Proper saddle fit and clothes/pads/numnahs etc.

[Chinchilla]

Stupid question (I seem to be good at these lol) but with a correctly fitting saddle does having a saddle cloth, pad or numnah make it not fit correctly? is it better to have a numnah etc. with a really well fitting saddle or not? I know theoretically you shouldn't need one but is it more comfy for the horse if you do? Or does it just press uncomfortably with a very well fitting saddle?

Case in point: Diva's new saddle (Wintec 500 GP WIDE currently with 2XW gullet because I don't call her the picnic table pony for no reason :lol: ) didn't even budge when she had a spontaneous broncing fit on Friday (nothing to do with uncomfortableness, mum was trying to unruffle her fur under the girth and pinged Diva in the stomach with it by accident!! she's also never worn a saddle without a cloth on underneath before so it obviously felt a bit weird) and it didn't even budge at all.

So would it no longer fit correctly or be uncomfortable for her if I added a cloth underneath - it would be for purely aesthetic reasons because she's quite chunky and it looks better with a cloth IMO. Obvioulsy I am going to get her used to NOT having a cloth on because she can't be broncing every time I forget to bring the numnah with me lol.

Hope this makes sense, it might be a load of garbled BS, happy to clarify things if so.

 

[DiNozzo]

Saddle Cloths are mostly there to keep the saddle clean and free of sweat- so she shouldn't need one, but it will help to protect your saddle from dirt and sweat.

The saddle should be fitted with the pas that you want to use- for example, a sheepskin pad is quite thick and will make the fit a lot tighter than a think cotton one.

For most saddles and horses there is a small tolerance to the thickness of the pad, but as always, check with your saddle fitter!

 

[GirlFriday]

Agree that they are basically used (unless thick) to soak up sweat/look pretty. I suspect that, like people, some will prefer different feels and it will also depend what you're doing - e.g. in the summer on a long hot hack a pad can get quite soggy and not dry as fast as 'naked' horse during cool down walk.

Re: keeping saddle clean, I personally like them removed from saddle and aired each time/washed if sweaty as the build up of grime eventually sneaks between cloth and saddle and rubs in anyway (I've ridden in some almost never washed/some washed each time and a few in between). Depends a bit on how absorbant saddle itself is too.

 

[catkin]

saddle is usually fitted with the type of pad that is used underneath it (if one is used). Depends on use of horse, whether there's any remedial work to do, what the horse wants (and we all know they have very strong opinions of their own ).

one thing to watch is the cut of the pad - make sure it follows the line of the back ie extreme high-wither numnahs are not always the best fit under flat trees, you need a curve that follows the shape so it doesn't distort (......ask me how I know, i have natives ........ )

PS the reason you are asked to ride without a numnah by some saddlers is to check that the saddle and it's tree suits the horse and it's easier to see any little hiccups without any other equipment in the way

 

[cremedemonthe]

When I trained as a saddler 31 years ago we were always taught a good fitting saddle doesn't need any numnah or pad. However, in the real world I see more and more ill fitting saddles now and people try to rectify that with thick or remedial pads and it can be a good temporary remedy until the horse's problem/s is/are rectified. We used to use knitted wither pads to bolster the saddle up until the horse had muscled up sufficiently to be able to carry the the saddle in the right place and use a thick numnah with a hole cut in it like a corn plaster to avoid saddle contact with any problem areas until healed.
The idea that a saddle NEEDS a pad/numnah to make it more comfortable for the horse (one that hasn't got anything wrong with it's back) is misguided, the average panel is designed exactly for that purpose, a shock absorber and if it is flocked correctly allowing a good fit and ensuring it is comfy for the horse then it shouldn't be a problem for that horse.
Foam panels can be a bit thin and hard and then maybe a numnah of some sort would be a help there with comfort, any thick pad,numnah or saddle cloth can alter the fitting though.
As for keeping the saddle clean and sweat free, that's a rider choice as we used to clean our tack after every ride so sweat, mud, salt wouldn't be a problem but I am old school and that's how I was taught.
Oz

 

[Goldenstar]

I have one type of numah and cloth that I use they have a thin layer of memory foam under the saddle and pockets for shims .
My saddles are fitted to fit when the horses are wearing the cloths I then can add shims 5mm at time to tide me over should the horse change shape under the saddler comes .
Having grown up working in the no saddle cloths era I remember the daily labour to wash the lanolin off the bottom of the saddles ,nothing would induce me to return to that.

 

[soloequestrian]

The Balance/LM saddles philosophy is a little different. Their saddles are designed to always be used with a pad of some sort underneath. For a horse with a healthy back that might just be a thick wool numnah, but most will use at least a 1/4 inch gel pad. The idea is that the saddle is fitted to the static horse - moving correctly the back will lift and widen so the gel gives space for that to happen comfortably. Balance have a very informative website if you are interested.