Saddle cloths v numnahs

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carthorse

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Jan 6, 2006
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Why is it so hard to get a plain very lightly quilted cotton numnah nowadays? Ok it doesn't help it's for a fancy modern jump saddle, but all there seems to be available are squares and in the summer I don't want to be covering up more of him than I have to. I have sheepskins but they're sweaty in the summer, plus he's grown and filled out more (and got a bit plump!) and so all I want is a cotton one. The couple I could find were fancy technical material that was thicker than I wanted, shiny (not useful on a cob unless you like saddle slip) and had braiding that means if I get it in even slightly the wrong place there are pressure points. Lots of big saddle cloths though.

The advantage of my local tack shop also being a saddlery is that they'll make me a couple up :)
 
It's funny you should be wanting something cotton. Years ago I struggled to find non slip, as everything seemed to be cotton or the polypad.
I have a treeless and I am trying out a numnah for the delicate flower, and so far she's not objected. It's also less pad and it's sitting really well.

Does the company who makes the saddle offer a range that will fit?
 
I bought a new numnah from nu med. To replace Ella's old one and exactly the same.

British made numnahs, saddlepads and equestrian ...https://nuumed.com

The lady is very nice and I hankered after a royal blue one, but told Ella she had to have the yard uniform grey as they go in the wash together.

https://nuumed.com/
 
@newforest I find cotton, as long as it hasn't been treated to make it look shiny, isn't slippy on the back. Polypads are too bulky, if I want that much bulk I'll have something more shock absorbing. The saddle makers don't actually make numnahs for their saddles, it's all pads and very expensive ones at that - it's all about the name daaaahling 🤣🤣🤣

@Skib Nuumed are a nice make, but while they had some in the shop they weren't wide enough at the back for this make of saddle.
 
I didnt go to any shop as we were locked down. I did it all on line. Direct with nu med

Have you asked the lady @carthorse? She will custom make them, I think. Whereas for me it was simple, I only had to buy the same again.
Not to pressure you as you know what you want but unlke my struggle to work out which new reins I wanted, buying the new numed numnah was a pleasure.
 
Yep, same for a dressage saddle with extra wide panels. I’ve found one or two over the years but you don’t often seem to come across them.

It’s handy your local saddler will make them for you, you can buy the diamond quilted material pretty cheaply if you wanted to do it yourself you’d just have to cut to shape and edge it.
 
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@Skib as I said in my original post I'm getting a couple made up for me by the tack shop in my village, and they will definitely fit as they've seen the saddle and taken measurements. They do a lot of made to order stuff, there's a lot of racing here and in the surrounding villages and the trainers always want stuff made up in the owners' colours.
 
@Jessey I'm absolutely certain they'll do a far neater job than I would! Given the move towards saddles with the wider back panels you'd think there'd be more choice of numnahs to go under them but there really isn't much at all, my sheepskins are just about ok but I have to be very careful when putting the saddle on to be sure it's not on the edge.
 
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I found someone who makes saddle covers as I used to struggle to find anything.
Perhaps the change in saddle demands isn't enough yet for major companies to add these?
 
That is a really good point and one I hadn’t realised till now. Luckily I like squares 😂
 
I have (for too many) premier equine saddle pads. They do a couple of sort of half way between. One with a straight diagonal line from the back of saddle to girth and the other a sort of shaped cut out behind the leg.
 
carthorse said:
@Skib as I said in my original post I'm getting a couple made up for me by the tack shop in my village
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No. You said they will. I didnt realise you had ordered them. That is fine. But it also seemed relevant to say that those of us not living in a racing area and not knowing much about tack can also get them made?
 
Skib said:
No. You said they will. I didnt realise you had ordered them. That is fine. But it also seemed relevant to say that those of us not living in a racing area and not knowing much about tack can also get them made?
Click to expand...

I thought the wording and the context made that fairly clear?
 
@Doodle92 I do think the squares look very smart, but because he's a horse that seems to get sweaty very easily I feel better if less of him is covered up in warm weather.

It never crossed my mind that it would be difficult to get a numnah for a saddle.
 
Yes I agree with your reasoning I was just adding to the thread as I suddenly realised I hadn’t seen numnahs and wondering if I was being blind. so had a look at premier equine just to be nosey more than anything.
 
Doodle92 said:
I have (for too many) premier equine saddle pads. They do a couple of sort of half way between. One with a straight diagonal line from the back of saddle to girth and the other a sort of shaped cut out behind the leg.
Click to expand...
Any photos, I love saddles.
 
I have seen numnahs out there but it is a strange material.
I hanker after the fishtail pads. I just love the look of them.
I haven't gone further to see if it would suit the saddle though.
It needs to be a non slip underside, teeny bit of wool if I have to.
 
carthorse said:
@Doodle92 I do think the squares look very smart, but because he's a horse that seems to get sweaty very easily I feel better if less of him is covered up in warm weather.

It never crossed my mind that it would be difficult to get a numnah for a saddle.
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I found this numnah, the first no for us would be that fleece.
If you are going to stick anything there, put wool. The rest is a possibly might fit.
You need a jump cut, so scrap this.
I am just window shopping
gsequestrian.co.uk

Shires ARMA Soft Grip Numnah

This Airflow Anti-Slip Numnah is designed to offer your horse comfortable luxury. The perforated anti-slip panels to the outer and a half lining on the inner allows airflow and provides a high degree of shock absorption. The upper spine area features a
gsequestrian.co.uk gsequestrian.co.uk
 
newrider.com
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