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Numnahs and saddle pad
The saddle is a riding aid that gives the rider a secure seat. However, it puts pressure on the horse’s back and chafes it. The saddle also causes the horse to sweat when worn for long periods of time. To minimise the negative effects of using a saddle, we place a numnah between the horse and saddle. In the olden days, people used a simple wool blanket as a numnah. Today, numnahs are generally made of high quality, breathable felt which optimally counteracts pressure points and sweating.
The saddle pad is a type of numnah that protects the horse’s back from being chafed by the saddle and prevents pressure points. The saddle pad also absorbs sweat underneath the leather. These properties are very important when you go trekking because the horse spends a long time wearing its saddle.
Numnah also protects the saddle from the horse’s sweat and from the dirt and dust in its coat. The most common numnah is saddle-shaped to ensure a good fit and prevent pressure points. Western riders use a special western cloth which is much larger and more thickly padded than a conventional saddle cloth. This additional padding enables the rider to ride for longer periods of time, even whole days at a time, which is sometimes necessary when driving cattle. The western saddle cloth is also ideal for trekking.
Saddle pad aren’t just practical, they are also very decorative. Since saddle pad are square and not saddle shaped like numnahs, they have a section that is visible below the saddle which can be decorated or used as a ’calling card’ for information such as the horse’s name, the stud name, the riding club logo etc. In the olden days, the rider’s coat-of-arms would be featured on it. These days, we are slightly more mundane, though many riders do attach great value to attractive and even artistic saddle pad designs. You can even have your saddle pad embroidered to your specifications, making modern-day saddle pads artistic accessories on the riding arena.
Hobby riders these days also like to use standard saddle cloths which are much larger than numnahs and, in addition to the practical benefits, are also very decorative.
Whether you prefer the saddle cloth or numnah, you will find a comprehensive selection in different designs and price categories at horze.co.uk. We’ll be happy to advise you online or by phone.
