# Half pad/Gel pad



## Keeky (13 September 2011)

HI GUYSSSSSS.
Basically my 5 year old had a slight back problem due to an il-fitted saddle because the previous owners found it hard to find him a saddle cause he's so narrow at the front.
I've been advised to put a gel pad nderneath the saddle but I haven't heard very good reviews on it.
So do half pad fleece lined ones change the shape of the saddle? Or the half pads that just had fleece on the outside of the wither and the back but not on the bit facing on his back IF THAT MAKES SENSE!?!? I often don't make sense... & now I'm jibbering...


----------



## just-me (13 September 2011)

Interesting blog here 

http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/2011/04/mud-season-grumps.html


----------



## Keeky (13 September 2011)

...That woman looks like she was in the WORST mood today and somebody had just killed her cat. She even involves biting her husband and rants on about the mud and not being able to ride her horse everyday, pure phsycopath :| VERYYY interesting though, she's completely right.

BUT

The pad I'm talking about, she complains about it not being able to make a saddle fit and that's not what I want, I want to protect my youngsters back. Thanks for the link.


----------



## sbloom (14 September 2011)

My fellow saddle fitter Kitt asked me to pass on her thanks for giving her a laugh - there was coffee/laptop interface near miss but disaster was averted .  She has a wicked sense of humour it has to be said!  I really like her blog, there are some great technical posts on there as well as some expressions of the frustration that sometimes comes with being a saddle fitter.

Oh and I'd recommend sheepskin every time. If you need an actual correction (riser) style pad then I'd suggest stumping up for a Mattes correction numnah - you can add the correction system to any of their pads or numnahs if you order direct.


----------



## Keeky (16 September 2011)

sbloom said:



			My fellow saddle fitter Kitt asked me to pass on her thanks for giving her a laugh - there was coffee/laptop interface near miss but disaster was averted .  She has a wicked sense of humour it has to be said!  I really like her blog, there are some great technical posts on there as well as some expressions of the frustration that sometimes comes with being a saddle fitter.

Oh and I'd recommend sheepskin every time. If you need an actual correction (riser) style pad then I'd suggest stumping up for a Mattes correction numnah - you can add the correction system to any of their pads or numnahs if you order direct.
		
Click to expand...

Is there a sheepskin half pad that just protects their back to keep everything light or do they ALL change the shape of the saddle?!


----------



## Persephone (16 September 2011)

Morpheus do a summer weight sheepskin numnah. I used it on my mare when she was a bit tubby.


----------



## Keeky (16 September 2011)

Persephone said:



			Morpheus do a summer weight sheepskin numnah. I used it on my mare when she was a bit tubby.
		
Click to expand...

Did it change the shape of your saddle though?


----------



## Persephone (16 September 2011)

Keeky said:



			Did it change the shape of your saddle though?

Click to expand...

No it didn't change the shape, it was an even coverage of sheepskin, thinner than the usual you get so allowed a bit more room.

I had my mare's saddle fitted over a standard sheepskin numnah, so when she gained weight I used the thinner one until she had muscled up and slimmed down a bit.


----------



## Erin (17 September 2011)

I you put a thick sheepskin under a well fitting saddle, then it will make the saddle too tight - most good quality sheepskin that I have seen is reasonably thick. Eskadron do one though that is meant to be something like 1/2cm thick http://www.furfeathermeds.com/index.php?page=proddetail&proid=eslam


----------



## Victoria25 (17 September 2011)

I have a very high withered TB with no topline at all and muscle wastage ... I use on him: 

High withered saddle 
Very thin high withered saddle pad 
Aerolite combi-riser (approx £55-£60)

The riser has two pads either side at the front and two pads either side at the back so is a general 'lift the whole saddle off his back' - pads can be removed when required (if you want just the front of the lifting just remove the back pads, etc). Bit like the Prolite pads.


----------



## Goldenstar (17 September 2011)

If I understand it right you want to protect your youngsters back a bit not use padding to adjust the fit of your saddle, If that is the case the best thing I have ever bought is a memory foam pad from www.fielderhorseandrider.com the web site run by Paul Fielder the dressage trainer they come in 0.5 and 1 i thickness the thinner one would be best. I was a septic till Paul put one on my horse and the difference was amazing now it's in use all the time and think I will have to buy another as we have trouble riding at the same time as so many of the horses seem to go better with it on. Pricey at £100 if I remember right but it comes with two covers a black one and a white one and you can put it between a thin saddle cloth or numah  it never slips it's great.


----------



## Goldenstar (17 September 2011)

Ps i meant sceptic not septic sorry !!!


----------



## PonyIAmNotFood (17 September 2011)

Haha, not on the topic of your post but you have a response on the saddlefitter.blogspot.com about you calling her a psychopath. Amusing. Also that blog is incredibly well written and informative and Im sure if you search through her posts you will find an excellent answer to your query.


----------



## sbloom (18 September 2011)

I thought I'd replied to this but it clearly got eaten...

The narrower the horse and the thicker the pad the more it will lift the front of the saddle compared to the back.  I know what Erin means by it making a narrow saddle tight but actually both too-wide and too-narrow saddles have pressure points which a thick pad cannot alleviate.  A well fitting saddle can take a medium thickness pad - to take a thicker pad it actually needs to be wide in the head, not wide in the angle of the points - if wide in the points angle there is a slight pressure point at the top of the panel which, as I say, the thick pad cannot change.

Some horses cope well with that slight pressure point and go very well in heavily padded too wide saddles - in the Balance system for example.  But the crucial thing is saddle balance - a too narrow saddle is likely to already be cantle low, and adding a thick pad can only make that worse.

A too-wide saddle is likely to be pommel low, so adding a thick pad can only help with that aspect of saddle fit.

For a general pad to help absorb concussion I'd always recommend natural materials, I find personally that foams can add to instability in some fittings.  I work with Mattes pads but generally any short pile sheepskin or wool fleece lined pad will do the job.  I love the correction system that Mattes have - you can add it to any pad, without shims it will not alter fit, but you can add shims if the horse changes shape, or has asymmetries.  A great addition to your tack room.

The other one I hear good things about (from riders and one saddle fitter in particular that I trust) is Thinline - shock abosrbing foam but not thick.  I'd not recommend it for really wide horses though I can't imagine.


----------



## Keeky (18 September 2011)

PonyIAmNotFood said:



			Haha, not on the topic of your post but you have a response on the saddlefitter.blogspot.com about you calling her a psychopath. Amusing. Also that blog is incredibly well written and informative and Im sure if you search through her posts you will find an excellent answer to your query.
		
Click to expand...

Definately not the topic.& i don't get her humor.
I didn't mean a genuine physcopath, genuinely meant crazy which is exactly what I am. I wasn't being mean AT all and there was no need for her to right a thread about me on her blog really was there?:S
& it may of looked rude accross my computer screen BUT I was genuinely saying she's mad, which is exactly what I am so some snitch has tried to take it WAY TOO FAR and caush crap which didn't need to be caused. Some of her blogs are funny but i was simply asking if there's a pad that doesn't change the shape of the saddle and there CLEARY IS judging from posts above.


----------



## Keeky (18 September 2011)

That's HILARIOUS, I'm 16 years old and she's what, 40's 50's? & she's writing a blog about a CHILD and not being able to spell psycopath because I put a little "h" in there. My word!
Somebody didn't grow up when they should have done.


----------



## Keeky (18 September 2011)

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL


----------

