Saddle Pad Confusion!

[GoneAway]

chestnuthunter, when you post your opinions/preferences on a public message board, be prepared to receive comments on them whether they pertain to the OP or not. Rule #1 of posting on public forums. If you don’t like it, then you should not be posting. And no, I am not being nasty, I’m honestly trying to be helpful here.

Next, custom fit saddles that are fit just to the horse’s back are absolutely designed to be all the padding you need. Throwing a half pad under a perfectly fitted saddle only throws off the fit and can create problems, despite your best intentions. If you want a saddle to fit perfectly with a half pad, then it needs to be fitted/flocked by a professional with the half pad in mind. Just because you see half pads at shows doesn’t mean anything except they’re fashionable. I’m sure some of those people do not have a solid grasp on saddle fit, and probably some may be using those half pads when in fact the saddle fits just fine without it. Don’t just do things because everyone else does it. This is part of your education as a horseman. People need to understand WHY things are done a certain way, not just do things because everyone else does.

And no offense to your mother (her nationality has absolutely no bearing on this discussion), unless she is a saddle fitter and has personally fit those saddles to your horse with the half pad in the equation, then she is merely telling you HER preference, which may or may not be founded on proper knowledge. I would agree with her to use a half pad with the saddle that’s not custom fit. The custom fit one, however? That you need to contact your saddle fitter about, because the recommendation may very well be to use it with just a square pad underneath.

[skrgirl]

Careful, baby pads are an addiction. You can get soany customization done on them. Colored trim, embroidery, sparskly stuff. They wont actually keep your saddle dry, but they will keep it clean(er).

[cleozowner]

[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7435542]
A shaped fleece pad or a combination of a half and baby pad (or any square all purpose pad) will have to be under your saddle to give the horse enough padding. [/QUOTE]

When stated in terms of absolutes, you give our young OP the impression that your “personal preference” (or your mom’s) is gospel.
Re: “working with what one has”–that’s why I prefer wool flocked saddles. By NO means does it mean that my one wool flocked saddle fits all horses–the tree width/shape is still there–but it means on my horse it can be adjusted as he develops and evens out his muscling, etc. Much better than getting a new saddle, or padding it up to attempt an adequate fit.

[cleozowner]

OP, just to note–if you do buy/lease a horse and get a saddle fitted to them, TELL the saddle fitter if you feel you must use a half pad–that way the saddle fitter can help you avoid the thick-socks-in-tight-shoes problem.

ETA–I noticed you mentioned a SmartPak catalog–I love SmartPak as much as the next horse person, but we have to remember that their job is to convince you that you NEED every supplement and saddle pad. They are very, very good at this.

[gumshoe]

Because it’s junk. And because I said so. Since the use of a half pad is NOT necessary and merely fashion or personal preference, I wouldn’t use that. It’s cheap, it won’t hold up and it will do absolutely nothing for my horse’s back (anything positive, that is).

[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7437922]
What on earth is wrong with that half pad? It is a decent, fluffy pad. At a jumper barn close to me, almost every student rides in this half pad because it is affordable and easy to throw in the wash when it gets dirty.[/QUOTE]

[TheJenners]

[QUOTE=cleozowner;7438072]

ETA–I noticed you mentioned a SmartPak catalog–I love SmartPak as much as the next horse person, but we have to remember that their job is to convince you that you NEED every supplement and saddle pad. They are very, very good at this.[/QUOTE]

And horse boots, quarter sheets, fly sheets, dress sheets, girths… :lol:

Back to sort of what the OP had asked, I personally don’t like square baby pads. Since they are square, as most of them are, there is no “peak” at the wither, or shape that allows it to naturally lay on the horse’s back. When that happens, the pad pulls in weird places, usually creating a little crease in the back part of the pad (as seen here). I have a friend who makes pads, so I go to her when I want something custom or colorful, and she can make it thin like a baby pad or thicker like a normal pad, and she always makes them shaped.

Other pads? I have a Mattes sheepskin I got when I was having some saddle fit issues, which now doesn’t get used at all since I went to the fitter, and a Mattes quilt that is shimmable that I use on both horses. I have a few different shaped square pads that I use under the quilt half pad to keep it cleaner, and go through them as they get dirty.

[HunterJumper_3]

[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7437201]
Oh, honey child, let me tell you about the saddle pad addiction It takes you and your tack room over slowly until it manifests itself into a hoarding problem. As of right now, I have 2 half pads, 2 fitted show pads, 6 baby pads, and 12 (yes, TWELVE) square pads. And I just ordered another one. We won’t even get into my polo wrap or fly bonnet collection. I would rather have new saddle pads and polos than eat.[/QUOTE]
I swear to god. Seriously. Lol, once you start buying you just can’t stop. I don’t even own a horse and I’m starting to feel like this.

[HunterJumper_3]

[QUOTE=cleozowner;7438072]

ETA–I noticed you mentioned a SmartPak catalog–I love SmartPak as much as the next horse person, but we have to remember that their job is to convince you that you NEED every supplement and saddle pad. They are very, very good at this.[/QUOTE]
Yes. They’re good. Too good. :lol:

[chestnuthunter]

[QUOTE=GoForAGallop;7438025]
But your post wasn’t “how they might be used” it’s that “you need to own these because every horse will need them, hard stop.”

Personally, my mother stopped ordering me what to do when I was oh, I dunno, 16, but clearly everyone’s experience varies.

As for her ranting and background in riding, the area of the world you learned to ride in has nothing to do with how good you are, sorry, nor how educated you are. Things change…here in America, in Germany, in England, EVERYWHERE. In any vintage fox hunting photo you see, they are riding without any saddle pads at all! That was the fashion in the show hunter ring as well for a while.

As for the “holistic couch coaches” comment…well, perhaps you should enlighten your mother. There are some BIG names on this board, from all discipline, even if they don’t proclaim it loudly. Not to mention a good six or seven professional, certified saddle fitters.[/QUOTE]

I didn’t mean for it to come across as gospel. It was just the way I was brought up and it’s all I have ever known or seen. I suppose that shows my inexperience then. I’m 17, and considering my mom owns all of our horses and our farm and I’m still under her roof, she still gets to order me around. She will also be deciding what horse goes with me to college next year, so her word is final on saddle pads. That’s just what she learned in the 80s and has always stuck to it. Does a saddle pad preference have ANYTHING to do with how good you are? I think not.

[GoneAway]

[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7438718]
Does a saddle pad preference have ANYTHING to do with how good you are? I think not.[/QUOTE]
Perhaps not in ability itself, but saddle pad choice can absolutely have an effect on performance. In the case of someone using a half pad or bulk where the custom fitted saddle doesn’t need it, or using a poorly fitting saddle with no correctional pads, that can cause several problems which affect the horse’s comfort, which in turn affects performance. So in a way yes, not choosing the appropriate pads for the particular horse and saddle can negatively impact how you ride.

[Well_Worn_Bridle]

I love my Tad Coffin pad, but I’m not fond of the price tag. I wish I could find something similar for a little less. It’s just a quilted AP pad, but it has a thin layer of felt in it… For as thin as it is, it’s beefy/substantial.

[chestnuthunter]

Well OP, if you learn anything from this thread, know that horse people can argue about anything and everything and that you can ride your entire life and find out your way is wrong and false.

Maybe I could switch to a thinner pad for my Verhan, but my “meh” fitting Collegiate needs the fluffy half-pad.

[Chezzie]

[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7438891]
Well OP, if you learn anything from this thread, know that horse people can argue about anything and everything and that you can ride your entire life and find out your way is wrong and false.

Maybe I could switch to a thinner pad for my Verhan, but my “meh” fitting Collegiate needs the fluffy half-pad.[/QUOTE]

OP, I think if you actually learn anything from this thread, it should be that teenagers will type whatever they want on the internet about saddle pads or Olympic caliber riders, and it doesn’t mean they know squat about either.

You will probably have a better idea what pad you need once you have a horse and see how your saddle fits him/her.

[fatappy]

[QUOTE=Chezzie;7438945]
OP, I think if you actually learn anything from this thread, it should be that teenagers will type whatever they want on the internet about saddle pads or Olympic caliber riders, and it doesn’t mean they know squat about either. [/QUOTE]

:yes:

Chesnuthunter, you cooked your goose. This may follow you for a while.

[DoubleTwistedWire]

@Chezzie;7438945

OP, I think if you actually learn anything from this thread, it should be that teenagers will type whatever they want on the internet about saddle pads or Olympic caliber riders, and it doesn’t mean they know squat about either.

You forgot riding hunters in Holland and bitting with a mild single twisted wire. She is just a font of “wisdom.”

OP, if you’re looking at buying a saddle to use on lesson horses or something, rather than just fitting it to one horse, it may be wise to invest in a few different “fits” of pad, from a thinner square pad to a thicker half-pad, so that you can adjust as necessary for horse fit, within a range. It’s a good place to have a little fun with shopping, and color

[chestnuthunter]

[QUOTE=fatappy;7438963]
:yes:

Chesnuthunter, you cooked your goose. This may follow you for a while.[/QUOTE]

Ah, well. The opinion of forum writers and my reputation on COTH honestly don’t affect me or concern me. It’s just something to do to pass the time when I’m not riding.

[chestnuthunter]

[QUOTE=DoubleTwistedWire;7438988]
You forgot riding hunters in Holland and bitting with a mild single twisted wire. She is just a font of “wisdom.” [/QUOTE]

Would love to see a font of wisdom. I bet it would look very fancy and impressive in a Microsoft Word document and would be great for school essays.

She’s racked up an awful lot of championship coolers and buckles for me to start contradicting her based on the knowledge of some forum thread writers. And again, as I have stated before, when you are riding in western tack with slack in the reins, a single twisted wire IS mild. I’m honestly not getting into that again.

I don’t mind advice, and I get that I’m inexperienced. What I don’t like on this forum is the condescending “we are right, you are wrong, period.” attitude.

[xSelleFrancaisx]

[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7439049]
Would love to see a font of wisdom. I bet it would look very fancy and impressive in a Microsoft Word document and would be great for school essays.

She’s racked up an awful lot of championship coolers and buckles for me to start contradicting her based on the knowledge of some forum thread writers. And again, as I have stated before, when you are riding in western tack with slack in the reins, a single twisted wire IS mild. I’m honestly not getting into that again.

I don’t mind advice, and I get that I’m inexperienced. What I don’t like on this forum is the condescending “we are right, you are wrong, period.” attitude.[/QUOTE]

Oh darling… Well, bless your heart!

[chestnuthunter]

[QUOTE=xSelleFrancaisx;7439063]
Oh darling… Well, bless your heart![/QUOTE]

And there it is again. We’re all in this sport together. I have no idea why people feel the need to be nasty to each other. I don’t pretend to be a “victim” but I feel like every time I post I get pounced on, when all of this stuff is opinion anyway. If I come across as arrogant, I really am sorry. I don’t mean to be snobbish or pretend that I know all there is to know, because I absolutely do not. Just trying to tell the OP what tack worked for me and my horse to give her a couple options.

I guess I’m just really not qualified to give any advice. Not sarcasm, either.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, OP!

[WillowB]

@gumshoe;7437253

All horses do not need padding. If the saddle is correctly fitted, you don’t need all that under it.

Amen to that.

Do read and research saddle fit before investing into a bunch of pads. You’d be surprised how much a certain type of pad/half-pad/etc can alter the fit and feel for the horse.