Will a Mattes Sheepskin pad make my saddle fit poorly?

[Peregrine21]

TL;DR : Does anyone have experience using a Mattes Sheepskin Half Pad while also having a well-fitted saddle? I am looking to help my sensitive horse feel the most comfortable, especially through his spine and withers.

I have a custom Butet jumping saddle for my horse with slightly beveled panels. I have been told by the Butet rep to use a Butet Pad (the style with no spine gullet and leather bit at the front).

The link above shows that it would have some wither clearance but it definitely does not. No matter how much I pull it up under the saddle. It ends up sitting too close to his wither in my opinion. I feel a bit duped by being told to buy that pad.

I want to trust the rep but he had already put a VERY poor-fitting saddle on my horse and told me it fit. On the first ride in it, my horse was stopping and spinning after a jump which was not like him. My bodyworker told me the next day it did not fit him at all. I should have known better but I was convinced.

We got him a custom one instead because he is tough to fit and a sensitive boy. He seemed to like it but for about a month or two now he moves around when I go to put the saddle on. He isn’t in show shape as we go light over the winter but can’t imagine his body has changed THAT much since September.

I have had a saddle fitter check the “new” saddle (now about a year old) as well as my bodyworker (just last week) who both think it fits him. But neither looked at it with me on…

He doesn’t seem to have any back soreness under the saddle… he is massaged once a month and then works with a body worker twice a month (so 3 times a month someone is checking his back).

I listened to a podcast with Amanda Anderson and she said the ONLY pad she uses is the Mattes correction half pad. My bodyworker says she likes the Mattes pad but obviously can’t say how it would fit without seeing it.

I had a Pro-Lite half pad on hand, which gives more clearance in the withers than the Butet but doesn’t feel soft enough. My horse did seem to go better in it through his front end though.

I like that the Mattes because it has a spin-free gullet and also hear the sheepskin is amazing for the horses. I have also read it could help with building more topline?

I am just concerned it makes the saddle too tight on his back.

Will I know right away if it’s too tight for my saddle or should I wait for my bodyworker or a saddle fitter to come and see it before I ride in it? There are only 2 saddle fitters that come out to my area and they often book up months in advance. Plus is it Christmas now so could be another week or two before my body worker comes out.

We have another young horse who could also benefit from the pad as he changes so if nothing else he could use it.

But has anyone had a similar situation where their saddle fit well but the Mattes helped for their comfort?

Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

[emeraldcity]

It will absolutely change the fit of the saddle. While adding a pad won’t change the angle of the tree points, it will lift the front of the saddle typically a bit more than the back, which will change the balance. That’s not to say it wouldn’t work, just check the fit WITH the pad or have a fitter check it if you aren’t confident.

[MissusS]

I have a brand new, barely used mattes sheepskin correction halfpad (no rolls) that absolutely would not work with my saddle that fits well. I did need to shim for a bit and the saddle fitter tried my mattes and while she did NOT want me to have to buy another halfpad since I already have a nice one, my coach (who was there for the fitting since I had a lesson right after) pointed out that it was NOT a good solution. I wound up buying the prolite halfpad which worked VERY well for my short-term shimming needs.

Sounds like your situation is kinda similar to mine… my experience was that the mattes definitely changed the fit and was not a good solution for my mare and the saddle.

[Jealoushe]

It is entirely dependent on your saddle fit. Almost all of mine go in mattes pads, one is in a Thinline. That is what worked best for fit with my horses and their saddles.

[Ponyplusaninch]

The Mattes pad does change the fit, but I personally don’t find it to be dramatic difference. And really, your horse will tell you if he likes it or not.

I use one and had to shim for a short amount of time until my guy finally got the muscle bulk we were looking for in his should and back (that’s what having a correctly fitted saddle will do!). Now we don’t shim, but I still use it for comfort. It helps give him a little more wither clearance (always a good thing).

If you can try one first OR purchase used, that’s your best bet.

[widge]

My young horse is in a similar situation - saddle fits him but he is changing a bunch across his topline. I use a Mattes pad but switched from standard schooling pads to baby pads to reduce the bulk. It’s cheaper to grab a couple baby pads than it is to buy a new half pad, plus eventually I think I’ll need a different saddle when he’s mature and I want the half pad laying around for that day too. Depending on how much space you have under your saddle, could you try this approach with the Butet pad you already have?

[ElementFarm]

Mattes sheepskin half pads are the ONLY half pads my two (non associated) fitters recommend for my well-fitting saddles. One fitter also likes the waldhousen half pad for saddles that aren’t perfect, but she fits my saddle to perfection on my mare’s bare back, and then, per her instructions, I ride in a thin square schooling pad and the mattes half pad. I have one for two of my horses and it really does seem to make them happy-backed.

[crthunder]

My OTTB only likes the Mattes half pad for both his jumping saddle and dressage saddle. I make sure our fitter checks the saddle fit with and without the half pad. I have tried several others and Red clearly prefers the fluff of the Mattes. I also make sure to get the half pad with no back roll. The back roll always ends up rubbing because he has a short back. There are some places that have a really good return policy if you wanted to try one (Riding Warehouse I think) if no one at your barn has one available.

Becky & Red

[Equibrit]

It may be that the flocking has compacted since you bought the saddle. I would try a regular sheepskin under your saddle.

https://www.lemieuxproducts.com/us/horse-saddle-pads/numnahs#_nfrd

[endlessclimb]

I have my fitter fit my saddle with a half pad because I don’t want my panels getting super sweaty through just a plain square pad. Probably weird on my part, but that’s my preference - everything goes in some kind of half pad.

I use a Prolite tri pad, with no shims in it. It’s the thinnest/most breathable pad I could find.

Prolite Tri-Pad

I find sheepskin to be too bulky for my taste. That said, my late mare MUCH preferred it, so I sucked it up and rode with one. I used an Engel half pad on her.

All Purpose Dressage Half Pad with Pommel Roll | Engel Sheepskin Horse Tack

[endlessclimb]

A tip on shims, too - the foam ones are just yoga mats, really. I have a torn to bits yoga mat that I will cut shims out of.

For example - my Old Man who gets ridden maybe 6 times a year is no longer worthy of a fully custom saddle. He also is an old man whose topline isn’t what it used to be. I cut the yoga mat in the shape of a front shim, and then cut it in half so that only the bottom part is tucked in the pocket. This helps the saddle from sliding too far down, while not being too tight on his traps. I also used a super sharp razor to taper it, so there isn’t an “edge” digging into his back. Endless options for yoga mat cutting shapes!

[Scribbler]

@Peregrine21

TL;DR : Does anyone have experience using a Mattes Sheepskin Half Pad while also having a well-fitted saddle? I am looking to help my sensitive horse feel the most comfortable, especially through his spine and withers.

I have a custom Butet jumping saddle for my horse with slightly beveled panels. I have been told by the Butet rep to use a Butet Pad (the style with no spine gullet and leather bit at the front).

The link above shows that it would have some wither clearance but it definitely does not. No matter how much I pull it up under the saddle. It ends up sitting too close to his wither in my opinion. I feel a bit duped by being told to buy that pad.

I want to trust the rep but he had already put a VERY poor-fitting saddle on my horse and told me it fit. On the first ride in it, my horse was stopping and spinning after a jump which was not like him. My bodyworker told me the next day it did not fit him at all. I should have known better but I was convinced.

We got him a custom one instead because he is tough to fit and a sensitive boy. He seemed to like it but for about a month or two now he moves around when I go to put the saddle on. He isn’t in show shape as we go light over the winter but can’t imagine his body has changed THAT much since September.

I have had a saddle fitter check the “new” saddle (now about a year old) as well as my bodyworker (just last week) who both think it fits him. But neither looked at it with me on…

He doesn’t seem to have any back soreness under the saddle… he is massaged once a month and then works with a body worker twice a month (so 3 times a month someone is checking his back).

I listened to a podcast with Amanda Anderson and she said the ONLY pad she uses is the Mattes correction half pad. My bodyworker says she likes the Mattes pad but obviously can’t say how it would fit without seeing it.

I had a Pro-Lite half pad on hand, which gives more clearance in the withers than the Butet but doesn’t feel soft enough. My horse did seem to go better in it through his front end though.

I like that the Mattes because it has a spin-free gullet and also hear the sheepskin is amazing for the horses. I have also read it could help with building more topline?

I am just concerned it makes the saddle too tight on his back.

Will I know right away if it’s too tight for my saddle or should I wait for my bodyworker or a saddle fitter to come and see it before I ride in it? There are only 2 saddle fitters that come out to my area and they often book up months in advance. Plus is it Christmas now so could be another week or two before my body worker comes out.

We have another young horse who could also benefit from the pad as he changes so if nothing else he could use it.

But has anyone had a similar situation where their saddle fit well but the Mattes helped for their comfort?

Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

I use a Mattes sheepskin pad and some other lower cost brands if my horse loses weight and the saddle is shifting at the withers. But when my horse is bulked up it does make the a saddle too tight and causes pain per the horse massage person. For us the crucial area is withers.

If the saddle fits correctly there is no room for a thick pad of any kind. If the horse has lost topline you may need some extra padding until he regains it.

[Ponyplusaninch]

Didn’t know that about Riders Warehouse–making a note for future! That was honestly the thing that spooked me most before I got one. What if I got it, rode in it once, and the horse hated it? Was I just out a stupid amount of money?

[Amy3996]

I’m a Thinline fan - every horse I’ve used one on has seemed to like it, especially my current horse who’s saddle needed shimming just in one small area without adding bulk underneath the rest of the saddle.

YMMV, but I despised the ProLite pad. Flimsy through the spine, too bulky, and my saddle shifted around a ton with it.

[crthunder]

Yep - everything returnable for a year. If used or after thirty days I think you get store credit, but certainly better than being stuck with something you can use! And they ship super fast

Becky

[AAHunterGal]

For a well fitting saddle I’m also on team ThinLine. It’s a tried/true solution.

[George_T_Mule]

You might try one of the Supracor “English” pads. Because of the way they’re made, they tend to even out the fit, and they don’t really add too much thickness. And they really do act as a shock-absorber. I use them under both English, and Western (Endurance) saddles; have for years. My critters seem to like them.
Downsides? They aren’t real pretty, and they are rather spendy. Try eBay for a used one, maybe?
https://www.supracor.com/store/equestrian/saddle-pads/

[kaya842]

I wonder which prolite pad you have/ had. I have the one endlessclimb linked (6 shim) and with all the shims out it is thinner than my Invictus pad (which I believe is thinner than the Thinlines) and not at all bulky. Even with all shims in, I wouldn’t consider it anything close to bulky especially when compared to a full sheepskin pad.

My horses seem to like the Prolite over the Invictus for whatever it’s worth. I have a sheepskin pad (Hufglocken brand with 6 shims that cost less than $100 new 2 years ago but I can’t find them on the site anymore as I wanted a white one too) but I haven’t used it recently as my saddle was too narrow to begin with.

[Amy3996]

I had the six pocket shim pad. I hated it, the horse hated it, it just was not the right correction pad for us. I have a Thinline Trifecta cotton pad (no sheepskin rolls). Even with shims in it, it’s incredibly low profile under the saddle and I don’t have the lateral slip and slide that I did with the ProLite.

[endlessclimb]

The Tri pad base is half the thickness of the one that only has two shims on each side.

Just fyi.

They aren’t the same pad!