How many of you move your saddle pad up?

[J-Lu]

Hey,

How many of you move your saddle pad up or use saddle pads with no front billet straps?

I was somewhat recently made aware that horses may feel the base of where those front billet straps are sewn to the saddle pad on either side of the withers and some people move the saddle pad forward enough so that the saddle is mainly resting on the pad and not the area where the billet straps are sewn on. I hadn’t thought of that before but I kind of see the point after palpating my saddle pads under the saddle.

Does anyone here do this? Comments?

[Mersidoats]

Me. My coach is also a saddle fitter, so she’s given me a heightened awareness of what is going on between my butt and the horse’s back. I’ve started to prefer the pads with the little keepers, for monoflap saddles.

[J-Lu]

Huh, Thanks! I originally heard this from a saddle fitter and the trainer I sometimes ride with reinforces this idea. I find myself doing this now. Can you by chance link to the pads that you’re now using? I’d really appreciate that!

[Mersidoats]

Off the top of my head: Weatherbeeta, PSOS and LeMieux, and some ancient grubby white saddle pads from the common schooling pad pile. I also use thin-line half pads. If I am using an old pad with the long keepers, and I’m riding in a monoflap, I will pull the keepers out and use them like oh-crap straps, or loop them around my stirrup leathers.

[Kyrabee]

If my pad has those straps, I cut them off. I know that doesn’t do anything for where the strap is sewn on but I have always found those straps more than useless.

Susan

[Jump314]

I totally remove them with a seam ripper.

[TheJenners]

A friend makes pads and I request no straps on all of them.

[J-Lu]

@Jump314

I totally remove them with a seam ripper.

Really! I haven’t thought of that. Thanks!!

[joiedevie99]

Same. I order my Mattes pads without them.

[J-Lu]

This is why I love COTH. Thank you to those who have already thought outside the box for this problem/ previously recognized it.

Seam ripper is #1 as I have 2 pads without front billets and I seem to be a hoarder of saddle pads. Yes, that’s my weakness. I have so many saddle pads…

[SillyHorse]

@Jump314

I totally remove them with a seam ripper.

Same.

[WildGooseChase]

I don’t ride hunt too much anymore, but I absolutely prefer pads with the lower keepers, instead of the billet straps. I don’t want anything causing pressure points or irritation between the saddle, pad and the horse.

[scislandsprite]

I do this too, I would love if more places had the option to buy saddle pads without the billet strap on it entirely since they do nothing with monoflaps.

[eightpondfarm]

I’ve been riding in LeMieux’s Ultra Mesh Dressage Square Grey which comes with no billet straps. and just bought another one in Dark Navy and lo and behold, a billet strap. But it’s sewn pretty much toward the edge so i think i can just pull it forward. I NEVER use the billet straps, never thought of seam ripping them out though. What an excellent idea!

[Night_Flight]

I don’t know how easy they are to get in the US, but Ogilvy saddle pads usually come without straps by default, and I find that the fabric they use stays in place very well.

[RedHorses]

I’ve removed them from my pads (seam ripper) for years. I did pull a new pad out of my never used bin and left the straps on for a bit. Until one day I was tacking up and found little edema patches exactly the size of the strap end in exactly the. place they sat…

I stood in the barn and spent 20 min with my Swiss Army knife’s scissors to cut the threads and remove the straps.

Yes, that horse is ridiculously sensitive to saddle fit.

[Zevida]

I just cut my billet straps off with a pair of scissors but maybe next time I will attempt a cleaner look and try seam ripper!

[blue_heron]

I just tuck them under the flap. I pull my pad up into the channel of my saddle and have never had an issue with them not fitting well. I have a couple that don’t have billet straps and it makes no difference.

I also had some that looped through the D-rings. It was a good idea but the flaps weren’t narrow enough to fit through the rings without cussing.