Just curious
If your saddle fits- why would you need the half pad?
Why not just fit the saddle to the horse ?
just curious-
Is it just fashion?.
I dont get get it.
please educate me
Not all horses need half pads. Some feel it adds comfort for the horse. Some horses need a corrective half pad if they are asymmetrical or if the rider uses the same saddle on several horses and it is not a perfect fit on all. Sometimes, horses change shape due to various reasons such as layoffs, illnesses, summer grass and so forth so it’s another tool there as well.
I prefer not to flock asymmetrically so I would rather shim than not if the saddle moves due to those issues and because most people can’t have a fitter out all the time, it’s useful for the changes until the horse regains its original topline.
I did forget to mention that some people just use them out of habit or because they do think it’s a 'look".
My horse has a very sensitive back and I use the half pad directly on his back as it is a Mattes sheepskin and then put a very thin baby pad on top of that. My saddle is fitted to this configuration.
I have a saddle fitter who checks my saddles so I would not ever think of adding a half pad.
Maybe it helps if saddle does not fit- I dont know?
Many who use them surely have access to the best saddle fitters.
If your saddle fitter says- I have fitted your saddle to your horse but please also use a half pad- OK then-
i HAVe just never heard that from a saddle fitter
maybe a saddle fitter will chime in with reasons why this might be necessary
I am truly curious as to why every horse now suddenly needs this
I think a lot of folks use half-pads between the saddle and a baby pad nowadays for fashion purposes. Mattes made the sheepskin-lining-your-saddle “look” really popular in my area!
Can’t tell you the number of lesson kids I see all around town who have been taught to slap a half-pad on like it’s just another piece of routine horse tack. I think on most horses, with most half pads (ie, not specially-shimmed ones or the kind that are made extra-thick), it’s not a huge issue, but I do get the feeling that the kids haven’t been taught the purposes of a half pad, and that bothers me.
I personally use extra pads as ways to correct minor saddle fit issues.
I think a lot of folks use half-pads between the saddle and a baby pad nowadays for fashion purposes. Mattes made the sheepskin-lining-your-saddle “look” really popular in my area!
I think you are right
Well, part of it is just technology. As our understanding of horse morphology (including studies done re: saddle impact, movement U/S, spinal + shoulder movement, etc), saddle-fitting, and materials expands, we are in an age where combining the right materials can make the saddle as unobtrusive as possible.
Because lets face it; even a good fitting saddle will cause concussion on back which over time does impact the horse’s spine. They’re just not made to bear weight there. A half-pad can mitigate pressure, absorb impact and concussion, and some even help control/mitigate temperatures and overheating for high-exertion work like endurance or eventing.
I religiously ride in a Thinline or some other impact half-pad now. I’ve seen the results first hand; we know that the impact/concussion is significantly decreased (especially in canter-work and landing after a fence) and if we can make it more comfortable for the horse to perform what we ask of him, we should.
IIRC, there was a study that measured the concussive absorption and mitigation in various types of shock-absorbing geared half-pads. I seem to remember that sheepskin performed better than most memory-foams, but was second to products like Thinline.
The long and short: My saddle is professionally flocked every few months but I use Thinline half-pad for concussion/shock absorbing purposes. It has made an extraordinary difference with my horse.
[QUOTE=Crockpot;8908976]
maybe a saddle fitter will chime in with reasons why this might be necessary[/QUOTE]
Jaybird chimed in above and is a saddle fitter, and he has provided a wealth of information in the past as well on saddle fitting!
For my own horse, I used a thin half pad that can help me between saddle adjustments. As Jay mentioned, horses change shape as their routines change or as they get fitter. So I use one to cover my @$$ between adjustments, as my horse can get back sore easily. I notice a big difference in the health of his back when I use one. Granted, I use a VERY thin pad (Acavallo massage gel pad) so it adds very little thickness, it is about half the thickness of my regular saddle pads, but it does the job. I had previously used a foam version, but after having 3 die in terrible front-loader washing machine accidents, I opted for something I could just hose off and not have to replace every few months! :lol:
My fitter first made sure the saddle fit my horse correctly with no pads, but agreed that a thinline would offer additional protection for his back and recommended that on top of a regular cotton dressage pad.
I don’t get the point of the big thick Ogilvy type half pads unless as a temporary fix for a saddle that doesn’t fit correctly
[QUOTE=Crockpot;8908976]
Maybe it helps if saddle does not fit- I dont know?[/QUOTE]
It really depends. Half pads are not magical and can’t solved all problems but they can certainly help in some cases.
Many who use them surely have access to the best saddle fitters.
If your saddle fitter says- I have fitted your saddle to your horse but please also use a half pad- OK then-
I have just never heard that from a saddle fitter
Well, I did! 
Mister older gelding loves his Ogilvy half pad and the saddle was fitted with it in mind. He’s getting old and can move stiffly at times, I think it just offers a certain amount of cushion/movement that makes him more comfortable despite his well softly flocked Sommer saddle.
Miss precious mare hates the Ogilvy half pad and would rather be ridden with either just a baby pad or better, a real thick sheepskin pad directly on her back. She loves her Mattes/Fleecworks half pads. I usually throw a baby pad on top.
I think she likes the feel of the sheepskin, she loves to rub her nose on plush toys and soft material, and cats. Or maybe it is the warmth? She loves her BoT back pad. Her saddle is fitted close with the half pad in mind as well.
I am truly curious as to why every horse now suddenly needs this
Not every horse needs it but we like to emulate our idols. If Valegro can have one, why not Dobbin?
If my saddle fitter ever says to use a half pad I will do that
I have just never heard that from a saddle fitter ever.
Echoing jaybird. I think they’re also valuable as horses age and their backs start to sway or lose muscle.
My saddle maker/fitter friend also likes her clients to use sheepskin halfpads when they use foam jumping saddles.
In my case I’m riding a young horse who came to me underweight. The basic shape of the saddle fit her quite well but it was too wide. Knowing that she is going to grow and fill out I’m not keen on having the saddle altered to fit her now, then altered again once she does fill out.
A good quality sheepskin half pad is all it took to make the saddle fit and it cost significantly less than a visit from my saddle fitter. Once she finishes gaining weight and is fit I’ll have the saddle fitter out to adjust the saddle to her without the half pad.
My horse’s back changes a lot since I am inconsistent sometimes in how often or how long I can ride. It’s easy to make adjustments with half pads. And his current saddle is CAIR, so it’s not like a fitter could adjust flocking anyway.
But even if I’m not shimming, I like to have at least a basic Thinline or Prolite under the saddle, and I make sure the basic saddle fit accommodates that. My horse is very quick to make his opinion known if he doesn’t like saddle fit, and at the very least he’s neutral about that setup. I think it makes a positive difference, but I’ve never actually done video or anything to check it objectively; that particular use of a half pad may be fashion/wishful thinking on my part.
I use a fleece pad on my youngster, because he is changing too frequently to keep up with fittings. Another horse in the barn uses a thinline for concussion (as beowolf does) and has the saddle fit with the thinline. A trainer uses them to be able to share a saddle on multiple lesson horses (when they are similar enough to be able to do this). I know others who will use a fleece or gel pad when they notice a change, but need to wait until the fitter arrives.
Lots of reasons out there, and fashion is certainly one possibility, but by no means the only one.
Some horses don’t like foam panels and a sheepskin half pad can make them comfortable enough for the horse. My fitter will advise half pad use in such cases.
I cannot afford a saddle that is 100% custom fit to my horse. A half pad allows me to make very minor adjustments that make a very noticeable difference to saddle fit and my horse’s comfort. I have a 32cm Stubben that accommodates my mare’s very wide shoulders splendidly. I then use a Pro-Lite pad with thin shims up front to ensure excellent wither clearance. She is very comfortable and happy, and I don’t have to take out a new line of credit for my saddle.
I also absolutely love sheepskin, and so long as it does not negatively impact saddle fit, I like to ride in just a sheepskin halfpad - no saddle pad in between sheepskin and horse. I have a shimmable thinline sheepskin pad to accommodate this for horses that may need minor fit adjustment.
My horse’s back is still developing. My saddle is a tad wide for him still, so we use a shimmed pad to take up the difference–on the recommendation of my saddle fitter.
I could, of course, go out and buy a saddle with a narrower tree, and I will if he doesn’t develop into this one in a reasonable length of time, but at the moment, both of us are comfortable with the choice I have made.
Both my horses have fitted saddles, but one rides in a Thinline (older horse that I would like some shock absorption on), and the other rides with an un-shimmed fleece (young, small and sensitive TB, using for padding and shock absorption). Both pads are approved by my fitter, I would not be using them otherwise :yes:
Agree with atr above-- saddle fit is not a static one-time solution. For a horse that’s growing or moving up the levels or coming back from time off or any one of a multiple of other reasons, a saddle that fits now will not fit 6 months from now. The best fit now will not be a good fit by the next time the fitter is in town, so I use a half-pad when needed.
If aesthetics were driving my decisions, I probably would wash my half-pad more frequently.
