A well fitting saddle shouldn’t need a numnah but I use one to keep the saddle clean. I like one that is clearly designed to fit my horse, following his contours and with tabs in the right places. A local disciple of Portuguese riding uses leather numnahs under his saddles. This way the underside of his saddle is saved but he cleans the numnah as he would the rest of his leather tack. A truly inconspicuous numnah.
Equestrian consultant, Hilda Rodger (35), gives the following advice about numnahs and girths:
You clearly recommend riders use a numnah or pad. Why? ”They are more comfortable for the horse, because (i) they help to avoid pressure points from rider crookedness (ii) they are warmer than cold leather (iii) they absorb sweat.”
Why do you recommend the Mattes numnahs? ”They are beautifully cut to ‘sculpt’ round the saddle; they never move; the small quilting means the stuffing never moves either; they outlast any other brand and just wash and wash without losing their shape and firmness.” Are there any types of numnahs/pads to be avoided? ”(i) foam lined (ii) large quilting with cheap lining which moves (iii)heavy gel pads which are supposed to absorb shock but actually just add weight and ‘sit’ on the withers and spine (iv) most cheap numnahs because the girth tabs are in the wrong place and cause all sorts of pressure point problems which usually go undiagnosed – something else is always blamed – i.e. injury/saddle/rider.” What are the characteristics of a good numnah? ”(i) It does not move (ii) it is made of natural materials which absorb sweat and do not cause skin irritation (iii) it is big enough for the saddle (iv) it is machine washable (v) it holds shape after many washes (vi) it is cut ‘on the bias’ to fit up into the gullet and cause no pressure on spine and withers (vii) it has girth tabs which lie with, rather than against, the angle of the shoulder blade.”
Thinking about pads again! Should I take it based on your recommendations that Polypads and Prolites/ gel pads/ riser pads are "out"?
”I’m not against Polypads. They are well designed and well made. In fact, I stock and sell the Polypad Pet Beds, which are simply canine versions and sizes of the equine pads. They suit some horses and some saddles very well indeed. In fact, BALANCE originally recommended Polypads as the ‘filler’ for muscle wastage, until they developed their own numnah and pad system. I was a guinea pig at one of the first BALANCE demos and the demonstrator saddles were used with Polypads in those days. They don’t suit every horse or every saddle though and can sometimes ‘scoot out the back’ or, on a wide horse with a petite rider, make the rider feel like there is too much pad between them and the horse.”
(Author’s note: I do use polypads myself. They are easy to use, don’t move and can be reversed for less washing.) ”Prolite Pads are fine too for many horses and the BALANCE system nowadays incorporates their own design of Prolite pads. I am, however, totally against gel pads for two reasons: (i) their weight, and (ii) because they lie on the withers and spine. I also do NOT like riser pads – I can see no justification for them – if you need to use a riser pad, then what you REALLY need is to (i) get to the bottom of why you ‘need’ it – i.e. solve the horse’s physiological problem and don’t mask it and (ii) you need to replace your saddle.” Do you subscribe to the " BALANCE" point of view that saddles should be fitted wider (like a pair of hiking boots) and then padded out (like good walking socks) or do you believe in a well fitted saddle with a numnah for other reasons? Your interpretation of the BALANCE approach is not quite accurate. The fitting wide and padding out is an interim measure to allow wasted muscles to build up again. Thereafter, the amount of padding is simply what is required for the horse’s comfort. I was attracted to the BALANCE philosophy because it made sense to me and concurred with thoughts and ideas I’d had in my own head after many years of working with and being around horses. For instance, horses ARE more comfortable wearing a correctly fitted numnah, for all sorts of reasons. So why on earth consider that a saddle can only be ‘correctly’ fitted to the horse’s bare back, when 9 out of 10 riders will then buy it, take it away and use a numnah underneath it???!!!”
Same for girths - ie why do you recommend particular brands on your website? What are good and bad features of girths?
“I recommend the Stubben Trevira girth because (i) they are made of a low friction chafeless material (ii) they allow the air to circulate (iii) they are wide so spread the pressure more evenly (iv) they are hard wearing and last a long time.”
Hilda has made conscious choices of equipment. She knows what she likes and why she likes it. We should all aim for this.
Synthetic saddles are commonplace in France. I sat on a Wintec 500 dressage saddle with an adjustable front gullet in the equestrian section of our local DIY shop. I liked it. I took it home and tried it on Eric. The medium gullet it came with was not wide enough for him. I tried the wide gullet and it fitted well. I bought the saddle and a set of MW,W and XW gullets so I could adjust it myself. I have found it to be one of the best value for money saddle purchases I have ever made.
Knowing what I know now, in future I would:
A friend of mine asked me to help her to find a suitable saddle for two very wide horses she owns. She is considering a treeless saddle so that she can use it on both horses. Here are the things I advised her to consider:
The most important thing is that the saddle fits the horse and you.
Not one of you! All of you! And that it is fit for purpose. Also important is that you stick within your budget.
Other than fit and price what is important to you? How are you going to use your saddle?
Do the horses have a stable weight and shape or are they changing /likely to change? Monitor the shape with a flexi-curve. If overweight then put them on a diet with a lot of dismounted work and monitor changes with the flexi-curve.
If both horses are in equilibrium but the shapes are different then you must accept that one will be less comfortable than the other in the same conventional saddle. This gives the following options:
Let’s consider the treeless option first.
I think an entirely treeless saddle could create problems. The good so-called treeless saddles are not treeless at all. They have a front arch (gullet) that raises the saddle over the withers and ensures a fit without slipping. Slipping can be a problem on most rotund horses.
Treeless saddles are relatively structure free for the rider and have more of a bareback feel, so are unlikely to suit those who prefer a saddle with a deeper seat and more of a support structure.
Treeless saddles are often made from softer leathers. For example, nubuck leather is very soft but therefore not as hardwearing. I wouldn't ride in the rain in a saddle made of this material because it is porous and will absorb moisture.
Now for mass produced wide saddles.
These tend to be cheaper, especially the synthetic ones. Thorowgood make a Griffin GPX and a Maxam Cob. However, they are not adjustable. The Wintec Wide is well made, is adjustable and has a 3 point girthing system for added stability. However, all of these are GP saddles, although straighter cut than most GP saddles (so called
VSD, very slightly dressage style) to accommodate the bigger shoulders of a cob type horse.
Another thing to watch for is that a lot of wide saddles, especially older
style ones, are also wide through the twist, which will affect your sitting
position. This is not pleasant, especially if you have a back problem. The Wintec claims to overcome this problem.
GP vs specialised? Horses for courses!
A good GP saddle is worth its weight in gold. You can use it for flat-work, hacking and jumping. The problem with a deep seated dressage saddle with big knee rolls is that it is much less versatile. Fine if all you want to do is flatwork with long stirrup length. If you wanted to go for a gallop or pop a few fences it's possible in the Wintec 500 dressage saddle. You can put the stirrups up because there is no knee roll. But if I planned to do this regularly I'd get myself a decent GP - maybe another Wintec.
There are many other options including Western saddles, Randonee saddles eg Zaldi Raid and Endurance saddles (sometimes like GP’s but with shorter flaps and broader bearing surfaces). I am unable to comment on these as I have never tried them.