SITTING pretty

PERFORMANCE DISCIPLINES SUCH AS DRESSAGE PLACE HIGH DEMANDS ON THE HORSE’S BACK, NO MATTER HOW WELL THE SADDLE FITS. EQUINE CHIROPRACTIC SPECIALIST JOHANNES SPITALER SET OUT TO DESIGN A SADDLE PAD THAT COULD WORK WITH A CORRECTLY FITTED SADDLE AND HE DISCUSSES THE CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING THE EQUITEX PAD.

Traditionally, a saddle cloth was purely for keeping the saddle clean but today saddle pads are so much more, it’s about protecting the horse. Going back over the centuries, thick cloths or blankets and padding have all been used to make the horse more comfortable and prevent the saddle rubbing or moving, as it was much more cost-effective to use these than buy another saddle for a different shaped horse.

Nowadays most horse owners choose to have their saddles fitted to the horse and have them checked regularly to avoid pressure points and instability. However, advancements in technology have enabled scientists to prove that even with a well-fitting saddle there are huge amounts of pressure put onto the horse’s back. The Equitex pad has been designed to reduce this pressure, secure the saddle and not alter the fit, this is because you ‘ride in’ Equitex, not ‘on it’. It can also be used to prevent any small discrepancies in saddle fit, which can occur with anything from quick weight/muscle loss or gain.

Most dressage riders actually ‘sit’ on their horse so they are the ones who can feel when a saddle or their horse is working well. That said, it’s important that the pad doesn’t overwhelm the horse or get in the way of their movement. Being handmade we can make a dressage square to fit most shapes or sizes of horse. Many of the natives need a smaller pad as they are shorter, but in essence we can make most things to fit.

When first tacking up, the saddle can look slightly perched but as soon as the rider sits in the saddle you will see how the foam is very responsive and reduces in volume. This responsive foam gives a closer feel whilst enabling the rider to feel their horse’s movement. All our pads are 3cm thick before compression and this is usually sufficient, however we do provide pads with correctional thickness and these are bespoke-made for the rider in consultation.

We recently commissioned independent scientific research into all the materials available on the market today. Equitex responsive foam performed better than all other materials for pressure relief.

THE PRODUCT?

In scientific testing we have done, comparing old and new pads, there was no reduction in performance even in pads that had been used more than 600 times. In comparison, natural fibres such as lambskin deteriorated substantially.

We use the highest quality of materials that have been high intensity tested over the years. The current design and materials are a result of Equitex’s development over the last 30 years. We have proven that the responsive foam doesn’t deteriorate over time.

CAN YOU ADVISE ON HOW BEST TO CARE FOR A PAD, ESPECIALLY LIGHT COLOURED PADS WHICH BY THEIR NATURE NEED WASHING MORE FREQUENTLY?

Although these pads are highly durable, we recommend that you don’t wash a pad every time you use it. If you let it air dry after each ride, the grease/dirt next to the horse’s coat can be easily brushed off.

Equitex is distributed in the UK by the Saddle Pad Company. Director Amanda Fisher explains how she came across the product.

Wash at 30 degrees, spin and air dry. If they get really dirty then a blast with the jet wash will remove stains and won’t damage the fabric.

HOW DO YOU PREVENT A PAD FROM SLIPPING? CAN RIDERS REALLY TRUST A PAD WITH NO STRAPS AND FIXINGS NOT TO SLIP?

The design of the pad is what makes it nonslip. The velvet is made specially for us and the surface next to the coat is cut in a specific way to mesh with the horse’s hair.

IS THERE A COMPROMISE BETWEEN AVOIDING SLIPPAGE AND ENSURING THAT HORSES WITH MORE SENSITIVE SKIN DON’T GET RUBBED?

Research that we commissioned with Dr David Marlin found that pads that were ‘sticky’ were detrimental to the comfort of the horse. You need to have a certain amount of movement otherwise you block the horse’s skin and top layers of muscles/ligaments etc from moving, which in turn creates more problems.

For more details on the research on materials: thesaddlepadcompany.com/ wp-content/uploads/2022/04/equitex_ flyer_online_IT.pdf T

“I met Johannes at Windsor Horse Show in 2019. My mare had pressure lumps on her back from a previously ill-fitting saddle so I thought I’d give Equitex a go and bought an Emerald GP square. On the first ride, I was blown away. I couldn’t believe the difference in the way she went and the comfort level for me. No straps was unheard of and I when I removed the pad, I noticed a totally dry spine and all the hairs were lying flat on her back. Game changer! I was so impressed, I contacted Johannes and asked to become the UK distributor; it took six months of persuasion but finally he agreed. We haven’t looked back since.