Saddlepads/polypads/etc? advice please

kez1001

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 January 2010
Messages
1,355
Visit site
I had saddler out to check fit of saddle a few months back and turned out or old wintec with medium gullet was too wide so new saddle has been fitted by saddler with medium narrow gullet and she was having a long chat about numnahs and girths. So she advised with fine sensitive horses (like princess izzy i have!, she is TB chesnut mare) that i would be one of the few client she would recommend thick polypads too (i have always used them with izzy though. she did say that for competitions that a nice sheepskin half pad and cloth would be nice and smart . so ive been using new saddle for a couple of months and all my polypads slip back underneath it, this never happened with wintec, though i know if it was too wide my weight on her probably kept it in place! so now ive have a few spare pennies and i having a snoop as to what to spend my pennies on?! :D
anyone had similar problem with saddle cloths and what do you use?
thanks
 
I use the NuuMed range of half wool numnahs and pads. I have one of their half pads with the memory foam inside and it looks very nice on top of a pad. I like the NuuMed range and though its not cheap it last forever.
 
How about a Prolite Pad? It evenly distributes the pressure.

You can buy them on their own so you can use a saddle cloth or you can buy them built in to the saddle cloth.
 
My horse is on a yard where they use polypads as a matter of course, presumably to protect the horses' backs, but I'm not keen on them TBH as I think they create too much bulk under the saddle.

IF your saddler is saying that you need a polypad in order to make the saddle fit, then you need to find another saddler in my opinion as if the saddle is a bad fit then nothing's gonna alter that.

However, I do know a lot of pro's use polypads as they are good for cushioning the back. If its slipping back with your horse/saddle, I think there's definitely a need to look at the fit and find out what's happening!
 
izzwizz - like the look of the nummed ones, will maybe try that. p.s izzy is a good name lol :D
sed - one of my friends has a prolite but i was worried that would effect saddle fit but i could always try it out.
Mijods - saddler didnt say that i need a polypad was just commenting on how as the horse was at her slimmest whenit was first fitted (end of winter) and spine very prominent that the padding from a polypad wouldnt do anyharm as long as it didnt alter fit of saddle. i think i havent explained myself very well, saddle doesnt move at all when on her its just the pad that moves. the saddler had been going over a few things with me and had metioned that most people over girth also to hold things in place. fit of saddle has been rechecked and still fits well but i do wonder if my polypads are just done! there isnt much life left in them, i am a clean freak and wash them after every other use if they are sweaty. thanks for your advice, i never used polypads til i got Izzy as i thought they were too bulky, but she was slighlty cold backed off the track too. agree also if need a pad to make saddle fit it is all wrong.
 
i dont think id be sacking the saddler quite yet....my 5yo def prefers to have a sheepskin pad under his saddles, so my saddler fits to take that in to account-maybe he means your horse also prefers this and has fitted accordingly?

i think a sheepskin half pad is a better option than a poly pad as you can use that with any saddecloth you like, I have a mattes, a Lemieux, and a Stephens. the Stephens is the thickest, then the Mattes, then the Lemieux.the Stephens come up huge, you wil only need a medium unless you have an 18inch saddle! ditto the lemieux, you will need a medium unless you have a huge saddle, Mattes come up bang on, mine is a large and the same length as the medium stephens and lemieux.hope that helps ;)
 
thanks i will have a look at those too as they sound very nice! pony is a pampered princess so she appreciates home comforts!
p.s - do you think we will still be allowed to event if we join the furry half pad gang? :D lol
maybe it will improve our sj!
 
Top