I always ride all my horses with a thinline pad. It’s just a good precaution. All three horses have custom saddles but the thinline adds another level of protection from concussion.
But I think you are talking about sheepskin half pads, which is a different situation altogether. I think that makes sense if you have a horse with a sore back, a horse who changes weight frequently or as added protection for jumping.
I use a Mattes sheepskin pad because my Princess Pony goes better in it. Not about saddle fit, but about cushion. Sheepskin is one of the best shock absorbers that exists. It is like having padding in your shoe insole. If the shoe fits well are you happy with no cushioning in your insole? Personally I like that cushion under my foot. So I understand why The Princess prefers her sheepskin pad
My saddles were bought used, approved by my saddle fitter, reflocked for maresy, and fit her pretty much as well as can be accomplished.
Nevertheless, maresy loves her sheepskin pads, and really likes the sheepskin against her skin. She prefers to go in the jump saddle with just the mattes half pad, or else in an old synthetic fleece shaped hunters pad from the 1970s. How can I tell? Well, for one, she is much happier being saddled when there is fuzz against her skin!
Like the mare mentioned above, she is also fascinated by fuzzy things (sheepskins, the furry collars of parkas, men with beards, foals), and was completely mesmerized by a freshly-sheared sheep’s fleece she could reach and sniff from her holding paddock at a farm fair this fall.
I just bought, on a whim, a dressage pad that is a cotton baby pad with a sheepskin lining against the skin. It was on sale cheap. Maresy likes it.
I’m not however sure how to wash it. I’ve seen these combo pads for sale secondhand, and it looks like they get disreputable very fast. If you wash in Melp to save the sheepskin part, the cotton part never gets clean. And if you bleach the cotton part, you would kill the sheepskin. Any advice?
And as far as the sheepskin affecting fit. Well, I would think it would. I would think it would make the saddle tighter. But it doesn’t seem to do that. It’s like everything just rides up half an inch higher. And gets more stable.
I also realize I"m not 100 % sure I understand the dynamics of saddle fit once the horse is moving. Maresy gets fitted according to measurements and fittings while she is standing still. But when I longe her or work her in hand, I see that her back does come up remarkably when she is moving correctly. So I am not sure how saddle fitting can take that change in back shape during the course of the ride, into account?
I don’t use one bc my saddle is currently adjusted as wide as it will go in order to fit my guy, so it wouldn’t fit with a half pad. But, as soon as he gets any wider (he’s 3 now), then I’m getting a new saddle and will probably use a half pad because it do think it helps with cushion and shock absorption (and yes my saddle is checked and adjusted as needed–usually 3-4 times a year).
[QUOTE=beowulf;8909038]
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]
Agreed, and I believe you’re talking about the Pliance Project, worth a google. I too always ride with an anti-concussive pad. Mine is shimmable so I can make little adjustments in between flockings, which I also get between 2-4 times per year.
I ride with a Supracor half pad. I don’t use another pad below it. I also like real sheepswool pads but they are harder to keep clean. With the SupraCor pad, I just hose it off along with my horse.
Supracor pads offer very good pressure relief, reduce concussion and improve cooling. They are very popular among endurance riders.
My saddle fitter does recommend sheepskin half pads for older horses who might benefit from some cushioning.
The only problem with the Supracor pads is that they are so $$, but so are the other premium pads and at least the Supracor pads last forever.
[QUOTE=Crockpot;8908976]
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[/QUOTE]
My saddle fitter actually wants my horse in the half pad for his jump saddle. Without the pad it fits pretty well, but slides around a little when just set on his back. The halfpad makes it fit just right. Many saddles are foam instead of wool so adjustments are difficult or impossible to make except for padding.
I have also liked the half pads that are spine free/have spine cut out to provide that little bit more clearance on a shark finned horse. I don’t use the half pad with all my saddles or all my horses, but where it improves the fit and comfort of the horse – all under the recommendation of my experienced saddle fitter.
My OTTB has ridiculous withers, with a dip in each side of his back just behind the shoulder blades. The half pad made fitting possible after much IMpossibleness.
And I admit, I just like the look. Black half pad, black saddle and bridle on dark bay boy, oooohhhhh
We’ll never set the world on fire, so I might as well like what I’M looking at, lol
My mare just goes better in her Ecogold no matter what saddle I use. I had a new fitter out and she fit my saddle and I rode for her. She asked me not to use the half pad. Ride went fine but she didn’t move as well so I told the saddler to let me pop in my half pad. The words “Holy $h!t, you weren’t kidding!” actually came out of her mouth. LOL My pony likes that little bit of extra cushioning. I can’t argue it since the proof it in the pudding. If she didn’t go better in one I wouldn’t bother using one but she goes significantly better even with a properly fit saddle. YMMV.
Mattes or a comparable, high quality sheepskin is my favorite half pad. I use them because I’m too lazy to adjust flocking in the saddle frequently…actually, I prefer to flock my saddles, and after one adjustment after the wool settles, I don’t like to go mucking about with the wool. I found a super springy, resilient wool…well Sue Schurer found it and would sell it to me, and I have reflocked almost all my own saddles with this wool. I also ride multiple horses, and some are between tree sizes. I have found that my horses really like soft panels, but that means not over filling them.
And since I only do my own saddles anymore, I do what makes me & my horses happy. I also love how sheepskin feels when I sit or lay on it, so adding that cushion to the horse can’t be bad, so long as the tree has room for it.
I now use a full shaped shaped sheepskin under my saddle. I ride in an old French dressage saddle that is a super close contact monoflap, and the sheepskin distributes enough to keep the horses comfortable. Otherwise I think the seat contact is too intense.
My saddle fitter recommended the half pad…older horse with shoulder pockets so the shims and cushioning help
My thoroughbred loves his “fluffy” (aka Mattes half pad) and my fitter checks my saddle with that in mind. My old horse used one bc he was older (over twenty) and had a sway back. At my barn now maybe half the horses have a type of half pad.
Becky
Thanks for chiming in everyone. 
I had an expensive sheepskin mattes half pad with shims several years ago - but sold it after getting a custom fit saddle.
I do think they look nice but was curious about function.
[QUOTE=Bogie;8909878]
I ride with a Supracor half pad. I don’t use another pad below it. I also like real sheepswool pads but they are harder to keep clean. With the SupraCor pad, I just hose it off along with my horse.
Supracor pads offer very good pressure relief, reduce concussion and improve cooling. They are very popular among endurance riders.
My saddle fitter does recommend sheepskin half pads for older horses who might benefit from some cushioning.
The only problem with the Supracor pads is that they are so $$, but so are the other premium pads and at least the Supracor pads last forever.[/QUOTE]
Me too. I’ve had my Supracor for a long time, so it was worth the initial investment. I also got one for my western trail saddle. I bought a really nice sheepskin half pad off tack of the day a while back (forget the brand name but the fleece is phenomenal) but I have a 19" Albion dressage saddle and I haven’t tried it yet for fit.
I bought a Mattes half pad a few years ago after I finally got my overweight mare to slim down a bit, but didn’t want to invest in a new saddle immediately in case I could not keep it off of her. I noticed no difference in her, but I was never really comfortable using it as it ended before the point ended. It appeared that it would create a pressure point when you tightened the girth and the point sort of “wrapped” around the end of the half pad. Am I missing something? Should they not be used with a point billet?
I have wondered the same thing? Why half-pads if you have a well-fitting, wool flocked saddle?
I see that most of the respondents on this thread do not have a well-fitting saddle, but some do.
I use a thinline half pad (no shims) on one horse who just goes well in it. On the other horse, just a flat dressage pad and no other liner or pad.
[QUOTE=Daisyesq;8912782]
I have wondered the same thing? Why half-pads if you have a well-fitting, wool flocked saddle?
I see that most of the respondents on this thread do not have a well-fitting saddle, but some do.
I use a thinline half pad (no shims) on one horse who just goes well in it. On the other horse, just a flat dressage pad and no other liner or pad.[/QUOTE]
I have a well fitted, custom saddle. I use it for the extra comfort to the horse - as I said in my original analogy - even though my shoes fit well, I like a cushy insole. My mare goes better with the extra cush. It isn’t about fit, it is about comfort. Sheepskin especially has been proven to be shock absorbing and heat wicking.
[QUOTE=MysticOakRanch;8912788]
I have a well fitted, custom saddle. I use it for the extra comfort to the horse - as I said in my original analogy - even though my shoes fit well, I like a cushy insole. My mare goes better with the extra cush. It isn’t about fit, it is about comfort. Sheepskin especially has been proven to be shock absorbing and heat wicking.[/QUOTE]
My saddles are fitted 2x/year. I have them fitted with the pad.
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