Discount saddle pads

[RingLass]

Saddle pads aren't very expensive to begin with. But if you have a horse that needs a saddle pad whenever it's ridden (my mare gets sores) and you're just hacking around the country side or working in the barn, try this:
At lots of stores, such as wal*mart, k-mart, dollar tree, etc. (I'm not sure what the british equivalents are; just any discount variety store will do) buy 2 or 3 of the really tacky looking cheap welcome mats that don't have rubber pads on the bottom. They're often woven of cotton or spandex, so they are only a dollar or so each and soft enough to trust your horse's back to. They can last for years, you don't need a different one for every horse, and if they get dirty, just throw them in the washing machine with your towels and you're good to go :)

[Roz Morris]

Sorry RingLass, I'm not sure what kind of mats you mean. I'm sure you can't be talking about those scratchy brown doormats! Possibly there's a transatlantic translation error...

[Barkless]

I'm not sure what she means either. Maybe she's talking about throw rugs?

[RingLass]

Nay, I'm not talking about thoe awful scratchy brown things ! :)
Around where I live, you can go to a cheap, hillbilly chain store and buy tacky porch mats that are woven of about 2 dozen different colors ... they look like a blown up wersion of those stupid potholders they made you weave back in 2nd grade. They're soft and durable both, while only costing $1.50 or so ... perhaps they don't have the redneck-type retail locations in England.

[Elfin]

Hmmmm I thought you meant well I dunno, but that sounds like a very good idea!:D

[schimmer]

don't they slip down and put pressure on the withers? i have that problem with proper numnahs unless they are cut to fit the horse's back. my mare isn't even particularly high withered.

[lamprellsarah]

hmmm, i think that happens with most pads, thats why i always buy high wither ones as they sit nice and high + my mare is high withered!!!

[RingLass]

Hmm ... sliding down and putting pressure on their withers has never been a problem with my horses ... maybe it's because my saddle sits farther back than most (I ride saddleseat.)

[Wally]

If a saddle is a good fit there should be no reason to have a saddle cloth of any sort, a numnah only keeps the saddle clean!

[Elfin]

I thought numnahs were also more comfortable for the horse, and I agree with Wally that it keeps the saddle clean.

[lamprellsarah]

yeah true but i think they can look nice, and colourful!! not sure why but i wouldn't ride with out one.
and they do have the added bonus that hairs don't get very caught in the fabric of your saddle espacially if it's sympthetic

[Elfin]

Mmmmm and if it's hot the horse wont get sore if it gets hot and sweaty. I wouldn't ride without a numnah, its kinder on the horse to ride with one, well thats my opinion anyways1

[Denise]

Ringlass:
Im aware of Walmart stores(loved them, used them often(my favorite craft supply store!!) but since moving here to Holland, there is no way to find Sam Walton over here.

I know exactly what your talking about -the throw rugs...(like someone suggested looking like a woven pot holder) also had used them long ago, while growing up on horseback. But for us folks out here,(not around, near AMERICA) Im not exactly sure what to call it ,where to look for it.

I bought a theaputic (my spellings bad :-) pad, for my horse.She has back, muscle pain...200guilders. (189.00$ in USA) from Christ,,,most luxury-ist!!
There are also...
Plain old dressure pads here,(fitted shape of saddle ) are 35 F ...
Missing WALMART :D
Denise~~

[hunters4ever]

No one in the states would be caught dead riding without a saddle pad, and yes Wally, our saddles do fit correctly. I cannot imagine that a leather saddle would be too comfortable on a horse after two hours of riding and I do not know why anyone would want to put their horse through that, especially since we just found out that you can buy a cheap saddle pad for a dollar or so.

[Dressage_Luvr]

hi, same here, we have to use saddle pads, you cant show here without them either im quite sure.

i just know that i dont think i would ride without one, it just seems kinder, so they dont have the leather rubbing on their back if youre doing lots of riding. its not a matter of a not properly fitting saddle, its just seems nicer to have a cloth against their back than leather.
im not saying your way is wrong, its just not how weve been taught.

[Thinkerbell]

I know lots of people who ride without anything between the saddle and the horse. When the saddle is a perfect fit, this work VERY well for long trail rides, as there is nothing between the saddle and the back that could possibly move and rub. With a suitably stuffed leather saddle with wool flocking, a saddle pad is rarely needed. The flat seat jumping saddles, however (Like the Passier Comet and the Stübben Siegfried II) are supposed to be fitted with a decent saddle pad . And hunters4ever, according to my saddlers, a saddle is not a perfect fit if a pad is needed to avoid sores (I'm talking about "English" saddles, of course, not Western)

[Denise]

I just bought a foam square shaped pad for non- sliping of the saddle, only my daughter has used it so far on her pony,,,but my horse 's saddles ALWAYS slip back.No matter how I place it. She is high withered. Its always a problem, for Kilini.(& me stopping, on the road, to push the saddle foward.-I must look silly):eek:
õh well ~

[RingLass]

Hmm ... my saddle fits my horses perfectly, so if I'm not going to be working them long or something, I don't use a saddle pad. Also, when you show Saddleseat, you aren't allowed to use a saddle pad in the ring (at least not in strip classes.)

[myEllie]

I have several of the rugs of which you speak, I actually just bought one yesterday, although, it cost $2.99 :cool: . I still use a fitted white saddle pad on top of it though. I just think that the rugs look really nice. I always ride with a saddle pad and it it not to avoid sores, I just think that it is more comfortable for the horse, and we should do everything that we can to make them comfortable. My saddles fit perfectly, but I would never consider riding without a saddlel pad.