what do people use under their saddle and why?

[stormox]

For the past 2 years I have used a Lemieux saddle shaped sheepskin numnah, but I think my current mare gets too hot under her saddle, she seems to want to rub and roll as soon as I dismount so I am trying a quilted saddle square which she seems to prefer.
Does everyone these days use some sort of padding under their saddle? Why? It seems to be a fairly modern trend.
What do you use and reason for choosing it please.

 

[DabDab]

I use thin quilted generally, but I do have a couple of half lined lambskin, generally for backing babies. I don't find they heat up much more in the lambskin I have to say, and horses who like a very stable feeling from the saddle seem to appreciate the lambskin. However, the vast majority of horses with a well fitting saddle prefer minimal bulk underneath it I've found, which stands to reason.

Sorry, bit of a ramble, not sure if I've answered your question or not

 

[iknowmyvalue]

I usually use a thin quilted numnah with a gel half pad. I find quilted numnahs easier to wash when they get dirty, and they are cheaper so I can have multiple ones to change around whilst washing the others. Gel pad was initially to stablilise saddle, but have found that horse now just prefers the feeling of it. I have a lambskin one which I use for hunting, as I think it is more comfortable, wicks the swear away better and provides some extra cushioning for the long day out (but I did get saddler to check he was happy of the fit of the saddle with it on, which he was).

If you've been using a sheepskin numnah until now, I'd be concerned that your saddle might be too wide with a just thinner pad, so I'd want to get your saddler out to check it, or alternatively use a sheepskin half pad on top to mimic the normal bulk you have (though that might defeat the point of the exercise!)

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I don’t ever remember riding without something under the saddle. I’ve got my pony’s old faux wool one which is about 35yrs old. I also remember using big square poly pads 20-30 years ago. There is a trend for thicker real sheepskins but I think pads now are better shaped. Old ones rarely accounted for a wither!

I use Lemieux square GP pads and Griffin Nuumed GP half wool numnahs. Neither are particularly bulky and keep saddle clean underneath with a little extra padding. Their use is accounted for in the fitting.

 

[Asha]

I use the acavello gel pad. Purely because if it good enough for Charlotte, its good enough for me ! (yep, I'm a sucker for good marketing) I bought one originally for one of mine that was a bit sensitive, he went so much better in it, they all use one now. Underneath that, I tend to use a standard saddle cloth.

 

[Fiona]

My connie and the pony have a thin quilt underneath as that's how their saddles were fitted, and they are both quite round.

OH's mare has a thicker polypad or shaped polypad under her saddle. Her previous saddle she used a half sheep numnah as it filled in the hollows behind her withers, but with her new saddle it wasn't needed any more.

Fiona

 

[Auslander]

Lemieux pads mostly, with a sheepskin half pad. Saddle was fitted with the sheepskin, and a wider gullet used, as himself said he didn't really like the gullet width that technically fitted him

 

[catembi]

Lemieux half pad - saddler said to use one with the front riser shims until the muscle wastage at the front fills out. Saddle sits beautifully with it.

 

[blitznbobs]

dressage saddle - Le mieux plain thin saddle pad... cos my saddle fits her well so nothing else is needed - on my jumping saddle nothing at all... it fits so close that a pad disturbs the fit and therefore I just have to clean my saddle more... if i put a pad under it it's too tight and she objects!

 

[Shay]

If the saddle is correctly fitted than anything other than a thin numnah / pad will alter that fit. If you want to use a more padded piece then the saddle fit has to be altered to accommodate it. However you can use more quilted pads to adapt a poorly fitted saddle as a short term measure - perhaps with a horse that has changed shape or whilst waiting for a better fitted saddle to arrive.

For me - I use what works. I do like to use a gel or limpet pad for hunting - probably to be honest because it makes me feel better about being on their backs for 5 - 7 hours! I do prefer a sheepskin under a foam flocked saddle - especially if jumping over 1.10. You don't need it under a wool flocked one but if you want to use it because it looks nice just fit the saddle to accommodate it. I have endurance pads, super soft quilts and all sorts just to that I can get a saddle to comfortable on more or less anything in the short term. But in the long term - made to measure and a thin 100% cotton numnah. I like high wither ones - but that is because most of the horses I have have been high withered so thats what I'm used to. I also prefer close contact - but if you have a 5 point breast plate and an airjacket already trying to get into the D ring (never mind the hip flask...) then having space for the numnah straps as well can be a bit much.

 

[Jo1987]

I use old polypads for mine, saddle seems more secure, horse is happy, nice even sweat mark and no rubbing.
If I use anything else, saddle seems tight or less stable? I’m sure I could use any old pad on my other horses but polypads work best for current cob.

 

[irishdraft]

I use a lemieux quilted square for everyday and a morpheus lambswool for hunting

 

[Sparemare]

I use nothing. Saddle fits well.

 

[Pippity]

Nuumed half-wool numnah, on the saddle fitter's advice. His saddle's the best fit we could manage, with the tree adjusted to his template, but he's an awkward shape and more comfortable with the thicker numnah.

 

[NZJenny]

Most horses want to rub and roll when the saddle comes off and sheepskin breaths well, so it is actually one of the coolest options, which is why it is favoured by endurance riders.

Under my dressage saddle I use a Lemiux saddle pad, because they fit so well. And under my trail (think western) saddle I use a Toklat Woolback pad, because western saddles are designed to have a thick pad and the Woolback is cool and comfortable.

 

[Steerpike]

I use Griffin nuumed wool endurance numnahs and fleece type lined lets ride numnahs for my horses, they keep the horses backs cooler, dry quickly between loops and as of yet never had a problem with rubs.

 

[ozpoz]

Nuumed half pad - nothing beats wool for comfort next to their skin.

edited to add: not because of saddle fit, because my saddle was fitted with the pad I always use in place!

 

[ihatework]

Saddlecloth - mostly the numed ones with thin wool layer, with a thin acavello gel

 

[SpottyTB]

Lemieux cc pad with the acavallo Gel pad on top for everyday and then sheepskin for hunting, as he is fully clipped and it can get cold out there!

 

[Sandstone1]

If the saddle fits well surely you should only have a thin pad ? Anything thick will alter the fitting?

 

[Casey76]

I use thin quilted pad with as little filling as possible, because that is how the saddle was fitted for Tartine

Blitz has a thin cotton square and a dead sheep half pad at the moment, as he lost some muscle during his enforced time off - as soon as he regains the muscle I'll put the dead sheep away again.

 

[Annagain]

Griffin Nuumed everyday high wither numnah (plain one with no sheepskin) in good old boring brown. It's what the saddler told me to use.

 

[sbloom]

I actually really like and recommend a good sheepskin pad - its main functions in my mind are to give a more compressible layer into which the horse's soft tissue can expand, and to wick away sweat and obviously cool the back, it doesn't WARM the back, and you'd not want it to, heat is damaging. So, you can use all year round with confidence.

Most of the foams and gels are really unproven, check out The Truth Tack Review on Youtube, they are made from non-named materials so you can't check out how the material really performs, and some of the industry standard pads really aren't "all that".

Thin cotton is fine, polypads are okay, I think thin pads should be the type that are thin but dense, should almost stand up on their own, especially on roly poly shapes where you don't want any instability introduced.

If thicker than a thin pad then the saddle should be fitted to accommodate the pad, and even on the days you wash your dead sheep then you should be using a pretty thick pad to compensate. Oh and sheepskin means medical grade robust sheepskin, wool fleece and merino lambskin aren't bad products but they don't do what sheepskin does.

 

[stormox]

I actually really like and recommend a good sheepskin pad - its main functions in my mind are to give a more compressible layer into which the horse's soft tissue can expand, and to wick away sweat and obviously cool the back, it doesn't WARM the back, and you'd not want it to, heat is damaging. So, you can use all year round with confidence.

I assumed the lemieux sheepskin was.making her warm as she was sweaty under it but she isnt getting sweaty under the thinner pad, nor is the pad getting as damp as the sheepskin did.

 

[sbloom]

It's probably lambskin which won't wick in the same way as sheepskin, but it may say more about the construction of the pad overall, I have no idea. But medical grade sheepskin is successful in preventing bedsores in big part because it draws heat away. The Mattes pads that I stock will show less sweat under them than a cotton pad.

 

[stormox]

Yes it is lambskin. I didnt realise it had different properties than sheepskin. Thanks for that.

 

[pansymouse]

It's probably lambskin which won't wick in the same way as sheepskin.

I'm very interested to know why they wick differently; as far as I'm aware the only difference between sheep and lambskin is the age of the sheep it came off.

 

[NinjaPony]

I use a plain cotton saddlepad in summer, and a plain cotton saddlepad with an eskadron sheepskin underlay in winter, purely because my sensitive grey connie rubs at the drop of a hat, particularly when clipped. The underlay is great because its so thin, so it doesn't bulk out the saddle too much, but touch wood he hasn't got rubs this year. Saddle has been fitted properly and never rubs in the summer, but he has very delicate skin and hyper-pigmentation so most things he own need some sort of soft padding including headcollars! So much for sturdy natives...

 

[LeannePip]

I'm very interested to know why they wick differently; as far as I'm aware the only difference between sheep and lambskin is the age of the sheep it came off.

yes same ^^

In the summer use lemieux pads/ saddle cloths on both my dressage and jump. Jump saddle is currently fitted with a lemieux fluffy half pad as it improved the fit somewhat an i like the added padding for jumping.

In winter i use a PE half lined dressage square just to give a little more padding when she looses her summer covering and i've found all my normal saddle cloths to rub on the corners and back when shes clipped.

 

[sbloom]

Merino lambskin is shorter and a finer staple than proper sheepskin from a grown sheep, it will wick less (ie the volume of water it can hold, possibly even the rate at which is can absorb) and spread pressure less because of that. Lambskin is not used medically.

ON another note what I didn't say is that you should always make sure that your sheepskin pad is not only made in one piece (some have seams in which you do not want as you can imagine) and also it should really be made symmetrically from the sheep, with each panel cut from either side of the centre line, so they match as closely as possible in structure, direction of hair growth etc. Cheaper ones will be cut with more than two panels coming from each sheepskin and not be symmetrical, and you can see why a good sheepskin pad is expensive.