Poly Pads!!

[luv2jump2!!!]

Yesturday i bought fern a polypad plus one! We tried it today and found for one reason or another she was going really well!! But i did notice it slipped really far back when it was really far forward! and my sis said it pushed her forward! ( i wasn't riding!) And then we couldn't get her girth off!! ( needed to change girth due to it being to tight with new pad!! (( perfect before!))) I ended up pulling the pad out from under the saddle!!
So i decided to rack your brains! so has anyone else used a poly pad andf what did they find?? Did it seem to push you forward? Did your horse or the horse you were riding going better?
Plz reply even if you don't use one as i really need some answeres!!

Lucy and Fern!

[helenc]

I use a polypad on my mare.

I've never found that it moves once the saddle is in place & it certainly hasn't pushed me forwards! Are you making sure that the pad is being pushed up into the saddle gullet? If you are & it is moving backwards then it would be a good idea to get the saddle re-fitted.

[luv2jump2!!!]

It was pussed right in the gullet and just fell down and back! She said it felt like she had alot of weight on her back (to be honest i just think she sits to far forward in the saddle!! I tell her every time but NO!!)
We've only had Fern a month and ahalf and the saddle around a month! it was checked 3 weeks ago!!

Lucy and Fern!

[DITZ]

IMHO they are a waste of time as they slip like hell. I now use mine as an ironing pad in fact there was a thread on here a few months ago about 101 uses for a polypad (none of them mentioned using it as a saddle cloth).:rolleyes:

BTW its not the saddle ppushing forwards its the polypad slipping back

[HairyCob]

I'm no expert, so this is just a thought, but surely polypads are quite thick- in which case wouldn't they alter the fit of the saddle quite significantly? If the saddle was checked and OK three weeks ago, why buy a polypad? Were you advised to by the saddler? If not, I'd guess that the polypad is making the saddle too small, thus pinching her, which may account for her appearing to go 'really well', if by that you mean she was more forward going- she may have been trying to get away from her saddle!

[luv2jump2!!!]

Ditz - lol! Thats what i thought really!! the reason we got it was because her other is really thin (ok not ultra but not mega)!! Errrrr! I rode with it today and it seemed to not slip back just fall down and press on her withers a bit ( not to happy but sis asures me!!)

HC- We got the poly pad as we have heard good things about them (well my sis had apparently!!) and because the other we have is quite thin! No she is acctually not going faster but slower!! she is alreaddy very responsive and still is but she is working well but thenm again as i have said it could be the bute really getting in her system (artheritus!) or the codliver oil we got her while we wait for some cortaflex!! or the pad!! She had a habit of cantering in corners and has not and her trot is now magnificently slower!!

Any more veiws as i am nearly considering selling this thing!! ( hoping i don't have to!! as i got it with my B-Day money!!)

Lucy and Fern!

[Stella2]

I've never used them, but I hear that Pippa Funnel uses them routinely on her horses. I don't think they are intended for use only with ill fitting saddles and I'd expect Pippa's competition horses to have the best fitted saddles. Since a saddler seeks to fit a saddle without any cloth or pad where a good fit can be found, I think there must be more to them than remedial saddle fitting!

I'm really interested to know what others think :)

[bsjajumper]

I use poly pads occasionaly, and I have sewn my own girth loops on them, I just got some strong material and sewed them on so I could pass the girth through it, this stopped them slipping back.
They shouldnt really slip back though! I noly use mine when im going out hacking and im going for a couple of hours, as I find the thinckness of them to be really good, but I usually use a prolite saddlecloth with has foam inserts on the saddlecloth where the pressure points on the horses back are, I would definetly recommend one of them.
If all else fails, pop the poly pad on ebay-they sell real well on there, and invest in something else!
Sorry I couldnt be more help, but maybe sewing some gorth loops on it might help.

[Piaffe]

I won't use anything else - they are supposed to disperse the weight over the whole area, rather than just one location - my TB is 21 and has NO sore patches at all on his back and I've always used a polypad.

It has never slipped or caused a problem for us at all. Because they are thicker than a normal numnah, they don't slip - unless your saddle is a poor fit or the girth is too loose.

[DITZ]

Out of interest what type is you horse? I caused alot of problem using a polypad on my tb last year. My saddler had told me to use it thru the winter but after I noticed how badly it used to slip back (till it was half under the saddle!) I found the only way to stop it slipping was to pull it right forwards so that there was more in front than behind. This worked and it didnt slip BUT it rubbed his withers till they bled:o . My horse has high withers and because the pad is not shaped it was literally clamped onto him.

[luv2jump2!!!]

Fern is an ID X TB! I think i'm gonna let my sister read all this because even though its MINE! she won't let me sell it!!
Owch ditz!! Fern is going well init but i just am not convinced!! I may sew girth loops on as that was my first idea!! but then i thought where would i get the material from???

Lucy and Fern!

[bsjajumper]

if you (or a good friend!!!) has a old saddle cloth you can pick off them off there, it does stop them slipping back! and also make sure you have the poly pad pulled up at the front on the top (does that make sense????)

[Gemma16]

I notice you said you have gotten the plus one thickness. That is really quite thick, maybe thats why its not fitting properly? I haev found the normal standard thickness fine and always stayed with Taffs saddle even when that slips back lol.

Maybe they aren't for all horses.

Does she have quite a flat back? If so that could also be part of the prob? Who knows I'm no saddle cloth expert.:D

[luv2jump2!!!]

Ok well i rode today (well jumped!!) and made sure the pad was RIGHT up the gusset of her saddle! But as soon as i got on it slipped down!!
Err its doing my head in now!!
The thickness was decided as she is funny with the saddle ( flicks her tail as soon as you drop the girth!! (did this before we bought her we were told!!) So i got this as i thought ' right this will fit! it should keep her girth slightly further off the belly !! (we recon also she is thin skined!!) '
The whole reason we bought the thing as her normal one (figment customised with pic!!) slipped also! so my sis decided i WANT a polypad!! Because there so very thick! so it should stay in place!!

Lucy and Fern!

[maverick927]

I hate poly pads with a vengence. Now sewing on girth loops certainly helped with ours but then it rubbed even with clearance from the saddler. We switched to a nice expensice Nuumed numnah and have never looked back.

[DITZ]

ditto i switched (courtesy of the lovely showjumperchick) to a nuumed too.

I've also got a Barnsby Grip Pad which is rubberised underneath and got neoprene on the top and that doesnt slip either (and it has no straps!!!;)

[luv2jump2!!!]

Ideas what to do??
Do i sell and get one of those or just keep it??

Lucy and Fern!

[Stella2]

I'd sometimes thought my horse and I may be missing something fantastic with polypads, but having read all your experiences, I think I'll give them a miss!!

[luv2jump2!!!]

All i can say is i'm NOT Pleased!!!!

Lucy and Fern!

[Rosanna]

Saddlers fit saddles without a numnah, and putting something like a polypad underneath can ruin the fit completely because it narrows the gullet etc. and makes it too tight. my saddler is always desparing and tells me to use the thinest numnah I can find.

polypads are more for a temporary solution for a saddle that is too wide.

[HairyCob]

Following on from what Rosanna said about a temporary solution to a saddle that is too wide... my saddler reccomended that I use one with HC's new saddle for a couple of months, as he is in the process of getting fit and still has lots of 'wobbly muscle'. The saddle has been fitted a little on the big size to allow for him muscling up, so he suggested a poly pad for the time being to ensure HC is comfy... however he also said he wants to come back in three months to check the fit of the saddle and make sure things are going in the right direction with regards to the fit!

[Volvic]

I use a poly pad with Cloudy to protect her back as it is quite sensitive. I have never had any problems with it slipping back & she seems to be quite happy with it.

I would be wary about using one on Sky though as she's getting a new saddle & the saddler specifically said to use a thin numnah on her - I guess its just because it is fitted without a numnah, so a polypad would interfere with the fit of the saddle.