I'll second this. ?I don't have a lot of experience with this, but I did buy "The Horse's Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book", by Joyce Harman, and I read lots of articles on saddle fit. ?
Most of them (especially the book) recommended against trying to fix a saddle fit problem with a pad. ?The book has illustrations about the effects of various pads, including riser pads ?(often end up causing too much pressure at the withers). ?About the only fit problem that a pad was recommended for was for a too-wide saddle. ?For the others -- if the problem was in the basic tree shape or size, the only real fix was a new saddle. ?For English saddles, minor fit problems can be fixed with re-stuffing or adjusting the panel stuffing -- but the basic tree fit has to be correct.
One possible exception - if you like a Western style - is a Specialized Saddle. ?The basic tree is very wide, and it comes with an adjustable padding system that allows you to put in shims and different size base panels with velcro. ?These "pads" are dense foam - much denser than a saddle pad. ?They allow narrowing and adjusting the fit to accommodate most horses. ?It took me a while, but I finally got it adjusted so that it fit my horse very nicely (an English saddle fitter got me started - she spent about half an hour adjusting the padding for me to where she thought it fit, then I made minor corrections from there. ?My problem was that I didn't feel secure in it (guess I've ridden English too long), and with his short back, the whole saddle was a bit long for him. ? I bought another saddle from the Arabian Saddle Company (English Style) which also fits him quite well (saddle fitter checked it before I bought it), and which has - for me - a much more secure feeling. ?
One other thing. ?I haven't tried this, but I think I'm going to soon. ?The ReactorPanel Saddle company (www.reactorpanel.com) ?offers the Port Lewis Impression Pad for sale ($250) or lease ($25 / use). ?You put the pad on your horse instead of your regular padding, then ride for 30 minutes. ?It is filled with putty that displaces according to the pressure points of the saddle. ?The putty is colored, and the pad cover is transparent, so when you take it off your horse your can literally see exactly where the pressure points are. ?They show it for use with an English saddle -- don't know if it is sized for a Western. ?However, it really sounds like an affordable way to get a good idea of what is going on. ?I'm going to lease it (soon) and try it out -- I think I need a minor adjustment in the panels, but I'd like to try this to see if what it tells me agrees with what I think.
On Jul 26, 2007, at 10:47 PM, Don Huston wrote:
Hello Jamie, If I had a saddle fit problem I would not try to fix it with a pad of any kind. Pads move around and if the pad has raised areas then those raised areas also move around which totally screws up the saddle fit. JMHO, Don Huston
At 10:23 PM 7/26/2007 Thursday, you wrote:
I was wondering what everyone thought of riser pads? (not sure on the spelling) they fit under the saddle and over the pad to change weight distribution and saddle fit (at least thats how it was explained to me) thanks ?jamie
?Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely!? Life is an adventure which should bring you? skidding into Heaven's gates, totally worn out, scuffed up and bleeding, yelling, "Whoo Hoo, what a ride
