I’m getting ready to order some pads from Hufglocken but cannot decide which pads. Posting here since Mattes seems more popular with the Dressage crowd, but the pads are ultimately for my jumper who likes the sheepskin directly on her back. Currently, I’m using the Hufglocken half pad with shims with no pad underneath. I can’t decide if I should get 1 half pad and a few “top” AP pads (using the PM system) OR get a few (2 likely) AP pads with the sheepskin underneath. The half pad with PM system will be easier to wash and can be used by itself, but I don’t know if I could swing multiple half pads with the AP top pads so one half pad would take all the beating (at least for now). The full pads with sheepskin underneath give me slightly less flexibility, I feel, and will be harder (bulkier) to wash. Price wise, it’s about the same for 1 half pad + 2 pads OR 2 full pads with sheepskin. Any insights?
I personally have stayed away with full pads with sheepskin. I just can’t wrap my mind around how to wash them, well, when they are on top of the skin and get so dirty and sweaty.
That being said, I’m sure many purists would say that is the point of sheepskin: to go on the skin, get sweaty and dirty but save/cushion while that is happening.
My preference is regular pad (love ogilvy and BOT) with sheepskin half pad and then saddle on top. I find I only need to wash the half pad once or twice a year, giving me many healthy years of use. I retired my first PM Platinum pad a couple of years ago, made it from about 2000 to about 2020 … pretty good return on the investment!
From my understanding (could be very wrong!) that is possible with the PM system - essentially a Velcro tab/ strap on the half pad that goes through a hole in the square pad (which sits on top of the half pad) and attaches to the saddle to keep both pads pulled up and keep the half pad from slipping out from under the square pad.
I have a mare who has expressed a strong preference for sheepskin, so I appreciate Hufglocken’s sales!
I’ll throw in a vote for Mattes pads. They wash well and will last forever with a bit of care. If your horse likes sheepskin then get the Mattes pads. There’s no substitute and they are good value over time.
What i used for a couple of years was a Mattes sheepskin half pad next to the horse with an Ogilvy baby pad over it.
I found the sheepskin washed up nicely in Melp but the cloth top is impossible to get clean because you can’t use full strength detergent or bleach. So a seperate baby pad was really helpful.
I sent my Mattes away years ago to someone who needed it when I had not used it for years. Enter a skinny thing last year belonging to a friend that needed a proper sheepskin against the skin. Spending $$ on a half pad that would be used for only a few weeks seemed stupid so an actual sheepskin was purchased and used under an Ogilvy.
It worked perfectly. If I wanted a longer lasting solution, I’d do the same but buy in person the largest and thickest I could find and cut to shape. The (smallish) one worked really well under a dressage saddle but was not the best under a close contact.
If you do go this method, remember that if you want to cut to shape, draw on the skin side then cut with a razor (you can get single-sided razor blades at hardware stores in the paint section) just barely going through the leather. This is far less messy and give you a nice edge rather than a “bowl cut”.
I use them too. My horse seems to prefer them, and they wash easily. After each use I do wipe the underside with a damp sponge and brush it up to keep the sheepskin from drying with sweat in it. I wash them as necessary, turned sheepskin side out and folded not along the spine but in half front to back. Cold wash,in Melp, and hang to dry not in the sun. I give them a good brush to fluff them up using a dog brush.
My Mattes pad has held up really well. I brush it out and wash as needed. I don’t worry about the top part because no one really sees it anyway. I only have one and my other pads I rotate through are from
https://www.sheepskintown.com/sheepskin-saddle-pads-c-157.html
When I wash my Mattes pad it takes at least 2-3 days to air dry except in the summer.
How do you like this one in comparison to the Mattes? Looks cheaper (cost wise) than the Mattes.
I really like it for the price but it doesn’t come in different sizes so if you are in a 16.5/17 saddle, it’s a little large. The sheepskin part is soft and fluffy and washes better than my Mattes.
Mine prefer the sheepskin directly on the horse, and my saddles don’t fit as well with the bulk of two pads. I order the Mattes (Dressage L) with bottom sheepskin from Hufglocken every sale. Washing hasn’t been a major issue as long as I have enough to rotate while they dry.
I need some schooling pads & my guy really likes the sheepskin against his skin. I may need to order some of these to try. I had the premier pads for schooling but shipping has gone way up ($48 for shipping, which if I buy enough, it may even out, but thats pricey for 1 pad).
Sorry to interject another question, but this thread led me to check prices on Hufglocken as I need to replace my Mattes half pad after 15+ years.
What’s the practical difference between SPINEFREE and SPINEFREE EWWA? I’m pretty sure I have the first and it’s been working fine for my current horse. I plan on keeping the new pad for years and using it on multiple horses. The price for either the same.
Also any idea on their cadence of sales? Right now they have BLACK30 going but I don’t want to spend the money until after Christmas. I just need the new pad by 2025 show season.
In spinefree, the width of the channel without sheepskin is equal for the whole length of the pad. For EWWA, the channel is much wider around the withers to create more clearance for high wither horses, then it narrows to the normal width towards the back. If you look at a picture of an EWWA pad, you’ll see a seam running the length of the pad. The area above that seam has no sheepskin.
@theresak - They seem to run 20-30% sales periodically so you’re probably fine waiting. Be aware that shipping is very slow and plan accordingly:)
Shipping is slow as these are custom items ordered from Australia, made in Poland, shipped to Australia to finish, then shipped to you. I would expect several months.
They run several sales a year so you’re fine waiting.
Core items ship faster than custom, but not fast. I ordered some core stuff in August and just got it last week. My last custom order took about 4.5 months.
I have 2 Mattes dressage pads; they are both older than 10 now but have held up beautifully and they have been so comfortable for my horses. I wash them in Woolite on the “delicate” cycle and hang them to dry. No problems.
Ooh, thanks for that Sheepskintown link!
I love Mattes, but am always interested in trying out a competing product. I use Eucalan Woolwash on just about all my delicate things, including my saddle pads, wool or not.
5 or 10 minutes on very low heat or air dry makes my wool pads nice and fluffy!
I have a couple of different mattes pads and other fleece pads I have collected over the years .
I spritz well with shout or other stain Remover type stuff then toss in the wash. I like the Leather Therapy wash for the washing machine better than Melp .
They come out really clean , if they need another spin they go back thru another cycle but with no detergent the second time.
Then when they come out, I put them in the dryer on delicate no heat for about 15 minutes and let air dry the rest of the way after that
