Fitting Your Horse Properly

When choosing a pad, fitting your horse properly and ensuring their comfortability is the main goal. It can be challenging to decide on a pad at times. Especially when you have a horse with above average withers or a horse with no withers that has a bit of a sway back. Often a slight adjustment in your pad choice can be what is needed to get a comfortable fit.

Trial and Error 

Something as simple as adjusting the thickness of the pad can help. Another option is applying a contour to the pad, as we will discuss in this article. Or you may try opting into the open wither option. Other times it can be completely adjusting the saddle you use on your horse. Understanding options that are available and making sure that it is the right fit for your horse is important to ensure a comfortable ride happens for your equine athlete.

What is Pad Contour ? 

Regular Contour

Deep Contour

Gooseneck Contour *NEW*

The gooseneck contour option is intended for high, more prominent wither-built horses. On occasion it has been used to help with issues with pads that tend to slip back. The gooseneck provides an extra extension of the pad over the withers (as pictured). Bringing the pad up a slight amount has been shown to bring relief to the withers. Where a normal pad may cause restrictions and be too tight. It has also created relief over the withers. Additional benefits have included alleviated pressure to the pressure points on your horse’s back.

The shape of the pad also helps with slipping back as it is elevated in the front. This can allow extra benefit similar to the “cupping or tenting” method some riders use. When a pad is lifted in the front it will tend to lock the pad into place and prevent slipping. If your pad is too thick this contour will not fix any rolling or movement. If you are still experiencing issues with pad fittings, this could be a sign of incorrect fitting of your saddle.