am to disagree!). Also have a couple of the le mieu high whither version which I really like, though have been very disapointed with how quickly the colour has faded despite very careful care and washing.
 
I have Barnsby grip pads because the saddler told me to! lol. Although the saddle fits perfectly my horse is very bum high and with a normal pad the saddle slides forward where as these seem to stop the problem. So far they also seem really good quality :) At some point will also try Nuumed equivalent as this was the saddlers other suggestion.
 
I have a vast array of saddlecloths from very thin cotton squares to quite thick padded cloths and sheepskin half pads.

I use a sheepskin half pad on all of mine and then use whichever saddlecloth I pick up. Although on my one boy I tend to use a thinner pad and then the sheepskin just because of how the saddle fits.

I would live to have saddles for each horse which are fitted individually but I can't afford it and my saddler and back lady are happy with the solution of different pads and cloths. I also have a multi changeable prolite pad which I use when needed with the appropriate pads in.
 
I have a variety of saddlecloths but tend to use only a select few. I'm generally a white square for everything kind of gal, but do have a couple of black versions for at home in desperation.

The ones I use the most are:
Numed hi-wither with thin wool lining (jump cut)
Mattes thin wool dressage
Bucus hi wither dressage (with wicking fleece rather than wool)
Roma hi wither with sheepskin - although not quite forward enough cut for jump saddle so tend to be used just while I was the preferred ones!

Sat in the dust gathering cabinet - ANKY, Polypad x 2, Premier Equine x 2, throrowgood grip pad, numed half wool numnah.

I have to say I VERY much like the Bucas - Tosca rugs has them cheap
 
IHW - ebay is your friend :) I just sold a couple of old poly pads for about £10 each and your anky one would make at least twice that!
Seems we are tending towards thin cotton, hi wither varieties, with wicking properties where possible when have a saddle to fit each horse?
Logic tells me that's all they need I must say! Do quite like my hkm microfibre one, it's more padded than plain cotton but not as thick as a polypad and sits better I think.
 
Another vote for Numed high wither, I have the hi light wool verison and the plain. Both have washed well, fit great and never move around. I wouldnt bother buying anything else. They also have been checked by saddler to ensure optimal fit with my saddle.
 
my mark todd thick one - i love it :) and a half pad underneath - horse is very happy in that (believe me shes always willing to let me know if she isnt happy....)

:)
 
I only use nuumed highwither - the everyday GP ones also fit my dressage saddle which i hack in,I have the dressage version for comps and also the 1/2 lined sheepskin one for winter when she is fully clipped.

I do have a couple of roma numnahs but never use them , just cant see past the nuumeds , they fit so well.
 
I use Nuumed high wither or Anky pads for my dressage saddle, depending on what's clean, the Anky pads are my favourite though.
For my CC Jumping saddle I used the Le Mieux plain cotton pads/numnahs for schooling and an Anky jumping pad for hacking, as it's a little more padded. Out hunting I use a sheepskin numnah and I have a half pad hanging about if I ever need it.
 
I use the coloured Roma Softie reversible pads for everyday riding in my jump saddle (eg hacking) and have a nice, clean, not-faded one kept aside for competing (XC)!

SGRRV_800_800_090412122302.jpg


With my jump saddle, I also use a prolite Saddlestay pad between saddlecloth and saddle as the Roma pads don't have girth or d-ring tabs. This is nice and thin but works a treat. (http://www.prolitepads.com/products/reliefpads/saddlestay.htm)

For Dressage, I use a Premier Equine Buster pad (black!) at home and a Rambo pad in white for competing. (Like the one at the top of this link but only single thickness, not double!) I sometimes use the Rambo pad under jump saddle for SJ but also have a thinner white cotton waffle-effect saddle cloth I use.
 
I use either Numed High wither saddle clothes, in the CC style (have a white one for competitions, black for home) Anky jump pads, which I love, or a Barnsby Grip pad :D None are particularly thick, and my saddle fits well anyway, and is a monoflap latex pannelled saddle. My recent budget find is the Polly Products saddle cloths, the GP one fits my jump saddle really well, they're lovely fabric, and fit in a high whither way which is lovely! They're only about £14, and I only found out how good they are as got given one by my work! :D
 
SpottedCat said:
Pretty much exclusively the nuumed high wither everyday saddlecloths. The jumping cut one for the jump saddle, the dressage one for the dressage saddle. Both with tabs to the D rings because I think they work better!

I have black ones for every day and white ones for competition....
Click to expand...

Exactly this! I have sold my dressage saddle so currently selling the dressage cloths on eBay to fund more of the jumping cut ones! I recently bought a Lemieux Plain Close Contact Saddlecloth but I don't like it as much as the Nuumeds so that will be going on eBay too!
 
Have used Bucas pads for every day years, but as they have become a little old and faded have been trying out some different ones.
OH uses a Barnsby grip pad with his Xtreem saddle.
Others currently in use are Le Mieux jumping pad, Le Mieux half sheepskin that is also a raiser pad, nuumed high wither and prolite saddle cloth.
 
For my horse I use poly pads and the whittaker version of them - nice and thick and comfy. I am a huge fan of the expensive non slip ones as well, cant for the life of me remember what make they are, only that they are about £90 each. Also have an extensive seletion of Nu med dead sheep saddle pads, including ones made to measure and bespoke colours, which I never use and must get around to selling on ebay.

Mini TX is the same as me really, and we swop and change as they are both cob/full size depending on make. For competitions we have some rather lovely Premier Equine white saddle clothes with her sponsor's logo embroidered on the side.

Oddly enoug we both use totally different saddles with totaly different horses, but neither of them have any huge saddle fitting issues and it all seems to work otu.
 
I only use merino lined saddle cloths on my little lad, as he is rather sensitive and comes out in patches and bald bits if I don't.

The others have always just had plain cotton squares.
 
I used to use Anky pads, but they started slipping under one of my saddles and TBH, the "matchy" became a faff and diesnt really fit with me (totally unstylish/disorganised!). So I sold the lot on eBay (only white left if anyone wants it ;) )

Now I am using LeMieux CC half lined sheepy saddlecloths / Mattes halflined sheepy numnahs under the jump saddle and Equi Vie sheepy saddlecloth / NuuMed sheepy numnah under the dressage saddle. Clearly, I like sheepy!
 
I always use a White square although I have some black squares as well. I have the Roma high wither ones, I actually find these very good. I also have a couple shires ones but find they shrink in the wash.

I also have a very vast array of other types/makes/colours but I just think a White square looks so smart on a chestnut. I also use a black prolite, v discrete. Not because my saddle doesn't fit but because J is a Ginger horse of
the TB variety I like to make sure he's ultra comfy :).
 
I hate saddlecloths which attach to the saddle. I think that is my lazy streak coming out! I can't stand it when you see saddles stored with the saddlecloth still attached. So my favourites are poly pad, Anky and I have a nice rambo one which is a slight fishtail shape which looks smart. I did used to have a horse who was only happy in a Numed half wool high wither, so have a couple of these which I use when all the others are in the wash.
 
I just use a thin, plain GP cut saddle cloth, for aesthetic and cleanliness reasons purely! Saddle was fitted without one, and the saddler said I could put a thin one underneath, so that's what I did. No sense in padding if it doesn't need it IMHO :) xx
 
Nuumed high wither, half wool lined (the lighter wool). They suit saddle fit and pony who is clipped out, sweats like nothing I've seen before and is a sensitive thing for a native! Got one that is a numnah and one that is a saddle pad.

I do have a white dressage cloth that is not Nuumed, and a non-Nuumed in my XC colours but that is used rarely.

Got 2 full wool Nuumeds but as normal wither I don't use them these days.
 
Thanks all! Good recommendations. Hopefully I will have a saddle that fits well enough to just use thin cotton cloths soon!
Charlimouse, I am the same! Always always always take cloths off my saddles before putting saddle away. I'm the only one on yard that does tho!
 
I have
3 anky pads (red, brown and grey)
4 HKM ordinary saddlecloths (baby blue, navy blue, green and white)
2 fur lined Nuumed saddlecloths (black)
4 Nuumed high wither (2 white, 1 black and 1 burgandy)
1 Red roma saddlecloth.
1 purple rambo
1 Barnsby grip saddlecloth in black.

I use barnsby grip saddlecloth under my 5 year olds dressage saddlecloth cos he has a barrel shape back and his saddle slips all over the place even though it fits well.
The sheepskin numnahs go under his GP as a bit of padding as it isnt the best fitting.

The HKM and anky go under my tbs dressage and gp saddle. I do sometimes use them on the horse above with a jelly pad if im going for matchy look :P
 
I can't bear numnahs. They always make me think of pony club, children bobbing around on ponies and fat cobs (not that there is anything wrong with those people/animals) :) I hate the way they always seem to dissappear under the saddle somewhere

But a saddle cloth suggests a certain amount of refinement :) a little chic and look much smarter. And they don't slip all over the place.

Maybe I am a snob. But I am definitely a saddle cloth type of gal!
 
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I have a mixture but my new faves are the HKM gently saddlecloths - not as thick as polypads but toweling lined and nicely cushioned. They come in huge range of colours, in dressage and GP/jump styles and are great for everyday use. For competing I have a KM elite half lined dressage saddlecloth, a Christ lambskin half lined numnah for hunting and a Le Mieux half lined jumping saddlecloth. I was using half pads as well but now had saddles fitted much more exactly to him so dont need the extra padding. I have a mountain of saddlecloths and numnahs I dont use but I'm so rubbish at chucking anything out!
 
I have to confess I have an irrational hatred of the word 'numnah'. I don't know what it is but it really makes me cringe! I also much prefer the look of a saddlecloth.

My saddles have to be stored with the girth off and on top of the saddle, and the saddlecloth has to be laid over the saddle, underside up so it can air and dry off of necessary.

God I sound like a right wierdo!!!
 
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