I have a horse that is only happy in the sheepskin mattess half pad with the fitted show pad underneath. He is a sensitve thoroughbred with sharkfin withers. He needs a new one and I am wondering if it is exceptable to buy the black version to use for show in hunters and home.
If anyone has any other ideas, I would love to hear them. Everything else I have tried is too much padding or doesn’t stay lifted through the whole ride.
Shall we assume that you are showing in the hunters (assumption because of your screen name)?
Yes. I will add that to the post.
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I would not use black in the hunter ring, not at rated shows at any rate. Mattes does make a shimmable hunter pad if you wanted something that fits like your half-pad but has less bulk than the half-pad/shaped pad combo.
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If the color of your black half pad is the only reason you didn’t pin in the hunters, you didn’t want to be showing under that judge anyway.
They do make it in white, but I certainly understand why you may not want to have it for daily use, and they’re spendy to have one for home and one for show.
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I would do white - it shouldnt matter but it’s one thing I can control (when there are so many I can’t) so I conform.
I apologize if I have this wrong, but there are a few shimmable sheepskin show pads (if that would/ could take you down to 1 pad instead of 2). Mattes is one, Majyk Equipe is another.
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I’d say don’t show in the black, hunter judges are known for being very picky (coming from someone who has delt with being pinned lower because of my horses color), so I would air on the side of caution. Now, if your showing at unrated shows, by all means go ahead, but if your going rated, I would steer clear of anything not white.
I will note - the USEF rule book does not say anything specific about saddle pads (I just checked, but don’t take my word on it - always do your research) however this is 100% the kind of thing many judges would take points off for, likely citing traditional attire.
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NSC has lovely sheepskin lined pads (dressage and all purpose): https://www.thesaddledoctor.ca/product/nsc-sheepskin-jump-all-purpose/
https://www.thesaddledoctor.ca/product/nsc-dressage-sheepskin-pads-shim-pockets/
