Why can a saddle pad be useful?

Opinions often differ when it comes to saddle pads :

"If a saddle fits properly, then I don't need any additional padding!"

"I'm doing my horse a favor because a saddle pad is pleasantly soft and reduces pressure!"

"A saddle pad (especially one with a lambskin rim) is purely decorative!"

"With a saddle pad I can make any saddle fit!"

There is some truth in each of these statements, but none of them can be said to be universally applicable.

There is definitely this moment - the saddle fits your horse one hundred percent:

You've had a local saddler come by, he's fitted the saddle to your horse, the model has the right saddle tree for your horse's back, as well as the right length, the optimal gullet width, appropriate padding, and it fits you perfectly.

However, you should always keep in mind that a horse is always changing:

- You have a young horse that changes in short intervals (muscles, size, length, crookedness, etc.)

- You have an older horse, which may deteriorate somewhat in winter and lose its round figure

- Your horse has lost muscle mass after a long period of illness

- Your horse has spent the summer on a lush meadow and is now very plump

The circumstances mentioned above can lead to a saddle suddenly no longer fitting:

- it can be too wide (it sinks and in the worst case rests on the spine)

- it may be too tight (the gullet is in the wrong place and presses on sensitive nerves)

- it may have the wrong center of gravity (it tilts or slides towards the neck)

- it hangs sideways crooked to the right or left

For such problems, a correction pad (e.g., the lambskin pad from Christ Lammfelle with double pocket ) can be helpful. Thin felt inserts allow you to individually adjust the position of the saddle.

The bottom line is that you shouldn't put a pad under every saddle, as this could cause the saddle to "float" above the horse like a throne, thus losing the closeness to the horse. If a pad is misplaced, the saddle's center of gravity can also change in such a way that the rider's seat is negatively affected, making it difficult to communicate the aids clearly to the horse.

Therefore, a beautiful lambskin pad is not always just "decoration", but can often serve a purpose and be a comfortable temporary solution for you and your horse.

! Important !

If the pad has a lambskin rim, it is important to ensure that the rear end of the saddle does not rest on the rim, otherwise the unevenness will create pressure points on the horse's back.

Of course, this small remedy cannot replace regular checks by a saddler, since the saddle contains a saddle tree, which dictates a shape that cannot be changed!