Our team of experts here at Team Bloomfields have created this in depth guide on saddle pads to help those with all levels of experience. So if you have just taken up riding or you’re a seasoned pro, we think you’ll find something useful in this guide. If you have any more questions about Saddle pads, please contact us and someone in our team will be happy to help.

What is a Saddle Pad?

It is a key piece of equipment for horse riders, this layer of cushioning and material helps to protect your horse's back from irritation and discomfort. They can also absorb sweat, distribute the rider’s weight and help the saddle better fit your horse. 

What Is A Saddle Pad Called?

Saddle pads are also known as saddle cloths, saddle blankets or numnahs. All of these terms are used for the simple but essential layer of cushioning that is positioned between a horse’s back and the saddle.

What is the Purpose of a Saddle Pad?

Saddle pads have more than just one purpose, they serve 4 primary roles:

• Improving Riding Experience: Saddle pads can provide adjustments that help overall saddle fit through inserts or shims that help to correct minor issues when it comes to an ill-fitting or uncomfortable saddle. However, they cannot fix a wrong size or wrong shape saddle that simply doesn’t fit correctly. They are designed to assist correct saddle fit to create a more comfortable riding experience for the horse and rider.
• Cushioning & Sweat Protection: A saddle pad makes a layer between the saddle and the horse’s back preventing chafing, friction and sweat from causing irritation to their back. They can even off improved airflow with lightweight aerated fabrics helping to cool your horse.
• Improved Appearance: Not only do they have a practical use but they are also great to look at! Our saddle pads are available in black, green, navy, pink and more along with beautiful styling. They can help you and your horse raise the bar with presentation and even allow for those dedicated horse lovers to match with their horse.
• Weight Distribution: The cushioning in saddle pads helps to better distribute the rider’s weight across the saddle and therefore the horse’s back. Reducing pressure, strain and soreness on your horse.

How to Put Your Saddle Pad on Your Horse

1. Go to the rear of your horse and slide the pad over the centre of your horse’s back making sure that it covers the withers.
2. Put your fingers under the spine of the saddle pad and lift it up slightly if there is no space between the pad and the wither, the pad is likely too tight for your horse. This will cause it to pull downwards meaning your horse has no space to move in.
3. Ensure the pad is laying flat against your horse’s back.
4. Get your saddle then place it just forward on your horse’s withers. Then ease it back until it rests naturally on your horse depending on its build. It is essential that the saddle pad doesn’t move during this process, the saddle needs to stop behind the shoulder blades so that your horse has freedom of movement.
5. Make sure that you are still able to fit your fingers between the saddle pad and withers. Then you can finish by adding the girth.
6. Attach saddle pad straps to the saddle, the stirrup leathers and girth as this helps to better stabilise the pad on your horses back and to its saddle.

Can You Use a Dressage Saddle Pad for Jumping?

Yes, technically you can use a dressage saddle pad for jumping, however the difference in shape means that it wouldn’t fit the jumping saddle in the correct way. Which could lead to discomfort for you and your horse and an untidy appearance.

What’s The Difference Between Dressage Saddle Pads And Jump Saddle Pads?

The main difference between the two styles is shape as they are designed to be used with different saddles.

Dressage saddle pads are long and straight to complement the long flaps of a dressage saddle. Whereas jump saddle pads are shorter with curved corners to better fit the shorter forward angled flaps on a jumping saddle. 

How Much Do Saddle Pads Cost?

Saddle pads can range from around £20 to £80 depending on their quality and the materials used. Cheaper saddle pads tend to be less beneficial for you and your horse as the padding is less effective at distributing weight, providing comfort and sweat absorption. 

Saddle Pad Care 

Once you have your stunning saddle pad we are sure you’ll want to keep it that way, so here are our saddle pad care tips so you can ensure yours last and stay looking as good as when you bought them. 

How Do You Clean a Saddle Pad?

• Start by brushing off or vacuuming hair and dirt from the saddle pad focussing on the underside of the saddle pad.
• If your saddle pad can be put in the washing machine, it works well as an effective cleaning method. But it’s important to consider the detergent you use as a harsh detergent can bleach and damage your saddle pads. But gentler detergents may not remove the grease and dirt.
• A reliable method is hand washing your saddle pads using a human shampoo that removes dirt and grease, as it won’t ruin the fabric or fade darker colours.
• It is best to let your saddle pads air dry without pegs so no unexpected creases are formed in the fabric.

Can You Put A Saddle Pad in the Washing Machine?

This depends on the manufacturer's instructions but in a lot of cases they can be machine washed but it is important to be mindful of the detergent you use to avoid bleaching, fading  or damaging the saddle pad. Our Saddle pads are machine washable but it’s vital to use non-abrasive products on them.

How to Get Hair Off Saddle Pads?

Use a hard brush, grooming glove, shedding blade or pumice stone and do long strokes across the saddle pad to remove the hair either collecting in the brush or allowing it to fall off the saddle pad.

How Much Does a Saddle Pad Weigh?

Depending on the size and the materials used, saddle pads can weigh less than 1KG. With heavier materials like wool adding to the weight. It is more common for heavier saddle pads in Western riding due to their heavier saddles.

How Many Saddle Pads Do You Need?

The amount of saddle pads you’ll need will depend what you use them for and how frequently you ride. 

If you ride daily 2-6 would be recommended allowing you to effectively wash and rotate them. If your horse has sensitive skin you may need more so you can frequently change them to not irritate their skin. If you ride in shows you may want an additional 2-4 for those occasions. We know a lot of our customers love their saddle pads and even own as many as 20!

Saddle Pad Size Guide

Your saddle pad should be 1-2 inches longer and wider than your saddle so we have created a table below based on standard saddle sizes so you can find the perfect size for you and your horse.

 

Our saddle pads increase in size providing more length for your horses' back while staying a similar depth.