Polypads are they any good

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Crafted Equestrian

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Hi I usually make saddle pads for people but use a foam as that what a saddler recommended to me.
More and more people re starting to ask me to use polyester wadding one to make it cheaper and two they say they are good.

In my experience not riding but other things wadding does not offer any protection from hard surfaces and can become quiet uncomfortable after a while and also can flatten after several washes.

I ride but I'm quite a heavy rider if that makes sense as in quiet unbalanced due to having a mishappen spine and a twisted and lobsided pelvic bone, so surely a polypad would offer the horse not much protection from the saddle on my heavy side if that makes sense.

So I would just like to know peoples opinion on polypads please.
Thank you in advance Regards craftedequestrian
 
I don't mind polypads myself, but I think it's all down to a combination of the individual horse/rider/saddle combination. If you've got people asking for polypad style saddlepads, then they must work okay for them!
But as someone who used to craft for people, don't undervalue the time, skill and effort that goes into your work. You may find trying to fill the pads with wadding more of a hassle in regards to getting it to sit flat, neatly and where you want it. So definitely don't let people try and barter for cheaper until you know exactly how long it takes you to make this different style of saddlepad :)
 
Echo that - if people want it then there is no harm in making it. Its not really your responsibility to ensure it is comfortable for their horse.

Personally I really don't like polypads in a private environment. They absolutely have their place in a riding school type environment where you are dealing with lots of changing shapes and weights. Or to temporarily mask the impact of as not very well fitted saddle. (and yes they do compress over time). But in a private set up my personal preference is for a correctly fitted saddle and thin saddle pad without the need for corrective aids. But I do know not everyone feels the same.
 
Thank you both for your answers, I've listed the square type ones for sale as polypads, but I'm going to keep the dressage pads and GP ones as thin foam I think, Quilting them with wadding isn't a problem for me but where the quilting line crosses the other quilting line (if that makes sense) it actually weakens and makes the wadding really thin, so me personally wouldn't like to be selling them like that. again thank you for your input.
 
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