What size numnah for my 17inch winter wide saddle?

[blaze21]

Hi, I have a dales pony who is 21 years old and is in need of a numnah i have previously been riding him with not numnah but his saddle is slipping as he is a very round pony. He has a 17inch wintec wide saddle with is brand new. Any help would be much appreciated thanks!

 

[be positive]

If the saddle is slipping a numnah will not stop it doing so, if the saddle is brand new I would be concerned it doesn't fit properly and want the fitter back out to take a look, it may just require a tweak to fit better, for a numnah a full size should be fine, something very thin that does not make too much difference to the fit of the saddle as with it slipping more padding may make matters worse.
Also look at how well your girth fits, if it goes up fairly high the saddle will be less stable, ideally it should be on the second or third hole each side, if it is any higher it may be worth getting a shorter one.

 

[blaze21]

Thank you I think I may need to get a smaller girth as it is high up on the holes. I think his saddle only slips at shows when his coat is washed and has a little coat condition on. Do you have any recommendations on a brand of numnahs? thanks

 

[Shay]

Don't put show sheen (or whatever) under the saddle! If you do it will slip regardless of numnah. If your girth is at the top of your girth holes you do need a new shorter one; but it would be worth checking the fit of the saddle as well. Simply tightening the girth to hold a poorly fitted saddle in place will hurt the pony.

As to makes of numnahs - a lot depends on what you are doing, your personal preference and your budget! If you want a numnah for competition then make sure you get one which suits your discipline. Other than that - personally I love the Nu-Med numnahs for day to day and dressage (we don't show!) and Le Mieux for SJ/XC. Unless your saddle is fitted to accommodate a 1/2 pad or fleece underlining then you'll need a numnah as thin as possible to avoid interfering with fit.