Sheepskin treeless pad
- Thread starter birat
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LeMieux now do one with pockets as well called 'pro-sorb'- I've just got mine. I also have mattes half pad corrections.
On the mattes, the pockets are on the top - so you have sheepskin, a layer of fabric, then a layer of quilt - the shims go between the fabric layer and the quilt with the quilt opening on the top. I love the mattes: the sheepskin is lovely and thick. I haven't had a 'new' mattes as tend to get mine in v good second hand condition as cheaper, but mine feel more like a thick fleece feel in terms of texture (although it is sheepskin, not fleece).
My lemieux pro-sorb is a thinner, silkier type of sheepskin - lovely and will do the job beautifully, but perhaps not quite so protective on an extra extra sensitive horse. This also has a spine free channel. The pockets are different on these. Whilst the mattes do a 2 pocket and 4 pocket correction, lemieux started by only doing a 4 pocket. They have changed and now only do 2 pocket (a long pocket the whole length of the pad). The reason behind this is that it avoids there being an empty non-pressure bearing area in the middle where the seam would go. I worried about my front shims sliding backwards without a seam, as I shim the front more than the back. Having had an hours lesson using it today, I had no problems and the shims stay put. In this pad, the pockets open up from the underneath instead - you kind of lift the sheepskin away from the quilted layer.
My only quibble with the lemieux is that their shims are very thick - although a great material as they don't flatten over time. I found that with my gulleted treeless today I had too much padding in and as a result I couldn't lift the spine of the pad into the gullet of the saddle. However I do have a lot in there so can remove a layer and see how that feels. If you need to shim for asymmestry or wastage, you'll probably need some thin felt shims aswell as the ones that come with this pad as its surprising how little you need to make a huge difference be felt...
What treeless are you using it with? No Angel has a non-sheepskin shim pad that she's selling I think - might be woth contacting her?
The other thing is you can often pick up cheapish good quality half pads on ebay or wherever second hand but in really good condition, without shims - if you're handy with a needle, you can always stitch on some pockets of your own...
The thing with mattes (and hopefully lemieux - ask me in a yr or so for sure lol), is that if they are looked after, they will stay good as new really; brush it after each ride quickely to stop sweat settling on the surface and causing it to matte and it stays lovely...
On the mattes, the pockets are on the top - so you have sheepskin, a layer of fabric, then a layer of quilt - the shims go between the fabric layer and the quilt with the quilt opening on the top. I love the mattes: the sheepskin is lovely and thick. I haven't had a 'new' mattes as tend to get mine in v good second hand condition as cheaper, but mine feel more like a thick fleece feel in terms of texture (although it is sheepskin, not fleece).
My lemieux pro-sorb is a thinner, silkier type of sheepskin - lovely and will do the job beautifully, but perhaps not quite so protective on an extra extra sensitive horse. This also has a spine free channel. The pockets are different on these. Whilst the mattes do a 2 pocket and 4 pocket correction, lemieux started by only doing a 4 pocket. They have changed and now only do 2 pocket (a long pocket the whole length of the pad). The reason behind this is that it avoids there being an empty non-pressure bearing area in the middle where the seam would go. I worried about my front shims sliding backwards without a seam, as I shim the front more than the back. Having had an hours lesson using it today, I had no problems and the shims stay put. In this pad, the pockets open up from the underneath instead - you kind of lift the sheepskin away from the quilted layer.
My only quibble with the lemieux is that their shims are very thick - although a great material as they don't flatten over time. I found that with my gulleted treeless today I had too much padding in and as a result I couldn't lift the spine of the pad into the gullet of the saddle. However I do have a lot in there so can remove a layer and see how that feels. If you need to shim for asymmestry or wastage, you'll probably need some thin felt shims aswell as the ones that come with this pad as its surprising how little you need to make a huge difference be felt...
What treeless are you using it with? No Angel has a non-sheepskin shim pad that she's selling I think - might be woth contacting her?
The other thing is you can often pick up cheapish good quality half pads on ebay or wherever second hand but in really good condition, without shims - if you're handy with a needle, you can always stitch on some pockets of your own...
The thing with mattes (and hopefully lemieux - ask me in a yr or so for sure lol), is that if they are looked after, they will stay good as new really; brush it after each ride quickely to stop sweat settling on the surface and causing it to matte and it stays lovely...
Almost forgot - thinline also do a correction pad now called saddlefix I called - it's a sheepskin half pad with shim pockets - their shims are the thinline material. I'm not sure of quality though. With shims I think it is about£85 so not a cheap option, but without shims it's £65 new, and then you can always cut your own shims from felt, foam/fibergee (however be careful - try to use high density foams as I've discovered normal soft foams/fibergee compress over time rather than bouncing back each ride so you'll need to keep replacing or adding to them as they get thinner...
A lot of thinline's normal non sheepskin pads have pockets between quilt and the thinline layer into which you can shim too but don't think there's much space if you need a lot of shimming in these - no sheepskin of course either
A lot of thinline's normal non sheepskin pads have pockets between quilt and the thinline layer into which you can shim too but don't think there's much space if you need a lot of shimming in these - no sheepskin of course either
I think Peaches has pretty much got things covered there
I'm such a tack obsessive; be it bridles, saddles, booting, padding, bitting...
Blimey, thank you so much for a very detailed and helpful explanation Peaches. Hope I will be lucky enough to find a second hand bargain too.
I'm probably wrong but I thought that as the roamer saddle has no channel over the spine, I need a pad to create one with one full shim either side (like the requisite pad but with real sheepswool underneath instead of synthetic fur) rather than just a sheepskin pad with a spinal channel. I'm loving my Haf but I think that soft merino type wool will rub less than the firmer stuff it has.
Ignorance taking over again - why would I change the pommel block? Sorry - they say you cant educate pork but this little piggy is learning a lot thanks to NR
I'm probably wrong but I thought that as the roamer saddle has no channel over the spine, I need a pad to create one with one full shim either side (like the requisite pad but with real sheepswool underneath instead of synthetic fur) rather than just a sheepskin pad with a spinal channel. I'm loving my Haf but I think that soft merino type wool will rub less than the firmer stuff it has.
Ignorance taking over again - why would I change the pommel block? Sorry - they say you cant educate pork but this little piggy is learning a lot thanks to NR
If you change the fiberglass pommel block to a narrower one it will fit the shape of his back and you won't need to shim as much.
Over padding with a treeless can be just as bad as under padding (and I know you have a tendency to over pad)
Over padding with a treeless can be just as bad as under padding (and I know you have a tendency to over pad
) newrider.com