Resolving Saddle Pad Problems

Whether you are relaxing on the trail or racing that 100 mile endurance race you want to be comfortable and you want your horse to be comfortable too.  If you don’t have a good saddle pad you both will suffer. Your equine friend may not say too much but all of a sudden you may have an unruly horse to contend with.  It has happened to me.  

When training a young horse that is acting up, the first thing that comes to mind is to discipline her. I naturally think she is having an attitude problem and trying to get the upper hand.  I have learned that she may be acting up for other reasons. Too often I have found it was my equipment that was causing the behavior problems. The saddle pad has been one problem causing discipline troubles for me.

Saddle pads are made of many different types of materials, each material has its good and bad qualities. I would like to talk about the wool and sheepskin pads. Wool or sheepskin has a natural wicking effect which makes for a very popular saddle pad. However, wool can also be restrictive or binding in the shoulder and wither areas causing soreness and fatigue.

One of the most common causes of horse injuries is from back muscles overheating. If the heat that radiates from the horses back muscles cannot escape, it will get reabsorbed into the overheated muscle of the horse.  Sheepskin and wool can hold up to 30% of its weight before it starts to feel wet against the skin of the horse thus keeping the muscles cooler and more relaxed, especially over long distances.

I have found Fleeceworks Pads to be outstanding in construction and quality. They are exceptional for long distance riding, whether it is for pleasure or competitive endurance riding. Fleeceworks uses only the best Australian Merino sheepskin and wool. High quality wool cuts down on bulkiness while still keeping the density of the pad. This allows for a good saddle fit plus close contact. This results in a better feel of your horse and a top performance.

The ability of wool is limited in providing pressure point relief. To solve this dilemma Fleeceworks has added full inserts made from visco foam. This is an elastic foam that is added to their wool pads to deliver a complete protective pad. This is patent pending and is called the “Perfect Balance Technology”.

Their FXK technology gives your horse relief from the stress of the pad pressing on his/her wither and spine. This technology uses elastic that stretches vertically rather than horizontally.  It effectively acts as a shock absorber, taking the rotational pull of the shoulder before any pressure can reach the sensitive spine and wither area.

 Fleeceworks makes great saddle pads. Your horse will have the comfort it needs. You will have peace of mind, the obedient horse you are looking for and you both will have an enjoyable ride. If you are doing any long distance trips with your horse this year I would consider using the Fleeceworks Saddle Pads. Check them out at www.endurancesaddlepad.com.