So, have a QH gelding that will be showing hunter under saddle. Not my favorite class, but a way to get him in the ring in english tack, before we are ready to start showing over fences. Also the over fences classes at the QH shows around here are few & far between.
Most people use the fleece pads w/ the square area for the numbers. I hate them. Is a good fitted pad w/ the number on your back acceptable in HUS?
I think your question could be better answered in the western forum.
No, you’ll need to get one of the number pads. In the flat portion of the hunter hack, you can get away with a shaped pad at the smaller shows, but not the HUS, unless it’s a tiny show. You can find them used pretty easily in most tack shops, they’re not a fast-moving item 
It is recommended but not required.
SHW300.7 Failure by exhibitor to wear correct number(s) in a
visible manner shall result in disqualification. It is recommended
the visible numbers be on both sides of the horse when showing
in the under saddle classes, excluding the over fence
HW310.3 Saddles must be black and/or brown leather of
traditional hunting or forward seat type, knee insert on the skirt
is optional. Saddle pads should fit size and shape, except when
necessary to accommodate numbers on both sides, for which a110 © 2019 AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION
square pad or suitable attachment may be used. Saddle pads
and attachments shall be white or natural color with no orna-
mentation.
That said I would find a way to get a number on each side for flat classes.
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It is also needed for hunter hack. There was a discussion at a very large aqha show last year with the judges and they required the pad with the numbers on the side for hack. Would definitely get one. That said, at small shows sometimes we don’t switch before the hack and people don’t care. But if there is time we always switch
Interesting. Most of the riders I watched in the hack at world’s this year did not have the square pad
I think it’s frustrating for the judges to have to crane their necks to figure out what number a horse is when the classes are big and they are trying to move the show along.
It also depends a little bit on the specific judges. If you are showing in front of the special over fences judges who are used to doing USEF shows, they are accustomed to looking at numbers on the riders’ backs. Otherwise the judges might be more familiar with the numbers on the sides.
Which hack class did you watch? I showed and don’t remember anyone who did not have a number pad on
I would like to correct this as I showed and all hack exhibitors had numbers on both sides. I’ve only ever shown once in the flat with a number on my back, and it was a super tiny show, practically a schooling show; so small, we didn’t even braid. I entered the eq at the last moment to school it after showing over fences. My trainer hollered at the judges in the pen “can she just leave her number on her back??” They agreed as they wanted the show to be over with and they had a race to get to (we were showing in Kentucky), knowing it would add a few extra minutes to their day if I had to run back to the stalls to switch pads. Otherwise one will stand out like a sore thumb at any decent sized show without a number on both sides. As Palm Beach said, it is horrible to have to crane your neck around to see numbers. I don’t know how they manage flat classes in the non-breed shows with numbers on their backs.
They use string and the rider scoots the number around to the side of the judge.
apologies - looked at the tapes again & they did have the squares in the hack. Had the working hunter in my head instead.
Not a problem. The working hunter, eq over and jumpers always have their number on their back with a string like the usef classes do. It’s just the classes that have rail work in them that use the number pads.
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