Sheepskin Advice /Thoughts Please

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deefor

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I think I'd like to get a sheepskin numnah but not sure where to start. Thinking that will be best for his back in terms of comfort on very long days and want to get it sorted along with his saddle check which is coming up soon.

I was thinking of a full size GP, rather than a half pad, but any thoughts on whether sheepskin should be only on the back or cover the entire surface, ie under the saddle flaps too? Pros and Cons ?

Do the rolled edges make any difference other than cosmetic?

And would black on black be easier to keep clean than the more traditional cream / natural ? (Grey horse though!)

And of course cost is a big factor, so any bargin brands recomendations ?

And finally.. I am a big fan of poly pads..does sheepskin offer signifcant difference?

With many thanks to all the knowlegable people:>)
 
I use the numed ones - and love them.

I have had half pads before, and the thicker full type like Mattes and Stephens.

However, I found they compromised the fit of my saddle as they are so thick. So stick to the Numed ones now.
 
I have the numed half lined ones, and have a stephens half pad but as said is vv thick. TBH if you like polypads, and you are not going in the show ring, for the ease if use/fitting/washing, i would stick to them as i think they are fab!
 
agree with every thing marymoo said the stephens pads are really thick and are great for there job if the saddle is a bit big as will keep it off the withers but poly pads are super not expensive and wash up really well in the washing machine
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I use a Bartl sheepskin numnah that is very good. It is made of Merino lambs wool which is renound for its wicking properties (apparently) and it seems to do a pretty good job. My mare suffers with a funny reaction to sweat which is why I opted for this type of numnah as opposed to any other well padded type.
They are high maintenance to keep in good condition, i brush mine through after every use and it is washed once a week to stop it going crusty, so that is worth bearing in mind when making your decision.
 
Am also interested in this as would like to give my horse better back support but am sort of hesitating as I think extra pads could compromise fit of saddle - any views? Also, are sheepskin pads good in the summer or are they too warm?
 
The sheepskin wicks away the sweat and is classed as breathable apparently. I rode my mare in hers yesterday and it was very warm, I am yet to find out how she goes the rest of the summer though as have never used one before.
Her back wasn't as wet as it was in a quilted numnah after work. Bartl do a range with a vented spine to encourage air flow...
 
I'm a great fan of Griffin Nuumeds - I use the half-pad ones for endurance and find they don't get soaked and the saddle area doesn't seem to overheat even on the warmest days. I've never experienced rubs either, and the HiWither versions stay well up off the withers (oddly enough!).
 
I have Nuumeds for the English saddles and I think they are lovely and do a good job. I have never quite understood the theory behind the half-pads, the implication to me is that it is being used to try to make an ill-fitting saddle fit. Maybe there is a more technical reason for it that I am unaware of though.

For my western saddles I use merino lambskins - raw. Love them! The saddles nestle into the lambskin and provide a great comfort-zone for the horse on long journeys over difficult terrain. If you use sheepskin/lambskin without rolled edges (like I do for western) you will find the life of the skin is compromised as the girths do tend to wear the edges away, so I'd say rolled edges are far better.
 
That was my thinking about the half pads, but so many people use them I wasn't sure if I was right.
I have actually googled this morning to see if you could buy a sheep skin in its raw form which could then use as numnah, but not sure if that would stay in place with an English Saddle.
Even more confused now as on line shopping has come up with some which say they are wool, rather than sheepskin..IIs there a difference?
 
The ones that say "wool" are natural wool knitted through another material rather than being attached to the suede (hide) that you would have on a skin. What I'm trying to say is that there is no hide there, just the wool. It makes them far easier to care for if you don't have the suede/hide.

I bought baby lambskins (sold for comfort of human babies) and sewed them together.
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I rate the numed ones, I wash them every other use and tumble dry them
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I go for full wool underneath, so there is no ridge/ pressure point. Get natural coloured if you've got a grey, I speak from experence....... those white hairs on the black wool will drive you INSANE
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I have a natural coloured sheepskin numnah for my grey and i love it! Its a full size oneand the rolled edges don't seem to make any difference to the fit.
I use mine for hunting, just really because they are meant to be good for their backs!
 
Nuumed are better than sheepskin because they are wool woven on to a cotton backing. Much easier to wash and they last longer. Washing a skin is like washing leather, it eventually goes hardand/or the wool falls out.
When washing wool you must use a liquid wash, not powder. powder clogs up the fibres (invisible to naked eye) so they become less absorbant
 
I use the Roma Merino saddle cloth on my lad. He a sensitive soul who has problems if I use cotton/polyester mixes under his saddle. I use it every day, it washes in a cold wash, dries beautifully and this one os nearly 2 years old and still going strong!

He also has a Cottage Craft half pad for 'best' which has done really well too. I also made him a numnah with sheepskin under the saddle from a half pad. He uses this for xc, cos the panels of his saddle cause him to react if I use the half pad and he sweats alot (I wasn't joking when I said he was preciuos!!!)

For his dressage saddle he's got a Mattes pure wool cloth. This one doesn't wash quite as well, and is 'courser' than the merino.
 
Thanks everyone... I think the general advice seems to be get a Nuumed numnah in natural colour and with sheepskin / wool covering all of the surface, not just under the saddle. That said a real sheepskin sounds just lovely, but would be hard to keep in good condition as not so easy to wash...Maybe keep it just for hunting season
..>Wanders off to look at lovely brown and cream sheep in field next to office....
 
nuumed have a factory shop near Shepton Mallet if you're passing that way....

Where I rode as a teenager they used to actually skin the sheep or even goat and use it. It was a bit gross cos the ears were still there!
 
stuffing a flock of sheep underneath your saddle means your saddle doesnt fit - also if your saddle is a good fit it means that it will tighten your saddle!##Just a thought to bare in mind if the saddle is due its check soon
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