I see many saddles that have more pads than the princess and the pea and which still don’t fit. However, to make them work properly, you do need to understand how a saddle should be balanced. I think the correction pads (available from lots of companies now) are a great advancement. It was particularly useful when Zelda was a bit asymmetrical because I could shim one side while I was working with her to even out her musculature. I keep a Mattes Correction half pad as a back up for those times when I know saddle fit is a bit off and I’m waiting for my fitter to come. The Mattes pad has four pockets for shims. Of course, you can’t put them through a heated drier, but you can air fluff most of the moisture out. I wash mine in my washing machine in cold water on the delicate cycle and they’ve always come out fine. They absorb moisture and do an excellent job of cushioning. I’ve had several sheepskin half pads for more than a decade. Sheepskin is a great choice because it also wicks moisture away and keeps your horse more comfortable. A sheepskin half pad can provide extra protection to your horse’s back. That’s why I bought mine lightly used on eBay for around $90. The half pad that I use retails for close to $200. I’ve had two of them now for about 6 years and they haven’t compressed and they look exactly like they did when I bought them. It is designed to absorb impact, keep your horse’s back cool and it is really, really easy to clean. If I were to buy only one pad, my first choice is my Supracor half pad. After riding on a hot day, I simply hose down the pad. First, I bought and tried a lot of the fancy pads and second, while I’ve mostly moved away from them, there are a couple I still like. Mostly, I believe that if your saddle fits, the main purpose of the pad is to keep the bottom clean. On Dover, you can buy a Tad Coffin leather half pad for a mere $425. I mean really, there is a Mattes Correction Pad on the SmartPak site right now for $405 and a Thinline endurance pad for $350. It’s come to the point where saddle pads now cost more than some of the saddles I’ve owned. have gel pads, riser pads, sheepskin pads, and correction pads. I know people who own multitudes of colors. Although I am an admitted saddle addict, I am not a saddle pad addict.
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