Half pad or no half pad

[SillyHorse]

The polos vs boots topic has become an interesting and useful discussion about heat in the lower leg. I now pose a similar question: do you use a half pad? Why or why not?

I think they look lovely, but I’ve always believed that if you have a well-fitting saddle, you shouldn’t need a half pad. Yet I see high-performance horses that likely get only the best care and equipment, including carefully fitted saddles, ridden with half pads. This leads me to wonder what is the perceived or proven advantage of placing a half pad under a well-fitting saddle?

[XXS]

Saddle fit … the creapiest science in horse riding. Ever. So many saddle fitters out there who don’t know where the head of a horse is and where the butt. As we don’t know if tack is used because of sponsorship I’d believe my horse and not my idol. Saddle fit is individual. You have to try out what your horse is most comfortable with. For some horses a pad can be a relief, some are better without. In some cases (changes of weight or muscels) a pad can help to support your horse during periods without perfect saddle fit.
I think, there have been threads about pads?

[Equibrit]

It depends who sponsors you

[fordtraktor]

Some picky horses like a sheepskin pad. For me it depends on the horse.

[CanteringCarrot]

I swear this comes up (usually in the H/J section) at least monthly

If the saddle fits, I don’t use a half pad. My horse has good muscle and covering on his back.

If the saddle is too wide, or requires shims due to asymmetry or a loss in muscle and or weight I will use a half pad. Especially if I anticipate the horse filling out again. Easier and cheaper than adjusting the saddle.

If the horse seems to voice an opinion on the matter and seems to prefer a certain pad, then use it. Simple.

If the saddle has good flocking/the panels are in good condition and the saddle fits, I wouldn’t spend my money on more padding.

A lot of it is marketing, as opposed to their being an actual need.

[Scribbler]

Dressage mostly uses wool flocked saddles that can be tweaked for excellent fit. I don’t recall seeing a lot of top dressage riders in half pads. They do very subtly alter your feel.

Jumping uses mostly foam saddles that cannot be altered easily. The panels are also much thinner. If a given saddle needs tweaking you need a half pad with shims. Also some pads like Invictus or Thinlite promise protection from impact over jumps. Also hunters is dominated by teenage girls who love gear.

I have wool dresaage and jump saddles. When the horse loses weight or the flocking compresses I use a sheepskin half pad to stabilize the saddle. I prefer the saddle correctly stuffed and when it is theres no room for a sheepskin.

[SillyHorse]

@Scribbler

Dressage mostly uses wool flocked saddles that can be tweaked for excellent fit. I don’t recall seeing a lot of top dressage riders in half pads. .

At least 50% of these photos of Grand Prix horses and riders show a half pad.

https://www.google.com/search?q=top+dressage+riders&tbm=isch&chips=q:top+dressage+riders,online_chips:grand+prix+dressage:9blxY2Vnn3A%3D&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjfzfavnbjxAhURa60KHVcKDHEQ4lYoBnoECAEQIw&biw=1439&bih=688

[Highflyer1]

In my experience as an UL (eventing) groom, lower level amateurs are more likely to have a saddle that is fitted to their one horse as perfectly as possible. Higher level riders and especially pros are more likely to have 3-4 saddles that can be adjusted using a variety of shimmable half pads to fit 10 plus horses.

[Feathered_Feet]

I don’t know that that’s as true as it looks. A lot of them are probably using something like this: https://www.worldequestrianbrands.com/product/platinum-square-pad-without-sheepskin-panels-with-front-rear-trim-only/

At actual shows, I rarely see upper level riders using a half pad, but I do see a lot using pads with sheepskin underneath and the fleece trim.

[YankeeDuchess]

@Feathered_Feet

I don’t know that that’s as true as it looks. A lot of them are probably using something like this: https://www.worldequestrianbrands.com/product/platinum-square-pad-without-sheepskin-panels-with-front-rear-trim-only/

At actual shows, I rarely see upper level riders using a half pad, but I do see a lot using pads with the fleece trim.

I find it weird that an upper level rider would decide they don’t want the actual fleece half pad, but nevertheless want to mimic the look cosmetically with a pad with fleece trim. Having the fleece trim just makes it more difficult to wash the pad.
I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but faking a fleece half pad with fleece trim seems an odd thing to go about faking.

[Feathered_Feet]

I think most if not all of them have the sheepskin underneath in addition to the trim on top. There are a lot of combinations for where you can get the sheepskin on the Mattes pads, since they’re so customizable.

If I had to guess, I would think the trim helps hold the saddle panels (which is exactly why I don’t get my pads with the trim - I have a huge saddle and I think it would sit on the trim, not in it).

[Scribbler]

Ok my error on half pads at upper levels

The dressage pads with fleece under against the horse are fantastic but they get dirty very fast and you can’t bleach the white cotton upper without maybe screwing up the sheepskin component.

[sheltona01]

From my experience, it really is horse dependent. Some just go better with the extra padding, some hate it.

[CanteringCarrot]

I have a Mattes half pad with no front or rear trim. It’s black and when I was using it, I put it under my usual square pad (mostly LeMieux). You really can’t tell it is even there by looks.

I brush it out with a slicker dog brush and wash with Melp occasionally. Still looks fantastic.

I also have two wool pads (thin) that I quite like. They look like a normal dressage pad, just wool. Really dry quickly and wick the sweat.

[DMK]

I agree, That roll in front is just an extra stop against pad slipping, which is where you see most of the fleece action on square pads.

I have a roma fleece pad that I got on clearance at a dover tent sale (it’s french blue on the top). I love the damn thing, it’s not at all bulky and it keeps the underside of my saddle protected from salty sweat soaked square pads, and I appreciate that since I want that saddle to last the rest of my dressage life. Unfortunately, when I went looking for a white or black version for showing, I found that those roma pads are no longer a thing, and every other pad is way too bulky for my kind of broad mutton withered guy (even my old fleece thinline pad, which is the second thinnest half pad I’ve ever found is way too bulky for my guy).

[rothmpp]

I had a good saddle that was regularly looked at by a decent fitter that should have fit my horse just fine. He very clearly indicated that he was happiest in a saddle that was slightly too big with a sheepskin half pad.

I called him my flip flops & boxer shorts guy - he liked his clothes loose.

You do what makes the horse go the best, whether that is a particular tree shape or pad configuration.

[TheDBYC]

@Scribbler

Also hunters is dominated by teenage girls who love gear

I take it you don’t have any “gun guys” in your life?

Seriously, though. You’ve got some wild folks in your neck of the woods. The hunters here are very conservative to the point that there are certain bits & bobs of gear that I wish they would use – at least while schooling – for the sake of their horses.

[TooManyTBs]

I use a sheepskin half pad because my horse prefers it. I work with a saddle fitter and both my dressage and jumping saddles are flocked to fit with the half pads. I’d rather not use one, for a closer feel, but my princess and the pea gelding prefers his saddles slightly too wide with a fluffy pad.

[outerbanks77]

@CanteringCarrot

If the saddle is too wide, or requires shims due to asymmetry or a loss in muscle and or weight I will use a half pad. Especially if I anticipate the horse filling out again. Easier and cheaper than adjusting the saddle.

This. I have an asymmetrical horse that we keep needing to move shims around. She just seems to go better with a Thinline, so a Thinline half pad with shim pockets it is. The fitter left room for this in the flocking adjustment. My other horse is more symmetrical and I just use a thin pad. Both of my saddles have serge panels, so they are nice and soft and shape well to the horse’s backs.

I don’t see any reason for the sheepskin half pads that are not against the horse’s back. That is the point of the sheepskin, but I assume those are the ones that the OP thinks look nice. My Thinline pad does not look nice. It looks just OK with a matching pad underneath, and kind of crappy with a contrasting pad.

[sweetsalute]

I deliberately bought one with 6 pockets for shims to use with my 4yo, as I expect we’ll go through a fair amount of shape changing. The saddle I already had, whilst a reasonable fit, was a bit too wide in the beginning as well. We’re now at the point where the saddle probably needs adjusting as she has filled out, I’ll get it adjusted to account for the half pad. I’ve tried with and without, she seems a bit happier with and again, the ability to make small adjustments with shims is handy.

Saddle was originally custom made for my older mare and I never used a half pad with her.