I like the Nuumed half wool lined pads. I don’t like using a half pad, but the bit of cushioning is nice, and they absorb sweat well. I just wish there was a US distributor!
Ogilvy baby pad with an Ultra Thinline.
I ride a pony with a very short-flapped saddle (Prestige) and it is hard to find small enough pads for him and my saddle. These baby pads are awesome… thin, non-slip with high withers.
For years the Nuumed half wool quilted pads were all I used. Loved them as did my TBx, but the cotton parts eventually wore out. And they are not cheap, nor easy to find here in Canada.
The Wool was still like new…I actually cut the cotton part off and used just the wool part as a ‘half pad’ for a thinnish pony with no top line last year.
Seams right pad and a thinline trifecta.
I rotate between a Mattes pad - the square ones with sheepskin under the saddle area - or a thinner dressage pad with the humble (but useful) Dover sheepskin half pad. That’s pretty much it.
I bought two shaped saddle thingies from a car boot sale. I have no idea what brand or what they are made of. They are black squares attached together and have gel pads inserted inside them.
I LOVE them. They have never been washed. The are used on 2 horses who are very hot and sweat a lot. They still look brand new. By that I mean you cannot tell that they have ever been on a horse.
Can anyone offer links to the baby pads they use? Do you use them alone, or under a square dressage pad?
[QUOTE=Crockpot;8710201]
A very plain cotton dressage square saddle pad.
I have several which get recycled through the wash so always have a clean one each ride…
No half pads although yes this is the style now.
. I figure if my saddle fits , should not add a half pad.JMHO[/QUOTE]
I’m with you… except I think that certain pads help mitigate concussion better, even if the saddle fits.
For that reason alone, I usually ride in my ThinLine. My horse has shown he goes much better in it.
[QUOTE=kcmel;8711088]
I like the Nuumed half wool lined pads. I don’t like using a half pad, but the bit of cushioning is nice, and they absorb sweat well. I just wish there was a US distributor![/QUOTE]
You can order from this Canadian site:
http://www.bahrsaddlery.com/nuumed-hi-wither-quilted-everyday-pad.html
For dressage, in the winter, I use a Back on Track pad under sheepskin half pad (shimmable but with no shims at the moment). In the summer, just a plain quilted cotton pad under the sheepskin half pad. I ride in a treeless dressage saddle and my horse prefers a bit of sheepskin cushioning and the BOT pad helps in the winter if she is a little cold-backed.
My jumping saddle is treed so I use only a sheepskin lined quilted cotton pad with no half pad (and this is how the saddle is fitted). My horse is very thin skinned and seems to prefer the sheepskin contact under the heavier, more rigid jumping saddle.
I use a Success Equestrian dressage pad, size large under my Hermes saddle. That’s it. Saddle has latex panels which conform to my horse’s back with my horse’s back heat and the pad has tacky material on each side so it helps to stick to the horse and the saddle. Pad has a thin layer of foam under the saddle area. The saddle fits well and the pad does not change the fit. I also have a Success half pad but I’ve never used it. These are the only saddle pads that I use. Horses back is wonderful and she’s happy.
I have some beautiful dressage pads that I no longer use as the Success pad is the only one that keeps the saddle in place. I love that the keepers for the billets also are separated so you can choose which area to use to anchor your saddle.
Fleeceworks baby pads. They wash up nicely and have a ‘bump’ in the front for my horse’s withers. He gets a new pad each ride and I wash them all once a week. He has been using the same ones for a couple of years and they still look new. They are hard to find, but Mary’s Tack has them, or used to.
Both my horses seem happiest in the Mattes sheepskin lined pads with the sheepskin directly against their backs (also have some NuMeds that I use as a backup).
Very inexpensive (think $10) thin cotton all purpose pads. My legs are short and standard dressage pads are too long, so the all purpose does stick in front of the saddle slightly but allows me to ask them to move their haunches and actually touch them with my boot.
I have a couple nice half pads which only come into play when they need a fitting - there aren’t local saddle fitters, so we can’t just get fittings any time we want and have to wait for the saddle fitter’s schedule.
BOT pad (or if it is really hot, just a plain cotton saddle pad) followed by a Thinline Trifecta half pad (with no shims and no sheepskin)
Seems to keep my guy happy!
High-wither dressage or larger A/P pad (looks better on my horse and with my saddle), and a Christ pad with thinline shims in the back pockets.
I’ve given up on the perfectly-fitting saddle.
I’m not fond of half-pads “just for fashion.”
Currently, just a Saddleright pad to fill up some extra space. I’m doing ground work, so not using a square pad so I can access more of her sides. The saddle was for my previous horse and is a little wide yet, but I’m hoping she’ll grow into it, so in the meantime the Saddleright makes it a pretty good fit.
Normally, I use any old quilted pad with a Thinline on top. My favorite quilted pads are Toklat and PRI, but I’m not too picky.
I love the Dover sheepskin pads. When they’re on sale, you can grab one for $100/pop and they’re pretty durable. I get 6 or so months out of one with 6 day a week use. The black bleeds minimally on my pinto (only when I gallop him) and they clean up beautifully with a stiff brush.
A square pad (which is changed when dirty), shim-able sheepskin half pad and a gel back riser. On very cold days, I change his square pad to a fully sheepskin lined square.
He has a slight sway back, high withers and is narrow. Due to his age, I also like to keep his back at a comfortable temperature (hence the full sheepskin).
My BoT pad for most rides, occasionally I will go with one of my colorful PRI pads, but typically my BoT pad. I use it because my mare has a metabolic disorder that effects her muscles I have seen a huge difference in her when using the BoT products. Then I have a Toklat Matrix half pad for shock absorption and to shim to help with her slight downhill conformation.
