# half pad



## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

Well alot of the half pads are sheepskin, so they want that right against the horse's back, not on top of a cotton pad. The half pad also reduces bulk under the rider's leg.

Some riders use them for the above reasons. Other than that, it's a fad right now


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## foreignmusic (Mar 7, 2010)

^ exactly : )


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

What My Beau says!

I think the half pad fad has started going out. I don't see nearly as many as I did a few years ago, but it's not at all uncommon.


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

Ok thankyou. I still think it's silly that people don't use what's most comfortable for the horse. but Im not that intence about showing either.


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## kmacdougall (Feb 12, 2010)

I like my half-pad, but I did buy it because it was a fad.. except now that I have it I definitely wouldn't trade it, I once rode my horse for a half hour without it, then stuck it on, just to see the difference and was pretty impressed.
But at shows I ride in both my pads


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

nirvana said:


> Ok thankyou. I still think it's silly that people don't use what's most comfortable for the horse. but Im not that intence about showing either.


Maybe that is what is most comfortable for the horse.


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

^thats true but Ive seen my instructor and her daughter do this at shows. And they always use a full and most of the time half pad. I was going to ask her but I kept for getting and I wont see her for a couple of weeks. And it was starting to drive me nuts lol.

I wasnt quite sure, if it was something the judge likes to see or if it was rider preferance. Now I know!:lol:


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## nirvana (Sep 14, 2009)

kmacdougall said:


> I like my half-pad, but I did buy it because it was a fad.. except now that I have it I definitely wouldn't trade it, I once rode my horse for a half hour without it, then stuck it on, just to see the difference and was pretty impressed.
> But at shows I ride in both my pads


Ya I luuuve my half pad. I find its more comfortable for the horse, and sometimes makes the fit of the saddle a bit better.


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## Delta123 (Mar 6, 2010)

*My new half pad arrived today, its an alena sheepskin one that is brown and very soft.*


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

Alwaysbehind said:


> Maybe that is what is most comfortable for the horse.


yeah i agree, they proably are more comfortable for a lighter boned horse than a thin cotton numnah


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

The most important factor is a properly fitted saddle. Nothing is more comfortable for a horse than that important factor.

If you have too wide of a saddle and cannot get a properly fitted saddle at the time, then adding a half pad to add xtra horse, will work for a short time basis. That was the purpose of a 1/2 pad - to make a wide saddle fit better.

If you already have a properly fitted saddle, and use only a 1/2 pad, that's fine - but if you are using a regular pad and then adding a thick 1/2 pad into the mix is only doing harm than good. 

As already stated, 1/2 pads are a fad.


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## kmacdougall (Feb 12, 2010)

MIEventer said:


> If you already have a properly fitted saddle, and use only a 1/2 pad, that's fine - but if you are using a regular pad and then adding a thick 1/2 pad into the mix is only doing harm than good.


Untrue.
I have a properly fitted expensive saddle in a light color. When I school my horse on hot summer days he sweats up. In fact, he sweats up so much that it soaks into the panels of my saddle, leaving an ugly sweat stain on them. A master saddler has fitted my saddle and seen my horse move in it, it is the closest thing to custom. Because I paid out of my own pocket for my saddle which was not by any means cheap, I want to protect my investment from ugly sweat marks. The master saddler's suggestion was to toss a half-pad under it. My half-pad has in no way affected the fit of my saddle, it still fits my horse wonderfully, but it is a layer between my boy's sweaty back and my saddle. I chuck it in the washing machine.
Would I ride without it? Yep. Would I ride without it when my horse is going to sweat? Nope. Is it harmful to my horse? Confirmed by master saddler to be a big old nope!


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

I see where you're coming from, kmacdougal, and where Eventer is coming from...
And now it bugs me that some of the horses at the barn I used to ride at required more than one half pad, plus those little 'bumper pads' every day, just because the saddles didn't fit right.


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

The only time a half pad gets on my horse's back is when my trainer is using a cir single(sp?) on him for ground line work so it doesn't rub his back unevenly. If your saddle fits correctly a half pad will only decrease the quality of a fit, and no pad can hide a poorly-fit saddle.


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## CecilliaB (Jan 21, 2010)

I use a fleece half pad with a baby pad underneath(so sweat doesn't get on the fleece) when schooling and a fitted pad when showing. It's what he seems most comfortable in and I don't think it's to bulky under the saddle


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## FoxyRoxy1507 (Jul 15, 2008)

i use a half pad on both of my boys bc they are difficult to fit, they have somewhat wide backs with skinny, tall withers so i have a thicker half pad for Swoop and a thinner half pad for Petey. it helps make the saddle fit for both of them and they both are very happy and there is no uneven pressure points so that is what i wear at the shows but it doesnt really matter for me since right now im only doing jumper and soon some eventing shows.


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