Why do you use a sheepskin half pad?

I've had to use pads on saddles before with the say so of saddle fitter; there have been times when I couldn't afford the new saddle that my horse needed, and the pad made the saddle I had fit to a reasonable standard
 
I use one (and other thick pads, gel, Prolite, depending on which fits/suits each saddle best) because experience has taught me that if you spend several hours in the saddle (long hacks, hunting, etc) it needs extra padding no matter how well it fits. I have also used it to lift a saddle away from the withers.
 
Digger66 said:
I want to get one now - the prolite pad the saddler suggested is a little too thick now that the 'orse has muscled up ..... and will have the added benefit of annoying the tack police. :0
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:D

You should buy an entire sheepskin pelt (British wool if possible) then not only will you be easily be able to cut a lovely thick pad out of it but you'll then have piles of fluff left to cover the girth, noseband, cheeks, headpeice, boots and martingale.
 
dixie said:
My sheepskin also has shims inside. I was using a Prolite but changed to this as he was getting bare rub marks at the back of his saddle. Its also easier to fit as already attached to the saddle rather than fussing with several layers. I've never liked Sheepskin but I really like the fit and feel of this.
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Those bare marks are caused by your saddle not sitting on his back - the saddle has an area under you that has too much padding and you are getting a see saw affect - as you rise the saddle will go down in front and then as you sit it will see saw to the back. You need to have the saddler come and refit your saddle.

There have been recent talk from vets and saddlers as to the use of halfpads - that they cause additional pressure especially along the edges.

To those that think they are cushioning against that bit of a bump when landing from a jump - you do nothing for your horse with an extra bit of foam.

Your saddle is made with a thick layer of wool flocking to help it sit comfortably on the horses back. Every time you add something to the gap you affect the fit and comfort of the saddle for the horse. At one time we never had anything under the saddle - numnahs and saddle blankets were a fashion trend that came into being in the early 70's. before that we didn't use them and certainly had few saddle fit problems. To this day I don't use them. With a stable of 32 riding school horses/ponies we had a single thickness piece of carpet underfelt under the saddles and despite being ridden by beginners in the 9 years I ran the school we never had any horse/pony with a back problem.

Using a thin saddle pad or having some shims for when the horse drops condition or changes shape is sensible but having all the extra every day is not.

By the way - how many of you use a breastplate? At one time you rarely ever saw a horse wearing one - now they are everywhere because in general people find their saddles move back - because they no longer fit - because they have so much additional padding under
the saddle.
 
Kallibear said:
:D

You should buy an entire sheepskin pelt (British wool if possible) then not only will you be easily be able to cut a lovely thick pad out of it but you'll then have piles of fluff left to cover the girth, noseband, cheeks, headpeice, boots and martingale.
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This is exactly what I did for my show half pad, I could match the colour with Doodle's coat much closer and also spent less than half what a branded pad would have cost. I also made a shearling wool (think it was anyway, I made it a few years ago now) pad where the wool is much thinner so better for hot days or if I didn't want too much padding under her saddle.


Tnavas said:
Those bare marks are caused by your saddle not sitting on his back - the saddle has an area under you that has too much padding and you are getting a see saw affect - as you rise the saddle will go down in front and then as you sit it will see saw to the back. You need to have the saddler come and refit your saddle.

There have been recent talk from vets and saddlers as to the use of halfpads - that they cause additional pressure especially along the edges.

To those that think they are cushioning against that bit of a bump when landing from a jump - you do nothing for your horse with an extra bit of foam.

Your saddle is made with a thick layer of wool flocking to help it sit comfortably on the horses back. Every time you add something to the gap you affect the fit and comfort of the saddle for the horse. At one time we never had anything under the saddle - numnahs and saddle blankets were a fashion trend that came into being in the early 70's. before that we didn't use them and certainly had few saddle fit problems. To this day I don't use them. With a stable of 32 riding school horses/ponies we had a single thickness piece of carpet underfelt under the saddles and despite being ridden by beginners in the 9 years I ran the school we never had any horse/pony with a back problem.

Using a thin saddle pad or having some shims for when the horse drops condition or changes shape is sensible but having all the extra every day is not.

By the way - how many of you use a breastplate? At one time you rarely ever saw a horse wearing one - now they are everywhere because in general people find their saddles move back - because they no longer fit - because they have so much additional padding under
the saddle.
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You are right to a great extent about the shock absorbing effect but it makes me feel better and I do only use them when I can see the saddle is fitting with them on.
My jump saddle is fitted for the pad to always be used, my dressage saddle I've just removed it again as it was affecting fit and stability of the saddle. My sense of wanting shock absorption wouldn't over-ride the need for the saddle to fit properly.
As for a breastplate, only for XC and mainly for something to grab and for extra stability for the saddle if I have a sticky moment involving hanging off the side (not that this happens much you understand :o).

x x
 
AlexHide, saddles slip from side to side because there is too much extra padding underneath. This also affects the ability of the saddle to sit straight on the horses back. This affects the riders stability and ability to sit square, and straight on the horse. As a result horses get sore backs.

Take away all the additional padding and the saddle will sit firmly on the horses back.
 
Tnavas said:
AlexHide, saddles slip from side to side because there is too much extra padding underneath. This also affects the ability of the saddle to sit straight on the horses back. This affects the riders stability and ability to sit square, and straight on the horse. As a result horses get sore backs.

Take away all the additional padding and the saddle will sit firmly on the horses back.
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Yep the first sign of the saddle not being quite right with the pad underneath is the saddle starts to slip from side to side. To be honest I don't use the jump saddle enough any more to really comment too much on its fit with/without the half pad but I imagine I could evaluate its use in the same way.

I'm quite happy fitting the saddle with the pad when Topaz's shape fluctuations dictate it, cheaper than keep re-flocking the saddle! Which also goes some way as to why her old saddle wasn't for Topaz any more, as it had been re-flocked so much to take into account changes in shape it had made the panels hard which was the main thing Topaz was objecting to. She much prefers a very soft panel on her and you can really feel the difference in her using her back, her previous dressage saddle should have fit (various saddle fitters disagreed over this point), but the difference between the hard panels of her previous saddle (flocking was even just too much of it) and the very soft ones of her current saddle have made a remarkable difference.

I do think she is just fussy, Doodle has never objected to the 'softness' of a saddle in the whole ten years we've owned her! Horse's for courses as long as its not causing an issue, and there are plenty of horses out there with half-pads + saddle where everything fits lovely I'm sure.

x x
 
Yeah it was an option but as it couldn't be decided by the various fitters whether it was actually a good fit or not (tree shape and it's shape for me, not flocking) we gave it up as a bad job and bought something else. Never had so much faffing about with a saddle!

I at least know a bit more now but it's cost us a fair bit to get there. Love my show pony, WH/show saddles seem so much easier to get right!
 
Tnavas said:
By the way - how many of you use a breastplate? At one time you rarely ever saw a horse wearing one - now they are everywhere because in general people find their saddles move back - because they no longer fit - because they have so much additional padding under
the saddle.
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We always use a breastplate as a safety measure more than anything else. In fact my horse (17hh) doesn't even need a martingale for sj or xc, which has been the case since he was a 4 year old.
However I always hack, sj and xc with a breastplate just for safety - a bit like a seatbelt, you don't need one to keep you in the seat but in case of emergency could save your life!!

Billy's saddles have never slipped back, or moved tbh, so don't actually need it, but we still use the breastplate. I would rather use something and be glad I didn't need it rather than wishing that I had used it.

I think in general most people use a breastplate for a just in case moment, not because their saddles don't fit.
Oh, and mines a hunting breastplate, I prefer it over a racing breastgirth as I don't like the strap so far away from withers & he doesn't need a 5 point. But he is pretty minimal in tack anyway - we do everything in a French link snaffle ;)
 
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Fashion statement! (just kidding)

I have several growing ponies, and a selection of saddles. A half-pad can be handy to get the best fit sometimes.

Currently one of the colts is using one. Right now, the saddle which fits him best would be a little low at the front without it. He'll almost certainly won't need it (or be in a totally different saddle) by the end of the summer.
 
Kallibear said:
:D

You should buy an entire sheepskin pelt (British wool if possible) then not only will you be easily be able to cut a lovely thick pad out of it but you'll then have piles of fluff left to cover the girth, noseband, cheeks, headpeice, boots and martingale.
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I might have enough to make a smart hat cover ...and a phone holster to hang on the saddle.

I use a breastplate with a running martingale too, the saddle has never budged an inch and the horse rarely needs the martingale but the neckstrap is very handy. ;)
 
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I've always used one. I like my horses to be sensitive to leg, seat and hand. I like the pad as it muffles my seat so if I am on a sensitive one I don't hot it up so much. I also prefer a sponge layer than my saddle on their backs. My saddle slips a bit on my youngster not because it doesn't fit, but because he has too much power that nothing would stay perfectly in place. It's only notifiable if I jump two classes together and don't pull my saddle forward between them (which is something I always do regardless)
 
only_me said:
We always use a breastplate as a safety measure more than anything else. In fact my horse (17hh) doesn't even need a martingale for sj or xc, which has been the case since he was a 4 year old.
However I always hack, sj and xc with a breastplate just for safety - a bit like a seatbelt, you don't need one to keep you in the seat but in case of emergency could save your life!!

Billy's saddles have never slipped back, or moved tbh, so don't actually need it, but we still use the breastplate. I would rather use something and be glad I didn't need it rather than wishing that I had used it.

I think in general most people use a breastplate for a just in case moment, not because their saddles don't fit.
Oh, and mines a hunting breastplate, I prefer it over a racing breastgirth as I don't like the strap so far away from withers & he doesn't need a 5 point. But he is pretty minimal in tack anyway - we do everything in a French link snaffle ;)
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That is the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard! Not meaning to be nasty at all. :D

Breastplates were the next Fashion Trend following the dire need to have numerous layers of saddle blankets and numnahs under the saddle. In 46 years plus I've not needed a breastplate - your horses must be very unpredictable to need you to use such an unnecessary piece of equipment. Apart from that they do affect how the horse can use its front end (shoulders) properly - especially if it is actually having to keep the saddle forward and on the horse.

It's the same with martingales and flash noseband.

In my time, if your horse wore a martingale it was a sign it was badly behaved. Later the flash noseband had the same impact on judges in dressage and the showring. Now it seems to be the norm - yet people here in New Zealand who compete in Show Hunter are finding out that surprise - their horse/pony actually goes better without its mouth jammed shut - any noseband fastened below the bit is forbidden. You strove to ensure that once you went out to shows your horse was well mannered and in a cavesson noseband

A running martingale won't save you from much, it just alters the action of the bit and makes it really uncomfortable for the horse - ramming the joint/s into the roof of the mouth.

It seems to me that horse riders are not always very discerning as to what they put on their horses. Have a think next time you ride - does my saddle really need a saddle blanket, numnah and a sheepskin half pad (the latest fashion fad), if you really hate washing the underside of your saddle have a thin pad under. does my horse need the 5 point (ugly) breastplate with half a sheep hanging off it. Does it actually need to have its mouth jammed shut by the latest Grackle trend?

Remember horses didn't keel over and die in the past because they didn't have a saddle blanket - it was far easier to wipe the underside of the saddle clean than to deal with the stinky week old numnah - I loathe having to deal with them.
 
Tnavas said:
That is the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard! Not meaning to be nasty at all. :D

Breastplates were the next Fashion Trend following the dire need to have numerous layers of saddle blankets and numnahs under the saddle. In 46 years plus I've not needed a breastplate - your horses must be very unpredictable to need you to use such an unnecessary piece of equipment. Apart from that they do affect how the horse can use its front end (shoulders) properly - especially if it is actually having to keep the saddle forward and on the horse.

It's the same with martingales and flash noseband.

In my time, if your horse wore a martingale it was a sign it was badly behaved. Later the flash noseband had the same impact on judges in dressage and the showring. Now it seems to be the norm - yet people here in New Zealand who compete in Show Hunter are finding out that surprise - their horse/pony actually goes better without its mouth jammed shut - any noseband fastened below the bit is forbidden. You strove to ensure that once you went out to shows your horse was well mannered and in a cavesson noseband

A running martingale won't save you from much, it just alters the action of the bit and makes it really uncomfortable for the horse - ramming the joint/s into the roof of the mouth.

It seems to me that horse riders are not always very discerning as to what they put on their horses. Have a think next time you ride - does my saddle really need a saddle blanket, numnah and a sheepskin half pad (the latest fashion fad), if you really hate washing the underside of your saddle have a thin pad under. does my horse need the 5 point (ugly) breastplate with half a sheep hanging off it. Does it actually need to have its mouth jammed shut by the latest Grackle trend?

Remember horses didn't keel over and die in the past because they didn't have a saddle blanket - it was far easier to wipe the underside of the saddle clean than to deal with the stinky week old numnah - I loathe having to deal with them.
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My pet hate is people who put a saddle direct onto the horses back! Not matter now well it fits it just can't be as comfy as at least having a saddle cloth underneath to prevent the leather pulling on any hairs during movemt and sweat sticking to the underside and rubbing!
 
Half pad with shims to deal with severe muscle wastage caused by previous owners' complete lack of bothering to notice that their saddle was sitting directly on the withers and didn't fit........anywhere (now has a white patch on withers, behind shoulders and all down back). He's got good muscling behind the shoulders now (after 2 years), so the front shims have come out, but still a way to go over the back. Half pads have their uses.
 
blitznbobs said:
It's fashion . If your saddle fits properly you don't need one and if your saddle doesn't fit spend the 80 quid on getting it to fit rather than a pad...
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Like this!

I trained for my BHS & ABRS exams for several years on the yard owned by a master saddler - we were allowed a sheepskin if going hunting but other than that his comment was

"The kindest thing you can put against a horse's skin is well conditioned leather. It allows air to flow through the channel which keeps the back cool and dry"

We had less problems with saddle fit and sore backs in the days before saddle blankets and especially half pads. Look at the edges and consider how you would feel if you had that edge under the ball of your foot while the rest of your foot had additional padding.

Someone commented that a saddle blanket lifts the front of the saddle - of course it does as its now made the tree narrower and tighter. This was the only time we were allowed to use them - for EMERGENCY purposes - if a horse had lost weight or had to use anothers saddle. After that it was bareback or lunging while the saddle was away being reflocked.

The person with the close contact saddle - they are the easiest saddle to fit and the most comfy for the horse.

What I really hate about riding a horse with masses of pads and stuff under the saddle is that I feel perched far above the horse rather than sitting around it. - I like the neck to be coming up and out in front of me, not way below me.
 
Y
Tnavas said:
That is the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard! Not meaning to be nasty at all. :D

Breastplates were the next Fashion Trend following the dire need to have numerous layers of saddle blankets and numnahs under the saddle. In 46 years plus I've not needed a breastplate - your horses must be very unpredictable to need you to use such an unnecessary piece of equipment. Apart from that they do affect how the horse can use its front end (shoulders) properly - especially if it is actually having to keep the saddle forward and on the horse.

It's the same with martingales and flash noseband.

In my time, if your horse wore a martingale it was a sign it was badly behaved. Later the flash noseband had the same impact on judges in dressage and the showring. Now it seems to be the norm - yet people here in New Zealand who compete in Show Hunter are finding out that surprise - their horse/pony actually goes better without its mouth jammed shut - any noseband fastened below the bit is forbidden. You strove to ensure that once you went out to shows your horse was well mannered and in a cavesson noseband

A running martingale won't save you from much, it just alters the action of the bit and makes it really uncomfortable for the horse - ramming the joint/s into the roof of the mouth.

It seems to me that horse riders are not always very discerning as to what they put on their horses. Have a think next time you ride - does my saddle really need a saddle blanket, numnah and a sheepskin half pad (the latest fashion fad), if you really hate washing the underside of your saddle have a thin pad under. does my horse need the 5 point (ugly) breastplate with half a sheep hanging off it. Does it actually need to have its mouth jammed shut by the latest Grackle trend?

Remember horses didn't keel over and die in the past because they didn't have a saddle blanket - it was far easier to wipe the underside of the saddle clean than to deal with the stinky week old numnah - I loathe having to deal with them.
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And your post is quite possibly the most condescending post I've ever read on here.

I don't need to defend my tack choices to you - you are obviously very sure that your opinion is the only one that is correct.

I'm sure all the top eventers would be glad to know that martingales and breastplates are basically instruments of torture and that their horses would perform much better if they didn't wear them. I think it is also amusing that you find chucking a dirty numnah in the wash once a week so difficult and time consuming. Think I'll just keep doing what I'm doing :)
 
Nightmare before Christmas said:
My pet hate is people who put a saddle direct onto the horses back! Not matter now well it fits it just can't be as comfy as at least having a saddle cloth underneath to prevent the leather pulling on any hairs during movemt and sweat sticking to the underside and rubbing!
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But it doesn't! Air being able to flow through the channel keeps the back cool and dry. Their are no creases to bunch up and cause problems.

Recently I saw an article that went around via facebook and showed a chestnut horse with a perfect white rectangle where the owner had been tucking a strap under the saddle between the saddle and numnah - the pressure from that small area had scarred the skin and caused the white hairs to grow.

Anyone whos gumboot socks have slid down will know how uncomfortable and painful it can become - this is what happens everytime you use a saddle blanket or numnah under the saddle.
 
only_me said:
Y

And your post is quite possibly the most condescending post I've ever read on here.

I don't need to defend my tack choices to you - you are obviously very sure that your opinion is the only one that is correct.

I'm sure all the top eventers would be glad to know that martingales and breastplates are basically instruments of torture and that their horses would perform much better if they didn't wear them. I think it is also amusing that you find chucking a dirty numnah in the wash once a week so difficult and time consuming. Think I'll just keep doing what I'm doing :)
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You can put what you like on your horse - but I hope you now have a more careful think as to why you are actually using all these extras and whether you really need them!

Go back through old photos of eventers/showjumpers/hunters and showing people - their horses were fine without all the extra padding and breastplates - I trained at the yard where Richard Meade kept his International horses - I worked for an Olympic level dressage rider. I've worked with a very large number of horses that never had numnahs or breastplates, they hunted, evented and competed Internationally with no added extras.

By the way - if you read the most recent FEI rules - Breastplates are not allowed for Dressage.

People have lost sight of why they are using what they are using.

My horses have a clean underside of a saddle on their back everyday - not a dirty numnah gathering sweat and grit through the week. I cannot stand the smell of a dried sweat filled numnah - the sweat caused by the numnah itself - used without a saddle blanket the horse may just have a slightly damp back after being ridden.
 
tnavas said:
Recently I saw an article that went around via facebook and showed a chestnut horse with a perfect white rectangle where the owner had been tucking a strap under the saddle between the saddle and numnah - the pressure from that small area had scarred the skin and caused the white hairs to grow.

Anyone whos gumboot socks have slid down will know how uncomfortable and painful it can become - this is what happens everytime you use a saddle blanket or numnah under the saddle.
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It doesn't happen to me. I take all the straps off any cloth I buy. I only buy ones which are properly shaped, and they never even move.
 
I have been told by two master saddlers to use a sheepskin with hide on with foam filled saddles as they heat up and heat the muscles in the back too much without. I have two horses that go much better in a flexi tree foam filled saddles with high points. One absolutely hates wooden trees even with soft wool flocking, last time he wore one and it had been fitted he put me fifteen feet up, had it checked and there were no pressure points but he is very happy in a Ken Taur or other foam filled event type monoflap. i do have them fitted with the pads. The straps at the front are a nuisance but I just shorten them and refit the velcro do not cut them off as they wrap the front of the pad away from from the shoulder if used. No pressure marks when saddle is taken off and much less sweat than without a pad. However, the old serge lined saddles were very good if very difficult to keep clean. They do not need anything under them. Most numnahs and pads are too thick, it is very difficult to find a thin one that is horse shaped!
 
old hand said:
Most numnahs and pads are too thick, it is very difficult to find a thin one that is horse shaped!
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And here lies the problem with using anything under the saddle. They just don't fit properly. To fit without wrinkles, slipping or pressure areas each needs to be made on the bias and for each individual horse.

The best fit I ever had to go under a saddle were the riding school horses and ponies. When I took over the school they all had woollen carpet under felt squares under their saddles. Each had moulded to the actual shape of the horses back. Because felt is not woven but matted together so can move around and reshape.

My current horse who I no longer ride, she has a young man who rides her for me has just been in training for the inaugural NZ Clydesdale race, her saddle is at least 20years old, has been hers for the past 7years, is used without anything under it. She has been trotting around 19kms a day. She does not have a sore back, she has very little sweat under the saddle despite NZ summer heat, the saddle is wiped with a damp cloth and glycerine after each ride. It does not move, despite having no breastplate. It doesn't move sideways either which is the major cause of sore backs
 
Tnavas said:
My horses have a clean underside of a saddle on their back everyday - not a dirty numnah gathering sweat and grit through the week. I cannot stand the smell of a dried sweat filled numnah - the sweat caused by the numnah itself - used without a saddle blanket the horse may just have a slightly damp back after being ridden.
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please don't assume that anyone who uses pads or numnahs leaves them a week without cleaning.

I use sheepskins (not halfpads or lined numnahs) and they are dried and brushed after every ride and swopped out if they are dirty. My neighbour who uses cotton numnahs uses a clean laundered one on every ride.
 
ycbm said:
It doesn't happen to me. I take all the straps off any cloth I buy. I only buy ones which are properly shaped, and they never even move.
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marmalade76 said:
Same here.
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How can a flat 2 dimensional piece of material be the shape of a 3 dimensional horse, there is some shape along the spine but nothing to conform to the shape of the horse.

No one is able to convince me that a numnah, saddle cloth or half pad will shape to the horse in comfort
 
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