[FallenAngel]

When do you use them ? Is it for only certain horses? Or like h/j? Or do dressage riders use them to?

And i know they are good for cushion and stuff like that ( i read up on them but im still lost lol)

Do you just use that, or do u have a pad under it to ? (thats what i see mostly, is the half pad with another pad under it)

Sorry if i sound so silly

[harli36]

Half pads provide less bulk under the riders leg for better feel between horse and rider. And when you want to use an expensive material like sheepskin, since less material is used for a half pad then a full pad, the cost of the pad can be cheaper. Probably for this reason too you will see many therapeutic pads being marketed as a 1/2 pad rather then a full pad.

H/J and dressage people ride them, in fact they are very popular in many aspects of English riding.

In and of themselves half pads aren't any better then any other pad for cushioning, it's when the half pad (or any pad for that matter) is used in conjunction with a therapeutic material (like sheepskin) that they provide extra cushion, heat transfer etc. Some people out there think a half pad will make any saddle fit okay so you can use a half pad with any saddle on any horse. That is just plain FALSE. They can effect saddle fit for the good or better just like any other pad.

You don't have to use a pad under the half pad. In fact if your using a sheepskin half pad you loose some of the benefits of the sheepskin when placing another pad underneath it. For instance sheepskin is known for having excellent heat and moisture wicking properties but when you place it on top of another pad you severely limit those properties. However placing a pad underneath, while it will still provide excellent cushioning, it will no longer be able to wick moisture and heat away. But you will save your $$$$ sheepskin from getting dirty and extend the life of it. It all depends on why your using the sheepskin if you are going to use a pad under it or not.

[Roxy93]

you don't sound silly at all! i use a halfpad on my mare- some people may disagree with me, but i always feel more comfortable having something between her back and the saddle. this is the one i have- it's great! http://www.doversaddlery.com/wither-...-1905/cn/1405/

[luvs2ride79]

A sheepskin half pad should be used against the horse's back for full benefit. They provide a little cushion, good air circulation, and are gentle on sensitive skinned horses.

If you use it over a baby pad or other square pad, the only benefit you have is a little cushion (and really not much). Basically, it's only for looks, and to take up room if your saddle is a little wide.

Which brings up another concern. A thick sheepskin half pad WILL take up some room between saddle and horse, so you need to make sure your saddle is wide enough to accommodate that. If it's not, the pad can actually create pressure points at the shoulders; like putting on thick socks with a pair of well fitting dress shoes.

[harli36]

Actually sheepskin offers wonderful cushioning properties, far from "really not much". In fact there was a study done among different saddle pad materials for cushioning abilities and the sheepskin came out as the best. I did post the info on that study here and it won't come up with our wonderful search feature.

To this day sheepskin is the best material (with the exception of very expensive air bed mattresses that many people can't afford which move air around the patient constantly) to lessen the incidences of pressure sores on bedridden patients. Bed sores are a major problem for bed ridden patients and how to treat/how to keep them from coming back is something that many medical people focus on and yet sheepskin remains the tried and true for people who can't afford the fancy air mattresses (which isn't a feasible option for a saddle pad anyway)

[luvs2ride79]

In this thread you said you didn't have scientific proof on saddle pads:
Mattes vs. other brands

Ooh, here it is! (I did an "advanced search" with sheepskin as the keyword and your username)
Mattes vs. other brands

While I appreciate Horse Journal's trials of products, I rarely use them as my end-all source of information. "Industry wide test of saddle pads" hardly screams "scientific" lol. I'd say the folks over at HJ go together and just tried a bunch of pads out, lol. There is no mention of computerized testing, vet examination of the horse, or any diagnostic tests done to the horses. Most was Mattes' own PR hype!

While I agree that sheepskin is great for human medical uses, I don't see how that carries over to non-medical uses for horses. A rider coming down on a saddle is going to exert a WHOLE lot more pressure than someone lying on their back motionless in a bed... Pressure points from "not-so-perfect" saddles is going to impact the horse's back with more force than someone lying on their back motionless in a bed...

So, until I see some unbiased SCIENTIFIC VETERINARY research saying that sheepskin really is better than any other saddle pad material out there for weight distribution and shock absorption, then I'm going to stick with my opinion that Sheepskin is good at wicking sweat and circulating air, and provides some light cushioning, depending of course on the quality and thickness of the sheepskin.

[FallenAngel]

Wow Thanks guys.