The rise of the fluffy

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Bonnie Allie

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I feel like I’ve been overwhelmed by the addition of fluffy to everything equestrian.

Do we need the half pad under every saddle? I thought it was only for therapeutic reasons when the horse required special fitting needs.

The fluffy on girths does that not increase your washing/cleaning exponentially?

Fluffy lining in horse boots, same. Washing machine would be going full time at our place if we used these.

It all looks super, but are we over fluffing our horses?

Btw - have always been a huge fan of pure quality sheepskin for wither rub, chest rub and shadow rolls on nose bands when required.
 
I think there is are a lot of people these days who like the looking after their horses but for horse owning, rather than seeing them as just for riding, and washing fluff for them is part of that. In the whole scale of things it's reasonably harmless except to the planet, maybe.

I always used a half sheepskin under WOW saddles to stop them feeling the airbag overlap, but it was on top of a thin saddle cloth and never washed.
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I have a fluufy Nuumed wool numnah under my jump saddle. It is the thinner one but I think the wool feels nice and deals with sweat. I mean, a Nuumed isn't cheap but...

Both horses have the ridiculously expensive saddle cloths under their dressage saddles. They seem to loke them. Rigsby's one cost more than the saddle. They are very smooth underneath and the hair doesn't stick. They are the ones that come in the huuuuge bag. I had both custom made too, with the Spanish line as neither has a long back. Rigs has the herringbone wool upper and H has the Airtech top. No binding.

I have tried the LeMieux ones but have sold them all. I don't think they are particularly back-friendly, especially the ones with a channel.

ETA - Equitex! I had to look it up!
 
Bonnie Allie said:
Btw - have always been a huge fan of pure quality sheepskin for wither rub, chest rub and shadow rolls on nose bands when required.
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Perhaps some people are using what you call 'fluff' proactively rather than reactively. They don't want their horses to get rubs anywhere. I do think that genuine, good quality sheepskin is better than synthetic fluff
 
There’s been fluff on everything for donkeys years now. Don’t see the harm, better too much comfort than too little.
 
My big boy sweats at the mere sight of sunshine even clipped out so in summer I use a fluffy girth because it absorbs and seems to me it would be more comfortable than smooth leather. Admittedly he doesn't seem remotely bothered either way so maybe I'm just projecting. 🤷
 
I have some fluffy things! I have a half pad with shims, only ever use it as a go between when I need a fitter out and I know the saddle needs altering.
Ziggy has sheepskin pads because he seems to be happy in them and they sit well under his saddle where lots slip.
I don’t use anything I don’t need too! Too lazy but if an item genuinely helps or is preferred I’m happy to use 😂
 
Pepsi loves his Nuumed wool numnah, he carries tension in his back but it’s a thousand times better after I bought one on my saddle fitters recommendation. I was skeptical about spending £90 on a numnah, but it’s made a really noticeable difference.

Same with his boots, his SJ boots are fluff trimmed. The bog standard pair rubbed enough after being worn for 1hr that the hair has never properly grown back (he only wears them when he has studs in now)

XC boots aren’t fluffy as would hold water and I have to be super careful not to wear them too often or for too long or they cause sores too (buying a TB is fun I promise…)
 
I've no personal need to use it, so don't. But if other's do, I have no issue.

Actually, I've realised lied! I have a fluffy seat saver as I don't like the Le Mieux gel ones but need a bit of extra comfort as often I'm in the saddle for long rides.
 
Sheepskin is a gret product to have against the horse's skin - absorbs sweat, keeps the skin cooler and provides both spreading of pressure and reduction of concussive forces. Wool isn't quite the same, it does wick sweat to an extent, but less of the pressure and concussion benefits.

Compasses said:
I don’t mind it until it comes to boots- we should not be heating tendons up anymore than they are
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I would be very interested to see if sheepskin linings made tendons warmer or cooler than a similar boot with a different lining. I agree that boots heat up tendons, but sheepskin may not be as bad as you think, only because of how it performs under saddles. There may well be figures that prove me wrong.

suestowford said:
I tried a fluffy girth sleeve once, my pony hated it and complained until I removed it.
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Sometimes it's the bulk, if the elbow lies close to the ribcage (often a sign of a slightly compromised thoracic sling, as a note) then there may not be room. Some horses don't like sheepskin.

Centaur Biomechanics had some research that showed, for their sample, a sheepskin half pad benefited a saddle's performance/reduced its harmful effect on the horse even when the saddle wasn't adjusted to take the pad into account. My 16 years saddle fitting experience (and most fitters I've spoken to about it) would disagree, that a sheepskin pad can easily make a saddle tip back and/or bridge, and in some cases pinch the spinal processes, and I'd suggest that having a half lined pad brings more benefit by having the sheepskin next to the skin. More work to care for the pad of course...but do always have your saddle checked and adjusted if you change the thickness of the pad you use, and watch for design features that help with your particular shape of horse such as a cut away at the top/front on high withered horses to save their spinal processes being pinched.
 
All my horses have PE sheepskin numnahs and a smidge of sheepskin on their grackles. I wash them all by hand with conditioner and a hose. Takes minutes.
Not sure what the issue is?

By fluffy I thought you meant the rise in natural horsemanship. Not a bad thing as long as, like everything, it's not taken to extremes.
 
No issue here either.

My youngest one fractured his skull a few years ago so had a few months off and then when I brought him back into work I took off the browband and added fluff to the headpieces and cheek piece of his bridle for almost a year just to make sure he was as comfortable as possible.

People have their reasons (including just liking it!)
 
I try and use sheepskin lined products. But, my mare is very sensitive and thin-skinned.

I have noticed the decrease in genuine sheepskin products, and an increase in products lined with a synthetic alternative - which just seems bonkers to me. Why would you opt for something that has none of the attributes of wool (anti-microbial, cooling and the absorption of concussion) is a mystery to me. Putting aside the ecological impact of how long synthetic fibres take to break down over organic fibres.

I did write to the Letters section of H&H about this, but they obviously didn't publish as I'd named that big brand that's monopolising horsewear.

I was able to find one pair of sheepskin trimmed overreach boots at Badminton, from Eskadron. Everywhere else only stocked faux fur trimmed and lined boots.
 
All of mine wear fleece lined girths due to being sensitive for different reasons. I like the fact I can put them in the washing machine, and their comfort comes first.
 
Nothing beats a pure sheepskin well fitted numnah for a hunter working hard for hours, teamed with a 3 fold leather girth with serge inside it that has been well oiled.

Nothing would persuade me to use the fancy bling that swamps the equine market these days.
 
I had this most luxurious lambs wool girth sleeve.

I don't ride much anymore, however it got recycled into a dog collar sleeve when my dog had a skin condition that partly affected her neck and needed something less abrasive to wear.

I love the fluff, in honesty.

It looks cozy.
 
I'm the lucky guardian of a thin-skinned ex-racehorse, who breaks out in boils if you dress him up in synthetic materials.

I wish I was making this up.

Hence the aging, increasingly arthritic and forever airheaded Mr. Prissyboots gets wrapped in sheepskin allover when we go for a hack. Honestly it feels a little embarassing sometimes, but I suppose explaining without prompting to every fellow horse person we meet en route "He's sensitive!!" just makes it worse...
 
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