Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Saddle pad and withers

From: Dani

Dear Jessica, thank you for horse-sense, I can't wait to read it every week. It's better than my horse magazines! Anyway here is my question for you, I have a bay gelding named Harold, and we ride mostly trails and some dressage shows. There is a new barn that has a lot of hunter shows in the summer, and I want to ride Harold in them. I have a saddle I can use that's better for jumping than my dressage one, but what I want to know is if I can still use my regular saddle pads. Harold has very high withers and I have two pads that are made to fit him so that the pad doesn't hurt his withers. But the pads are square! One is all white and one is white with green trim (my colors are green and white). My sister says there is no way I can go to a hunter show with square pads, we won't ever win anything. Is that true? I looked at some pads that are shaped like saddles, but they don't come up at the wither part like my pads do, and I want Harold to be comfortable. What should I do? Thanks amillion! Dani

Hi Dani! Thank YOU, I'm glad you like horse-sense so much! Harold sounds like a nice horse, and he's lucky to have an owner who cares so much about his comfort. I understand why you want to use your saddle pads -- horses with high withers can become VERY uncomfortable when badly-made pads pull down on their withers.

There are hunter shows and hunter shows.... if this new barn is holding A or B shows, then your sister is right, and you won't get very far with square pads. Hunt-seat riding, like any other form of riding, has its own traditions and conventions for the show-ring. Like it or not, it's a fact of life. But I wonder whether the barn may be holding a series of SCHOOLING shows? If I were you, I would call the barn owners and ask. You can CERTAINLY use your square pads at schooling shows. ;-)

Many, many riders from other disciplines like to go to small hunter shows -- schooling shows -- to introduce their young horses to jumps that that they haven't seen before, or just to give them the idea of being away from home AND jumping. If you're really just going there to school, be as clean and tidy and well-dressed as you can, but don't make yourself crazy. You don't need to run out and buy new pads or a new bridle or a new jacket just so that you can school Harold over a set of jumps in a new place. If you're clean and neat and prepared, and your horse is too, you won't look or feel out of place at a schooling show no matter what shape your saddle pad may be. ;-)

Jessica

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