Sheepskin half pads - which are best?

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NativePonyLover

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As title really!

I'm looking to buy a sheepskin half pad, to help accommodate my youngster's changing shape and saddle fitting issues that arise.

Which half pads are most recommended and also, how do people look after theirs?
 
lemieux mattes stephens bartl and anything in that price range.

NONE of the cheap Roma/Shires/etc range - they are made from lots of small bits of sheepskin stitched together and if you feel carefully you can feel the seams and so can a sensitive horse.
 
My saddle fitter recommended a LeMieux sheepskin half pad, which was about £60.00 Tiptop quality, we haven't done anything to it in over a year, its not gone mank, the pile is still good and so on. We put a saddle cloth underneath it for every day use, so that takes up the worst of the sweat. I believe you hand wash them in lukewarm water in a special wool wash then allow to dry naturally.

I think it is one of those things where you really do have to spend as much as you can possibly afford, the top quality ones are the sheepskin with the wool still attached, the cheaper ones are just wool attached to fabric, so technically sheepskin, but the pile will go flat in no time, they just won't hold up the same way as the more expensive good quality ones will.

I think Stephens is another good brand to go for, perhaps there are others as well. The main thing is it has to be real sheepskin, not just sheep wool attached to something else.
 
If you actually want to adjust the fit then I would recommend a Mattes correction numnah which has a shim system - very stable so if you do have a native it will really allow you to fine tune temporary fitting issues much more than you can with a sheepskin pad. I find that a wool fleece (silver standard) backing is perfect, so it works out about the same price as a good quality sheepskin pad.

I use these for all my remedial fittings.
 
LeMieux, the regular one or the Prosorb system, with pockets and shims under the sheepskin. You can actually wash the pads in washing machine, just cover the pile in hair conditioner beforehand and wash on a wool cycle with a non bio detergent. Allow to dry naturally - tumbledryer does them no good at all :D
 
:)I have a John Whitaker one and it is amazing.
I think it cost about £50.00 when I brought it nearly 3 years ago.
It is thick, soft and amazingly I ride 4 -6 times a week and have never had to wash it. Is hasn't lost it's 'fluffyness' and looks and feels great.
 
I used to have a Bartl, but sold it because i didn't need it.
Was lovely though, good quality for sure.
It had the sheep "hide" (or am i thinking of cows?!), so was thickish.

Always hand washed it though (with human conditioner), couldn't bear to put it in the washing machine!
 
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