Fair enough
Well. This escalated quickly!
Do they make one that would work for a high withered,extremely sway back geriatric horse?
I’ve been looking for a sway back pad and wondering if one of these could be custom made to fit. I also need a new half pad for my high withered,narrow TB.
[QUOTE=Doctracy;8390645]
Do they make one that would work for a high withered,extremely sway back geriatric horse?
I’ve been looking for a sway back pad and wondering if one of these could be custom made to fit. I also need a new half pad for my high withered,narrow TB.[/QUOTE]
As best as I can tell- no. It’s a one size fits all thickness of foam. If you need to do really serious padding up/shimming this is probably not the right pad. Have you looked at the prolite pads?!
DocTracy- Wilkers does everything to order, if we requested modifications to the pad they are usually very accommodating! If you would like to send me pics of your guy, I may be able to make a recommendation. My ancient guy is sway backed and while he was still being ridden, we had to get a bit creative!
Vxf11- I certainly didn’t mean to cause a heated debate. When I fit saddles, something we take into account is whether or not the rider will be using a half pad. I can bark until the cows come home about how a well fit saddle doesn’t need extra padding, but if the trainer says use a half pad, they use a half pad. I ask up front about half pads and have them show me the pad they have on the horse etc. . . I want our saddles to fit perfectly with the pads their owners/riders/trainers use. You are correct in saying that the last thing I want is everyone’s saddle to be too narrow. That is why we discuss pads up front. As to farms wanting pads, I have to operate on the idea that the owner/trainer at the farm is doing what he/she thinks is best or most appropriate for the horses they have.
[QUOTE=Doctracy;8390645]
Do they make one that would work for a high withered,extremely sway back geriatric horse?
I’ve been looking for a sway back pad and wondering if one of these could be custom made to fit. I also need a new half pad for my high withered,narrow TB.[/QUOTE]
I do not think this half pad alone would be a good solution, because it is the same thickness throughout the pad. I have another older horse who fits the same description. I think you should build up the seat area to offset the high withers.
I use a Wilker’s 04C -
http://www.wilkers.com/show-saddle-pads.html
(It’s in the middle of the page.)
It has an extra 1.5" of foam in the cantle, which levels the saddle I use with this horse nicely. It’s a full shaped fleece pad, though. If you’re looking for a half pad, I suggest a half pad with a built in riser, or you can use a half pad with a separate cantle lift. Just make sure you don’t overdo it, because then the pommel can tilt too much into the withers. Regardless of the type of pad you use, building up the seat would be my suggestion.
