Often times we spend a lot of time fitting our saddles to our horse, but pay much less attention to the saddle pad fit. Here’s 3 important things to look for when fitting a saddle pad to your horse and saddle.
Clearance. Your saddle pad should fit up and away from your horse’s spine and withers, regardless of the type of saddle (western or English) and thickness of the pad.
Contour. Horse’s backs aren’t perfectly flat and they all have withers (some more prominent than others). Choose a pad that has a complimentary contour to your horse’s back and withers. There are also pads that have cut outs to help keep pressure off the withers.
Don’t over-stuff. If you have a properly fitted saddle with plenty of clearance, you should be able to use a half pad so long as it is positioned properly and fits correctly. Keep in mind that if your saddle does not have enough clearance, adding a thicker saddle pad or half pad will not fix it and will likely make the problem worse.
