The equipment of a horse is an extremely important thing for both the safety of the horse and that of the rider. Among this equipment is the saddle pad, which has several uses for riding. Let’s take a look at the different functions of the saddle pad.
The saddle pad: for what purposes should it be used?
In horse riding, the use of a saddle pad essentially has two major advantages; the maintenance of the saddle and the maintenance of the horse’s back. Let’s take a closer look.
Saddle maintenance
The leather-based saddle is susceptible to damage during use for various reasons. One of these reasons is the direct contact between the horse’s back and the saddle.
Indeed the sweat of the horse and especially the salt contained therein do not really go well with the leather. The use of a carpet therefore protects the leather of the saddle from aggression caused by the sweat of horses and the salt it contains in particular.
Maintaining the horse’s back
The other advantage of placing a saddle pad between the horse’s back and the saddle is that the saddle pad limits the friction caused by the movement of the saddle against the horse’s skin. The risk of injury to the horse’s back is then considerably reduced. In other words, the use of saddle pads ensures better health for your horses, which makes it essential. So find yourself a harcour rug at a low price, for example, and you’ll be done.
That said, it is important to remember that the choice of saddle pad should never be taken lightly. In your choice, therefore, opt for a carpet that best guarantees the absorption of the horse’s sweat in order to protect its back and also the leather of the saddle.
The saddle pad: how to choose yours?
There are mainly two forms of saddle pads on the market. These are the saddle pad and the shaped mat. The saddle pad which is probably the most common is rectangular in shape while the shaped pad follows the contours of the saddle. It will therefore be necessary to take care to take the right size in order to prevent the carpet from being too small and therefore ineffective.
Like the shapes, you have two different rug cuts. They are designed to adapt to the morphology of your horse. They are :
– The straightened line which is most suitable for ponies or horses with a large withers. This carpet cut will limit the risk of friction and therefore of injury to this quite sensitive area;
– The straight rug that will be preferred for ponies or horses with a less imposing withers and a straight back.
Finally, it is important to take into account the size of your mount in order to find the right size saddle pad for it. Want to buy a high quality saddle pad? Give the Lemieux saddle pad a try! Thank you for reading!
