# Interesting....warning for sheepskin half pad users



## _MizElz_ (10 July 2010)

I just wanted to post this so that people can be aware of a possible problem with using a sheepskin half pad/riser.

As many people know (!) I am a huge fan of sheepskin.  For the last couple of years, I've ridden Elz in a sheepskin riser and never had any visible problems. However, I posted a couple of weeks ago about her having come back from a 4 hr ride with a raised area beneath her saddle...and now we know why.

Last weekend I had the saddler out, and after having checked the fit of the saddle both with and without the sheepskin pad, he told me that the pad was the cause of the problem. Because the saddle was made to measure for Ellie, putting the pad underneath it has raised it up off her back, thus adjusting the closeness of the fit. Whilst it has not made it too tight, it has increased the mobility of the saddle, and this combined with my dodgy back has meant that the saddle has a tendency to tilt to the right, thus causing friction on the left - which is where the raised area appeared. The saddler agreed that on short rides, this is unlikely to be an issue, which explains why we've never had any indication before now that there was a problem. On the fun ride, however - the longest ride I have done with her since using the pad - she got very hot and sweaty, and this combined with my own tiredness will have contributed to my backside becoming more mobile than it should have in the saddle, thus causing it to tilt over and rubbing her left hand side...

I dont want anyone to make the same mistake I have - I was not using the pad for any reason other than that I like the look of them under the saddle. And as a result, I've unintentionally caused what could have been quite a lot of pain to my horse  Needless to say I will not be using it in the future - my saddle was custom made for a reason - and even though the saddler said I could probably put the sheepskin back on in the winter when Ellie has lost a bit of condition, I feel very wary about doing so. 

I'm mortified, to be honest. Everything is healing nicely now and the hair is starting to grow back; I've been riding her out this week with a hole in my numnah to minimise contact with the affected area (on the advice of the saddler). But when I look at her back and see the amount of hair she's lost, and think that it's all due to what is really nothing more than a fashion craze (after all, how many of us use these pads for their 'wicking qualities'? I know I don't - and I rarely see anyone using one without a numnah underneath.) It's really made me think - and I wanted to post this so that no one else carries on oblivious as I have been doing. If your saddle fits your horse perfectly - don't put a pad underneath it!


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## Louby (10 July 2010)

Our saddler says only to use a thin saddle cloth if we must use any at all as thick pads make the saddle tighter, not comfier as some think.


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## bigboyrocky (10 July 2010)

only use a half pad if you need them  i know so many people that do it for looks, but it can really alter the fit of a saddle. if you want the sheepskin, buy a numnah with sheepskin all over, but not a half pad, because as youve said it lifts the saddle and changes how it sits on the horses back, and also changes the weight distribution  i think if your saddle fits without a numnah, then any pad you do use should be the same thickness under all of the saddle, its only when your saddle doesnt fit perfectly for any number of reasons that you should start using raiser pads/half pads etc  At least youve realised and no serious damage done  good warning to others


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## skychick (10 July 2010)

My saddle was fitted with a thin cloth and the sheepskin half pad. 
I saw your post re your horses back after the long ride just before i did a fun ride and i was a bit worried. Luckily i didnt get any problems and was on him for over 4 hours. 
My saddler did say that if i was going to use a half pad i must have the saddle fitted with it.


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## MochaDun (10 July 2010)

A good point to raise, sure your mare will be fine and comfy again soon.  Maybe some saddlers when fitting saddles or even those that sell saddle cloths/numnahs and the like don't alert customers to those kind of things though.  I've always been told by my saddler he fits the saddle to take into account a normal thickness numnah/saddle cloth and that putting extra thicknesses/extra layers can change the fit.


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## ester (10 July 2010)

purely mechnically I have always thought that half pads are likely to reduce the bearing surface of the saddle as the way they lift the saddle up I assume would mean that all the weight would be bared across the panels and very little down the sides of the saddle (under the flaps/knee rolls if that makes sense) 

hope ellies back is better soon.


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## Weezy (10 July 2010)

If a saddle is not fitted with a half pad, then don't use a half pad - tis simple!  If a saddle truly fits, then nothing but a thin cotton numnah is required, solely to keep the sweat off the leather.  People do need to *think* before using things - it only takes a moment's thought for instance to realise that by using a standard half pad, the gullet width will be seriously reduced, the bearing surface changes and the saddle is not *fitted* and moving with the horse's back, but with the pad.


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## Luci07 (10 July 2010)

I asked my saddler ages ago about sheepskin/half rise numnahs etc and she told me that putting them on my horse when he had been fitted correctly was akin to putting thick socks before you put your shoes on - the ones you wear with tights! Did say if I was hellbent on them she would fit accordingly but I prefered my normal numnahs..


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## Maesfen (10 July 2010)

I've never understoood the fad for half pads as by their very nature, they have an edge/seam which will dig into the horse which you wouldn't have if you use a full size numnah which follows the whole shape of the saddle.  It stands to reason it would be uncomfortable for the horse and you will get a pressure spot whether, like M.E, as she unknowingly moved about or whether you have the stable seat of a saint or not, that line would always be there.


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## Prince33Sp4rkle (10 July 2010)

echo weezy-if you want to use one, have the saddle fitted with it!!!

both my dressage and jumping saddlers are fitted to accomodate a sheepskin pad as my horse makes it clear he prefers padded to pad-less, i would NEVER just put one under a saddle fitted only with a thin cloth-its just common sense surely?


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## quirky (10 July 2010)

Yes, my saddler has always asked me if I ride with a prolite or half pad as he will fit with that if used.

I used to ride previous horse with a prolite and saddle was fitted accordingly. Current horse isn't so sensitive, so we are fitted with a very thin saddle cloth.


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## _MizElz_ (10 July 2010)

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

I will freely admit I am 100% to blame for this, so I'm not going to make out otherwise! I feel rotten - my poor girl. 

To those who have stressed the importance of notifying your saddler of your intention to use a sheepskin pad - I had the saddle reflocked last year and it was flocked to fit with the pad (I had told the saddler I wanted to use the sheepskin). What was not made clear to me at the time, however, was that even though the saddle could be adjusted to accommodate the pad, the overall fit would still be affected, because at the end of the day, the saddle was designed to fit Ellie with the tiniest of saddlecloths underneath, so even with the adjustment, the pad would always make it fit differently to how the saddler who made it for her intended. I agree with whoever said 'common sense' - yes, I should have used my noddle and really thought about the implications of putting a load of fluff underneath it....but I didnt, I just went with the advice I was given (not the same saddler who I have just had out, incidentally.) So no excuses - and a definite lesson learned!


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## Weezy (10 July 2010)

Don't be too hard on yourself there girl, lesson learnt and hopefully but posting you will have made others stop and think too


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