Which saddle half pad will be the best for your horse?

Which saddle half pad will be the best for your horse?

All our Winderen saddle half pads have many common features, but each of the three available versions is designed for slightly different use. Your choice should be guided by how you have selected your horse's saddle.

We use Back Protect Solution technology for all Winderen half pads. All our pads have shock-absorbing and pressure-relieving properties. The rider can feel his horse without the sensation of being too much off his back. The saddle is kept stable on the horse’s back, which helps to take off tensions and makes the horse move freely and more relaxed.

As a result, the pad often helps to strengthen the back of the horse – 89.6% of the users surveyed noticed an improvement of the muscles of their horses, and 75% noticed less pain in their own backs after riding. Our short description of all Winderen half pad models should be helpful for you to choose the version that best suits you.

Comfort

Inserts thickness: 18 mm / 0.7”


Winderen Comfort saddle half pad in Grey colour
Slim

Inserts thickness: 10 mm / 0.4”


Winderen Slim saddle half pad in Navy colour
Correction

Inserts thickness: 18 mm / 0.7” or 10 mm / 0.4” + felt correction inserts


Winderen Correction saddle half pad in Brown colour

The half pads have durable, replaceable covers. Covers for the Comfort version can be exchanged with covers from the Slim version. The Correction half pads have a modified cover with a flexible insert so that the correction felt inserts fit perfectly. On top, we used a durable, tear-resistant material that protects the remaining layers while providing the saddle and the half pad with a good, stabilising connection. Beneath this is a rough mesh that prevents the pad from moving under the saddle. It also supplies air to the interior and protects it against moisture. Which saddle half pad will be the best for your horse?

Jumping and dressage shape of Winderen saddle half pads

The best half pad for your horse - which model to choose?

The best half pad for your horse - which model to choose?

Comfort version - 18 mm / 0.7” thickness of inserts before compression


The Comfort version was our first saddle half pad and is our basis for the entire Winderen half pad line. This is also our best-selling pad because of its multiple uses. With 18 mm inserts, it is ideal for replacing thick gel, sheepskin or memory foam pads.

The upper layer of the half pad stabilises the saddle in several ways, creating the effect of "sucking" the saddle to the horse’s back and forming a dust jacket around the saddle. It also allows you to correct and precisely align imperfections associated with saddle fitting. And most importantly, it is dynamically efficient with every movement of the horse. The next layer provides amazing shock absorption and minimizes the saddle's pressure points on the horse's back. Distribution of the saddle's pressure, in most cases, directly translates into more comfort for the horse and therefore improved willingness to work.

The third layer, which is closest to the horse's back, is responsible for reducing the forces acting on the back muscles, allowing them to work freely and with more suppleness, which is very important for proper muscle development. It also improves efficiency and performance (89.6% of the users surveyed noticed an improvement in the back muscles of their horses when using the Winderen Back Protect Solution half pads).

This combination of different materials with diverse and state-of-the-art properties makes Winderen saddle half pads the ideal solution for both riders and, most importantly, their horses. In most cases, they result in horses loosening up considerably under the saddle – 75% of surveyed users of Winderen Back Protect Solution pads note this effect on their horses.

Five technologically advanced layers of Winderen saddle half pad
When should I choose the Comfort version?
  • • I use the same saddle on several different horses.
  • • My saddle was custom made for my horse, and the saddle fitter included a half pad.
  • • I use sheepskin / memory foam / thick gel pads.
  • • My saddle was made to measure, but my horse is returning to work after an injury and now has less back muscle tone. I would like to help him get back in shape faster.
  • • My horse is young /at the beginning of training, I know that he is still developing, that's why I decided to buy a wider saddle.
  • • My horse has weak back muscles, I need to develop and strengthen them as effectively as possible.
The best saddle half pad for your horse - how to choose?

Slim version - thickness of inserts: 10 mm / 0.4” before compressing


We designed the Slim version to fulfil the special requests of riders who have custom-made saddles for individual horses. Just like the Comfort version, Slim version inserts have three technologically advanced layers and have been calibrated in order to preserve their energy dissipation properties.

Due to constant development and changes to horse's back muscles from training, even the best adjusted saddles begin to require correction after some time. This process is usually dynamic as horse’s backs change frequently. In the Slim version of the Winderen half pad, the layer responsible for improving imperfections in saddle fitting has been reduced to a minimum. As in the design of the other two layers, the foam used is denser and provides full shock absorption and dispersion of pressure points, like in the Comfort version. All this is packed into just 10 mm of foam to make the Slim pad work optimally, even under close-fitting saddles.

When should I choose the Slim version?
  • • My saddle was recently fitted by a specialist and I do not want to make too many changes.
  • • My saddle is made-to-measure – it is checked and fitted on a regular basis.
  • • My saddle fits perfectly.
  • • I use only a saddle pad or a saddle pad with a thin gel.
Winderen Correction Saddle Half Pad under the saddle during riding

Correction version - thickness of inserts: 18 mm / 0.7” or 10 mm / 0.4” before compressing + felt correction inserts


The Correction version of the Winderen Back Protect Solution saddle half pad is based on the Comfort or Slim version. However, in this case, special pockets on the foam inserts' covers and a half pad cover with an elastic band allow the rider to add felt inserts to correct the balance of the saddle.

This Winderen saddle half pad has six pockets for felt inserts (in contrast to conventional half pads' four). It was designed in consultation with physiotherapists and veterinarians to match the natural lines of the horse’s back muscles. The use of six pockets for correction inserts (three on each side) allows a smooth and precise arrangement of the necessary correction. When you need a really large correction, for example 9 mm / 0.35”, you can use a smaller number of inserts in the middle part of the pad: for example, 4 mm / 0.16” to form a gentle wedge, not a sharp drop.

The middle panel helps to correct the position and adherence of the saddle in relation to the back, for example for horses with topline syndrome. Also, it helps in situations where disturbing "dry spots" are observed on the horse’s back or saddle pad after training – a clear signal that the saddle does not fit the entire surface of the horse's back, but only parts of the front and back, creating a risky pressure. By using felt pads of different thicknesses, you can freely make corrections of between 2 mm / 0.08” to 9 mm / 0.35”.

When should I choose the Correction version?
  • • I feel that my saddle "falls” forwards or backwards and needs balance adjustment.
  • • I have a horse returning to work after injury and the saddle is now too wide to accommodate his current condition.
  • • I have a horse for which I always needed pads with front / back correction.
  • • I have a horse that needs more padding at the centre of the saddle panels so that they make contact with the whole surface, and not just with the front and back (characteristic dry spots in the middle of the panels).
  • • I have several horses for which I use the same saddle.
  • • I have many young horses / horses in training and I need to "quickly" adjust the saddle so that it is in balance and that the horses entrusted to me can work under the saddle without discomfort.

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Country: Deutschland

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