Sheepkin v's Prolite? & How do you keep your sheepskin clean & fluffy?

Hi there. Due to b's tender back issues and the fact that my saddle is sitting a little low, possibly due to muscle wastage as a result of said back issues, I am going to invest in some nice sheepie pads for him - looking at nuu med griffin half pad initially. Now. these are a little pricier than your average saddle cloth, so I can only get a couple to start with, and I want them to last, but all the older ones I have seen on our yard look bobbly and matted and this would be for daily use, rather than just for shows. I am borrowing a prolite pad just now, which fixes the saddle issue and i do like that and will probably get one of them too, but thought the sheepskin pad would be equally as good, if not better for him.

Any experience/opinions on how the sheepskin pads compares to the prolite pads?

Any tips on how to keep sheepskin looking new and fluffy?

Cheers!!

Fi x
 
asbo

asbo

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only wash it in the right stuff, change every few days and apparently if you give them a gentle back comb they come up like new
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Hair conditioner applied throughout the sheepskin before washing apparently works well
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I use a Prolite at home and a sheepskin at comps
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Change it every day - cover it in hair conditioner before you wash it, and use a very mild detergetn.
 
I use the numed griffin half pad with a thin saddle cloth underneath to keep it clean, then you only need one and rarely have to wash it, so stays nice and fluffy and moulded to your horses shape.
x
 
You can use both at the same time! I've seen it done on a couple of hunting hirelings to protect them from the overweight maniacs aboard... Personally, I use a Bartl sheepskin because they machine wash very well and come up as new.
 
I wouldnt use a prolite and a sheepskin for the same purpose.

I have about 100 sheepskins and foudn the Bartl and Stephens ones to be good value for money. I do tend to find that there is variation in softness though. I also have an old JW one which is really soft, but the newer ones seem very coarse. I find the nuumed ones quite coarse.

To wash, I use Bartl soap and sometimes hair conditioner. I usually wash them in the washing machine when I have several to do, but sometimes I just wash one individually by had. You must dry them flat though so that they can regain their shape and not go all crinkly.
 
That's interesting, so it's down to regular washing mainly then? oh dear, I am not the world's best at washing/tack cleaning.
Jo- I thought it defeated the purpose of the ss if you put a cloth under it, doesn't that make it 'just for looks'?

kerilli, the problem is a recurring muscle spasm/tenderness in his loins which is being helped with physio and careful schooling to increasing topline and consistent way of going. do you think i should just stick with prolite and forget about sheeps?
 
i use v expensive 1 and so only have 1 but have had for over a year and only had it dri cleaned once (after v wet day hunting) and it still looks brand new. i think my pony had simmiler sounding prob to urs and it real helped him to have some thing soft to work into. will put another post when reember name of pad
 
This is a huge generalisation, but I recommend a prolite to limit concussion e.g. jumping. I recommend a sheepskin when the horse has muscle atrophy and needs to build topline/even out. However, in those circumstances I fit the saddle slightly wider to allow the muscle to develop – without the sheepskin the saddle would be a touch too wide but with it the horse can move more freely and the muscle can move. I wouldn’t use a prolite to do this job.
Sometimes I recommend a prolite with front riser pads if the muscle atrophy is particularly bad or the weight of the rider requires it. It very much depends on the horse in question.
In your case, I would use a sheepskin but ensure that the saddle has been fitted with a sheepskin in mind. Its no use if the saddle directly fits the horse as all it will do is make the saddle narrower which will pinch the withers and restrict the shoulder. In your case I would also have an exercise plan to ensure that consistent correct work builds up the topline.
 
Thanks CB Anglo. What your saying does make sense - B's saddle is a little wide at the moment so a pad is fine underneath it. I am using the prolite one just now and it does help it fit correctly, It has pockets for pads at the front, but it doesn't need them in. I'll see if I can borrow a sheepskin to see if how we get on and use my prolite when jumping etc.

Cheers for your advice everyone!

F x
 
My lad has sheepskin as he reacts to saddlecloths made with polyester.

I wash them on a cold wash, and have used both numed wash stuff and regular powder. As long as it goes on cold then out onto the line to dry naturally, mine are as fluffy and soft as the day they were bought.
 
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