Whoa this thread turned bad. :eek: So, I like the idea of buying a saddle to fit (not perfectly fit, but good enough in general), and getting a couple of different types of pads to improve the fit for the various horses. If that made any sense! :lol: It’s what DoubleTwistedWire said about saddle pads. I also like how this pad: https://www.smartpakequine.com/mobile/product/7036 eliminates the need for a half pad at all! It comes in dressage or a/p. I will have either a close contact or all purpose, would the all purpose size work with the close contact?
OP, do you have a horse of your own? If so, I would recommend getting your saddle professionally fitted to your horse.
If you are going to be riding a variety of horses it’s a slightly different situation. In a perfect world every horse would have their own saddle that fits them perfectly so you could just use that, but I know of very few barns (from backyard to top show barns) that actually do this in practice.
While you cannot make a terrible fit a good fit and indeed risk hurting the horse with a truly ill-fitting saddle, there is a lot that can be done with shimmed half pads (Thinline, Fleeceworks, etc.) and Ogilvy-type pads (Ecogold, etc.) to fill in certain areas and/or lift the saddle somewhere to create a better fit. I think most of the posters who are decrying half pads on this thread are upset about the idea that every saddle needs a half pad, which is really a marketing ploy that has turned into a trend.
TL;DR: If you have your own horse I wholeheartedly recommend having a saddle professionally fitted to him/her. If you are riding a variety of horses I encourage you to educate yourself about basic saddle fit so you can add some shims and pads to your toolbox to create a more comfortable “off the rack” fit for various horses.
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Many times a half pad will make a saddle too narrow, and people that want to use half pads have to purchase a wider tree saddle to accomodate the saddle. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but you have to include the “fluff” of the pad in with the fit. It can be helpful when you have a wide tree saddle and also ride medium tree horses.
My own saddles fit well enough that I just use a thinline pad beneath both of them.
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[QUOTE=enjoytheride;7443673]
Many times a half pad will make a saddle too narrow, and people that want to use half pads have to purchase a wider tree saddle to accomodate the saddle. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but you have to include the “fluff” of the pad in with the fit. It can be helpful when you have a wide tree saddle and also ride medium tree horses.
My own saddles fit well enough that I just use a thinline pad beneath both of them.[/QUOTE]
I always show my fitter the pad that I plan to use with my saddle so that I know I’m not changing the fit in a bad way.
You have to be careful about overpadding and over layering as you can reduce the stability of the saddle if you have too many layers. I’ve seen some saddles that are perched on so many pads it looks like the equine version of the princess and the pea!
Personally, I ride my horses with a natural sheepskin pad. The ones I have are not so thick that they change the fit and the do a great job of keeping the back cool. I know some people use a baby pad under the sheepskin but I think that defeats the purpose. Sheepskin cleans up just fine with either brushing or washing in cold water. Some of mine are 10+ years old! When I’m foxhunting, I’ll add a thinline pad to help absorb concussion. We do a lot of galloping/jumping in two point/three-point and I think it helps.
I keep a mattes pad for those times in between fittings when a shim is required.
I guess I’ve never had the desire to collect pads. Saddles? Yup. Pads, just have a few.
[QUOTE=HunterJumper<3;7443596]
Whoa this thread turned bad. :eek: So, I like the idea of buying a saddle to fit (not perfectly fit, but good enough in general), and getting a couple of different types of pads to improve the fit for the various horses. If that made any sense! :lol: It’s what DoubleTwistedWire said about saddle pads. I also like how this pad: https://www.smartpakequine.com/mobile/product/7036 eliminates the need for a half pad at all! It comes in dressage or a/p. I will have either a close contact or all purpose, would the all purpose size work with the close contact?[/QUOTE]
That is a ridiculously expensive saddle pad, and difficult to wash to boot. You are better off (and cheaper, too) getting a plain pad and adding a half pad or shims IF you need it. If there’s one thing this thread has demonstrated it’s that more padding is NOT always better.
[QUOTE=cleozowner;7443888]
That is a ridiculously expensive saddle pad, and difficult to wash to boot. You are better off (and cheaper, too) getting a plain pad and adding a half pad or shims IF you need it. If there’s one thing this thread has demonstrated it’s that more padding is NOT always better.[/QUOTE]
Yeah. And I feel like buying the plain BOT pad and a basic Thinline would be cheaper on their own. And I’d be more likely to start a saddle pad collection with the plain Thinline and a few of the basic square quilted pads, because I’m old and crotchety and not a believer in every big magnetic/ceramic/whoowoo fad that comes along.
You sound like you’re buying an off the rack saddle to use on a few horses you ride in lessons or something, correct, OP? I’d ask the owners/trainer what brand saddle they might recommend as a good fit or starting point for the general types of horses you ride. Then get a few plain square pads, something like a Thinline that doesn’t change saddle fit but provides shock absorption, and maybe something like an Ogilvy or shimmable sheepskin for when it’s a little imperfect. No saddle is going to fit all horses, and while a custom saddle is nice, not all horses need them.
Yeah, I’m not buying a saddle anytime soon (at least not yet as far as I know), but that would be the situation if/when I do! 
So then I’d need a pad with pockets for shims? And when and how do you use shims? Would I buy them for the front and back, and how would I know which horse needs what? I don’t think a saddle fitter would work for me, since the saddle id buy would be for multiple horses!
[QUOTE=HunterJumper<3;7444109]
Yeah, I’m not buying a saddle anytime soon (at least not yet as far as I know), but that would be the situation if/when I do! So then I’d need a pad with pockets for shims? And when and how do you use shims? Would I buy them for the front and back, and how would I know which horse needs what? I don’t think a saddle fitter would work for me, since the saddle id buy would be for multiple horses![/QUOTE]
A saddle fitter will absolutely work with you, OP. Butet and many other high end saddle makers make “pro panels” that will fit many horses reasonably well. There may even be mid-range saddle makers who do the same.
On the half pad/ baby pad/ square pad issue, a square or baby pad are basically the same thing, one is just thinner than the other. They are used under a well fitting saddle by themselves, or under a too wide saddle with a half pad to take up space. That is what a half pad is for, to take up space. That’s what shims do too. It is inappropriate to use a half pad on a saddle fitted to the horse’s back without a half pad or a saddle that fits the horse reasonably well. If you can’t slide your hand under the saddle by the horse’s shoulder, the saddle is too narrow and will pinch. A half pad will just increase the pinching. A half pad should never be used as a go to pad for every horse. Only some horses need it, and only if the saddle does not fit properly (too wide, not narrow. Nothing can fix a too narrow saddle).
Chestnuthunter, as someone who is just starting out in the sport, you would be wise to listen to the opinions of very experienced horse people who have been in this discipline for decades. I guarantee they have better information than you do, since many of them have worked with saddle fitters many, many times/ are saddle fitters. Your mother is not a saddle fitter, and her nationality has nothing to do with the fact that not all horses need a half pad.
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If you are riding different horses in saddles that have been assigned to them (riding school?), you are far better off to just buy a square AP pad in colors that you like. You don’t need a pad with shims or anything else that will alter the fit of a school horse’s saddle. At least not before discussing this with the owner of the horse.
[QUOTE=HunterJumper<3;7444109]
Yeah, I’m not buying a saddle anytime soon (at least not yet as far as I know), but that would be the situation if/when I do! So then I’d need a pad with pockets for shims? And when and how do you use shims? Would I buy them for the front and back, and how would I know which horse needs what? I don’t think a saddle fitter would work for me, since the saddle id buy would be for multiple horses![/QUOTE]
Not always. A half pad does not have to be bulky, although some of them are.
I use a thinner, sheepskin half pad under my saddle without any other pad. It does not change the fit. I use them with my very forward cut xc saddles because very few shaped pads work with them and I think square pads are ugly.
Yes, there are some half pads out there (the Bevel wool ones spring to mind) that are practically an inch thick! I’ve never figured out how you could fit one of those under your saddle!
What about a Thinline pad?
[QUOTE=HunterJumper<3;7444938]
What about a Thinline pad?[/QUOTE]
I have a Thinline, the cotton one with sheepskin trim. I have both front and rear shims, and by adjusting the shims as needed, I can achieve a reasonable fit, mostly of other people’s saddles on my horse. (He gets ridden by a dressage rider a few days a week.)
The idea that every horse should have one saddle that fits him perfectly is just not realistic when you ride more than one horse. In the real world of the barn where I ride, no one rides without some kind of therapeutic pad either for comfort or fit issues.
How can you “assess” a saddle fit, to see if you need a half-pad or shims? And how would you correct a minor fitting problem?
First, you need to learn how to evaluate saddle fit. I learned from watching a fitter work but there are also some good videos on YouTube that can give you some insight.
This is a good one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40WzB00NhF8&feature=share&list=PL71524CA857BA5935
And Schleese has a whole series of videos on their YouTube Channel which are helpful.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mjpschleese/videos
Once you understand why a saddle doesn’t fit, you’ll start to see how using a pad with shims can be helpful. But you also need to keep in mind that by raising one part of the saddle you can also cause new problems . . .
http://www.doversaddlery.com/images/art/Equine%20Library%2033%20Saddle%20Fitting.pdf
That’s a pretty good basic guide. I always check for wither clearance, and for whether the saddle rocks front to back by pressing on the cantle. If the saddle sits a little low with you in it, then you can use front shims to lift it up. If the wither clearance is good, but the saddle has a bit of a duck butt look, that’s because the tree is too curvy for the horse’s flatter back. But you could make do with shims in the back. If the saddle bridges in the middle, you can use shims to make it rest more evenly.
I am not a saddle fitter or anything, and if you have one horse and one saddle that fits, that’s ideal, but there are plenty of comfortable horses and riders outside that ideal.
I’ll check out the article and videos! :winkgrin: I’ve never had to fit or even deal with any type or form of saddle fit before, so this is new to me! Thanks to everyone for their cooperation and patience with my beginner-like knowledge. :lol: 
Well… it all depends on the horse! Some just need a square pad! Some need a baby pad+ more
This is a very old post you are reviving!
My $.02:
When I got my semi-custom dressage saddle I was told to ride in it for 30 rides or 3mos - whichever came first - WITHOUT ANY PAD AT ALL < purpose was to allow the saddle to conform to my horse’s back.
So me & Mr Mount Withers rode that way, cleaning the saddle’s underside after every ride, saddle got broken in & I added just a plain square pad to keep the saddle clean.
BEFORE we got the saddle fitted I had to use a back riser pad so my A/P would fit him without rocking back from those withers.
So, IMVHO, use of any type of pad is dependent on how the saddle fits the horse.
Pad to a fare-thee-well or go without, your choice & fashion be damned!
ETA: :o Oops, just noticed this is a Zombie
Oh well, I stand by my post 
I see this confusion among younger riders – who are influenced by the fashion statements in the show ring – often, although in this case, the poster’s mother may have just imposed beliefs that she brought with her from her own background. A properly fitted saddle is designed to disperse the rider’s weight effectively. You do not need a fancy pad to do that. Saddles are now available with a host of panels – wool flocked, foam, etc. They are designed to be comfortable. There are exceptions. When you are foxhunting for several hours, jumping multiple fences and often riding in 2-point, it can be helpful to have a bit of extra padding. As horses age and thin out around the withers, a bit of extra padding also provides some benefit, but you need to have your saddle fit with those pads, otherwise you are adding bulk that will create pressure points. Much of the time they are not necessary, but, like show ring hunters that always are ridden in standing martingales, the pads “look the part”.
When I was growing up, saddle pads were there to keep your saddle clean. I do like the fact that there are specialty pads available. I’ve had the occasion to use my shimmed Mattes pads when my horse has been changing shape, in between saddle fittings. I’ve used a slightly thicker pad when my horse was growing into a saddle that was a hair too wide, and shimmed a pad when my horse was slightly lopsided (although I think you need a saddle fitter to show you how to shim properly or you can create more problems than you fix.)
Currently, my “go to” saddle pad is a Supracor half pad (which I use sans baby pad) because it has been shown to keep a horse’s back cooler, offers some extra protection (while foxhunting) and can be hosed off after every ride. I had a horse in the past who had to be ridden in a real sheepskin pad or he broke out in hives. Sheepskin is an excellent material that is cool, offers protection, and wicks away moisture. The also last forever! I have a couple that are going on 15 years of regular use. Fake sheepskin pads are less expensive but don’t offer any real benefits except for keeping the saddle clean.
In general, though, I mostly shake my head at the obsession over half pads these days.
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