question about half pads

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heonk

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Aug 27, 2022
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hi! my horses saddle is a good fit everywhere except the front. he has high withers and so the saddle is a little low. as far as im aware it is a problem when jumping but not really flatwork. saddlepad also falls down even though i tent it. i dont have enough money to buy a saddle so half pad it is🥲 hes shown no signs of discomfort but just incase i still want to somehow make it better.

so what kind of a half pad should i use? i currently have just a sheep wool one thats the whole lenght but i think a front rising gel or something like that might be better? thank u:)
 
A halfpad or saddlepad isn't the answer, and you say yourself the saddlepad falls down so adding another is just likely to increase the pressure on his wither. It sounds like your saddle is too wide, and quite possibly the wrong shape too. Get a saddle fitter out for advice, be honest that you can't afford a new saddle at the moment but need advice on how best to make this one workable until you can. They may well be able to alter the flocking, or at least advise you on the best type of pad to go for and how to use it. It could be that the front of the saddle isn't the actual problem area, for example if it's too high or overflocked at the back that could be pushing the front down.
 
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carthorse said:
A halfpad or saddlepad isn't the answer, and you say yourself the saddlepad falls down so adding another is just likely to increase the pressure on his wither. It sounds like your saddle is too wide, and quite possibly the wrong shape too. Get a saddle fitter out for advice, be honest that you can't afford a new saddle at the moment but need advice on how best to make this one workable until you can. They may well be able to alter the flocking, or at least advise you on the best type of pad to go for and how to use it. It could be that the front of the saddle isn't the actual problem area, for example if it's too high or overflocked at the back that could be pushing the front down.
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a saddle fitter did come and check and thats how i know its too low in the front. its perfect everywhere except the wither area. i can ask one to come again though and maybe it is possible to somehow adjust it. i am a 17 yo with no income and my parents would NOT pay for a new saddle so a new one is very out of reach unless i find a used for cheaper that works.
 
I would suggest a prolite front riser pad. You can pick them up on eBay. A sheepskin type half pad will just raise the whole saddle and make the saddle perch.
 
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heonk said:
a saddle fitter did come and check and thats how i know its too low in the front. its perfect everywhere except the wither area. i can ask one to come again though and maybe it is possible to somehow adjust it. i am a 17 yo with no income and my parents would NOT pay for a new saddle so a new one is very out of reach unless i find a used for cheaper that works.
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Did the saddler look at whether the flocking could be altered? Because this would be a far better option than a pad. Also some saddles, even if they don't have changeable headplates, can be altered in width to a certain degree. Realistically if it's dropping that badly on the wither then it isn't perfect everywhere else because the whole saddle is going out of balance when this happens. Did the saddler see you ride and jump in it, and check the fit after?
 
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carthorse said:
Did the saddler look at whether the flocking could be altered? Because this would be a far better option than a pad. Also some saddles, even if they don't have changeable headplates, can be altered in width to a certain degree. Realistically if it's dropping that badly on the wither then it isn't perfect everywhere else because the whole saddle is going out of balance when this happens. Did the saddler see you ride and jump in it, and check the fit after?
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im not sure but i think she wouldve told me if its possible to. it was like 2 months ago so its probably best to recheck and see what she says. she has seen me jump in it but not after fitting or checked after.
 
How can you not be sure what she checked? And since you say jumping is when you have the biggest problem with the fit she should have checked it, with you sitting in it, after jumping. And ask the questions about whether the flocking can be altered to help the fit, if a saddle is wool flocked then there's usually a fair bit a good saddler can do as long as the basic shape is right (and indeed if they know a new saddle isn't an option they can do a fair bit to mitigate the problems of a badly fitted one, just don't expect miracles).
 
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I would try one with removable shims. Sometimes, it's just a muscling issue that makes the saddle not fit in the horse's current state. If it fits otherwise, and no offense intended, I kind of doubt that given your post....try a half pad you can shim in the front. Keep in mind if the saddle fits well and you stick a half pad under it, you're putting a thick wool sock on to wear a shoe that is too tight. You could potentially find yourself in a different pickle.
 
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