Shimmable numnahs/saddlecloths

[flat3]

Hi all

Looking for shimmable numnahs / saddlecloths, where the shim pockets are integrated into the numnah fabric.

I'm aware of Le Mieux and Nuumed - does anyone else do them?

I've tried googling but I just get billions of results about all kinds of different half/correction pads which isn't what I'm after!

Cookies for contributions ?

 

[JGC]

Mattes do them, my saddle fitter has just ordered one for me.

 

[Red-1]

Mine is a Prolite, but I like the ones with 3 pockets on each side to deal with many saddle slight imbalances.

Prolite Tri Pad - Adjustable - Thin (thesaddleryshop.co.uk)

The front/rear type can deal with some issues, but the third pocket also helps with saddles which may be a tad curvy or straight, such as filling a bridging gap.

I like the pockets too as you can trim the shims themselves to ensure the gullet space remains wide enough. With some pads, the padding fills the gullet and can create a pinch point.

ETA - Doh, sorry, just re-read and you don't want a half pad. Ignore the above!

 

[flat3]

Mine is a Prolite, but I like the ones with 3 pockets on each side to deal with many saddle slight imbalances.

I can't find where to buy a prolite one? I can see the odd old one on eBay but nowhere to buy off the shelf new?

 

[Iznurgle]

I can't find where to buy a prolite one? I can see the odd old one on eBay but nowhere to buy off the shelf new?

Saddles Ireland sell them (for quite a good price!), but if you're in the UK I don't know if you'll have to pay taxes or not.

 

[suffolkp]

The lavinia mitchell saddles website has them - it's under 'tack locker' or something like that

 

[flat3]

Saddles Ireland sell them (for quite a good price!), but if you're in the UK I don't know if you'll have to pay taxes or not.

Thank you. I'm looking for shimmable numnahs / saddlecloths, where the shim pockets are integrated into the numnah fabric - I can't see those on the link you posted but please redirect me if I'm missing them!

 

[sbloom]

Prolite have become industry standard but the foam is very low performance, no more shock absorption than sheepskin and the shims are not fine tunable. I recommend Mattes and Invictus, Mattes will make literally any of their designs (they have a great configurator e-a-mattes.com) with shim pockets whereas Invictus is a half pad to be used over a numnah.

 

[flat3]

Prolite have become industry standard but the foam is very low performance, no more shock absorption than sheepskin and the shims are not fine tunable. I recommend Mattes and Invictus, Mattes will make literally any of their designs (they have a great configurator e-a-mattes.com) with shim pockets whereas Invictus is a half pad to be used over a numnah.

Thank you, that's good to know. Pony has prolite at the moment and likes it (recently tried gel pad instead and was told no!) I'm put off sheepskin because it seems like a faff to maintain and if it gets wet etc. - should I rethink?

 

[Barton Bounty]

I know you said you know about the le mieux but I am only commenting to say I rate them really highly. I have a pro sorb with three pockets for 5 years now and I also have the lambskin half pad when I change numnahs to wash, I actually cannot fault it at all. They wash brilliantly ?

 

[teacups]

There’s also the premier equine corrector pad - saw it used recently.
Bottom of list of this page
https://www.patrickwilkinson.co.uk/prolite-pads/

ETA doh - not what you’re looking for! apologies. Out of interest, why do you specifically look for one integrated in the numnah? Is there an specific advantage, or perhaps aesthetics?

 

[suffolkp]

Prolite have become industry standard but the foam is very low performance, no more shock absorption than sheepskin and the shims are not fine tunable. I recommend Mattes and Invictus, Mattes will make literally any of their designs (they have a great configurator e-a-mattes.com) with shim pockets whereas Invictus is a half pad to be used over a numnah.

I'm curious about this - what's the best pad with adjustable shims? As my impression was that invictus was pads of one thickness. What material do mattes use in the pocket part of their pads (in addition to the sheepskin underneath)?

 

[flat3]

There’s also the premier equine corrector pad - saw it used recently.
Bottom of list of this page
https://www.patrickwilkinson.co.uk/prolite-pads/

ETA doh - not what you’re looking for! apologies. Out of interest, why do you specifically look for one integrated in the numnah? Is there an specific advantage, or perhaps aesthetics?

Yes aesthetics mostly ?

 

[sbloom]

I'm curious about this - what's the best pad with adjustable shims? As my impression was that invictus was pads of one thickness. What material do mattes use in the pocket part of their pads (in addition to the sheepskin underneath)?

They are the best two. The Invictus Equality has shims. Felt in Mattes, dense foam in Invictus, but they're not the functional part of the pad, they just take up space so the material doesn't have to be high performance.

 

[Goldenstar]

My choice is the griffin numed memory foam numah or saddle cloth which come with a selection of 5 mm shims .
These are also available in extra large far too many numahs and saddles cloths are too short .
Pro lite consistently perform best in pressure testing but I find them too thick as my saddle are made to fit thin shims are all needed when horses change .

 

[Sossigpoker]

I can't find where to buy a prolite one? I can see the odd old one on eBay but nowhere to buy off the shelf new?

Griffin Nuumed sell the numnahs with integrated prolite. Just Google Griffin Nuumed saddle cloths or similar.

 

[Goldenstar]

The griffin numed shims are not prolite the integrated ones are memory foam.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I have a numed numnah with insertable shims and a LeMeiux as well. They are both good. They only do them in black.

 

[flat3]

Thanks for all the replies

 

[Hackback]

Just for people with sensitive skinned horses - I can't remember the make, but I bought one a few years back where the pockets for the shims were on the underside of the pad and fastened by velcro. These rubbed my horse. I'd choose a pad that had the opening for the pockets on the top of the numnah, ie between numnah and saddle, rather than between numnah and horse.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Just for people with sensitive skinned horses - I can't remember the make, but I bought one a few years back where the pockets for the shims were on the underside of the pad and fastened by velcro. These rubbed my horse. I'd choose a pad that had the opening for the pockets on the top of the numnah, ie between numnah and saddle, rather than between numnah and horse.

I can't imagine any numnah having the openings underneath as that will create pressure points. Why would they do that ?

 

[sbloom]

Pro lite consistently perform best in pressure testing

Source? Centaur have researched half pads - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080620303981 - but it has not been confirmed publicly, to my knowledge, that the foam pad was Prolite and I have never heard that it's a medical grade foam, as cited in the abstract. Pressure testing shows us all sorts of things depending on how it's done - we can spread pressure statically, dynamically, shear forces etc etc, it's complex. The "wool" half pad shows the best results in trot, the foam pad in canter, I believe these are peak pressures. I would argue that peak pressures would be better under the more advanced technology of d3o as in the Invictus, or Poron XRD which is in some US pads, but they were not tested. You CAN find their detailed testing results online as they are proprietary materials, unlike Prolite which is not. I also wonder if the "wool" pad is wool shorn and inserted into a knitted backing; if it is then I'd hazard that sheepskin would perform better as it retains its structural integrity - medical grade sheepskin has a proven performance, "wool" less so, yet it still outperforms Prolite in trot in the testing.

Sorry for the essay but we need to get specific if we're talking about it performing "best" in pressure testing.

And pockets, IMO, should open on the top, the "male" stiffer velcro can cause serious wrinkles under the LM shim pads. The Mattes construction method is way better but way more complex, hence accounting for part of the extra cost, plus they have ethical business practices! And the Pro-sorb is another tech that has little publicly available performance testing available. Stick to proprietary materials - d3o, Poron XRD and Akton (VIP, not a bad option and I am pretty sure NOT the gel pad in the testing, which was likely an old "tombstone" type pad with cover).

 

[Goldenstar]

My saddler is the one who told me about prolite.
Having said I have two prolite pads but only use them under my fairfax lunging roller ( which is designed with using the prolite pad ).
I don’t like them under saddler they are way too thick and a saddle that needs those would be class as not fitting here .
Horses vary in what they like under there saddles some show strong preferences for certain things .
I had one horse who loved the Paul fielder memory foam pad he was trans formed by it .
I also think shims are often too big and stick up to much into the gullet area so I often trim them shorter .
I used to think shims represented failure to buy the right saddle but experience has taught me that learning to shim gives you lots of options .
An example is our horses will hunt with a man with a shimmed throughout numah (5mm shims ) to accommodate the extra weight .
Hunters also loose kilos and kilos of fluid on a long day and the shims help accommodate that as the day goes on .
The choice is bewildering now a days however I do think the old fashioned felt pad was a good simple thing .
Right when I was starting out with horses I saw pads filled with mashed up cork the cork was supposed to absorb moisture and move to alleviate pressure points .
There’s no doubt If I look back the saddles we use to today are a massive improvement in terms of fit and horse welfare .
The past was however simpler.