prolite pads who uses them

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SAL66

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As the title says really I was advised the other day that everyone should always have one under their saddle regardless , the person had recently been to the BETA trade fair's.

I don't, just wondering if they were talking twaddle or were indeed making sense.
 
I always use a prolite But I have the saddle fitted with a prolite pad I do not just put one under the saddle.

I think they are fab but thats personal preference can see why people are told they have to.
 
IME: - The vets say sheepskin pads under saddles are more shock absorbing. I think they sit saddles a bit high and 'roley' on top of the horse.

- the saddlers say if the saddle fits no numnah/thin cotton one, but they would say that, they want you to buy a new saddle every time your horse gains/loses a dot of weight/muscle etc..., its their livelihood.

- I use one under my dressage saddle. The whole tree shape is well suited to my horse but its ideally a bit wide and the Pro-lite fills out the extra room evenly and doesn't make the saddle perch on top of the horse. I like it but I don't need it under the GP because I bought that new not second hand so I could order a width smaller.
 
If a saddle fits correctly then there should be no reason to use a prolite pad at all. If you use one under a correctly fitting saddle it will alter the fit and the saddle will be tight on the horse IMHO. If your saddle is fitted WITH one then that is fine, but I would always prefer to have a saddle that is 100% correct, although I am aware that it is sometimes pretty impossible for this to happen! Saddle flocking has changed a lot and is much kinder to a horse now - I can understand if you have a hard saddle you might want some shock absorbancy to counteract it, but modern saddles are, as I said, much kinder.
 
Thanks for the replies, it was during a conversation about saddle fittings that this was raised as I am fighting what seems a losing battle in trying to get a new saddle what with all the conflicting advice.

I thought I would ask the people with experience .
 
Echo exactly what Weezy said.
I would only use one if I had a saddle that normally fits, but my horse has changed shape (eg. my horse has been off work for a year, and when she's ridden again I'll get the saddler out - I am not spending money on a new saddle as I know when she's fit that her current one fits, so I imagine I'll end up using a pad of some sort until she has muscled up and built a topline again). I only use a thin cotton numnah under my saddles as both of them fit very well.
There are circumstances under which yes, pads should be used. However I think it's very silly to suggest all saddles should have them!
 
I always use the prolite saddle pads with my saddles. I always previously used a sheepskin numnah and i was told that it did not allow any room between the saddle and the horse's body, particularly around the shoulders and the muscle could not develop, so since changing there is more 'breathing' space and muscle has developed. My saddles all fit correctly and i think that the prolite just adds a bit more shock absorption.
 

Like I said I had mine fitted with a prolite and the saddle was made to measure so it fits my mare perfectly.

Its personal preference i guess though if any professional saddle fitters out there have any comments would be intersted to hear either way
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I am in the process of having a new saddle fitted; under the saddle fitters instructions I am using the saddle my horse came with with a prolite front pad and a rolled towel under the front to lift it off the shoulder, next week I will progress to a wider than normal saddle with prolite pad and will carry on like this for several months with the eventual aim of correcting my horses muscle development, freeing his shoulder and having a new correctly fitting saddle with no prolite pad. The saddle fitter was extolling the virtues of prolite pads; they certainly have their place but I would not expect to use one once my horse has developed correctly and is wearing his new saddle.
 
Interesting you have raised this point Daisy! I have just taken an ILPH horse on loan and got their saddle fitter to fit a new saddle whilst horse was still at ILPH farm. The saddler said exactly teh same thing, all the ILPH horses at this yard only have a prolite pad underneath. Her view was that research has been done to suggest prolite pad evens out pressures that saddles cause even if fitted well, on her recommendation i use a prolite pad under my saddle - though i didnt know this before.
 
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