Close contact or general purpose saddle pad?

Our Saddle Pad Guide says to match the cut to the saddle: a mismatched cut leaves sections of the saddle unsupported. Its hunter and jumper pads follow the forward-flap profile of a jumping saddle, low profile with a contoured spine channel and girth loops. Its all-purpose pads are designed for most general-purpose or trail saddles, often with extra cushioning. Dressage pads are shaped to the long, straight flap of a dressage saddle and extend further down the horse's side.

Medallion, a Toklat pad line, says the same in its own words: the pad shape should follow the saddle. Its close contact shapes are cut for jumping or close contact saddles. Its General Purpose Pad is a 100 percent polyester fleece pad with an all-purpose shape, a flap strap in place of a billet strap, and sizing by saddle size for a close fit. Those are the maker's descriptions. See the range on our Medallion page.

That's a fair complaint, and one riders raise with us. One of the questions we see is simply 'what is a GP saddle pad.' 'GP' can stand for general purpose, and some makers use it for pads cut to follow a jump saddle. The label alone won't tell you which.

So read the product description for the saddle it is cut for, not just the name. Look for words like 'designed to fit most close contact saddles' or 'all-purpose shape,' and look for the saddle sizes listed. If the description doesn't say, ask the maker or your instructor, or measure a pad that already fits.

If you ride in more than one type of saddle, expect to need more than one pad shape. Each has a different outline.

A close contact saddle is built to put the rider's leg near the horse, with a forward-cut flap. An all-purpose saddle is built to do a little of everything. A dressage saddle has a long, straight flap. Most saddles say what they are on the maker's page, and a quick message to the maker can confirm it.

If you've bought a saddle used, or you're not sure, a qualified saddle fitter can tell you in a minute and check how it sits on your horse. That's the same person to ask if a saddle seems to be sitting wrong, because a pad can't fix a saddle that doesn't fit. Horse & Rider (UK) and Wikipedia both say so, in the context of half pads: a pad can only partly make up for a minor fit problem. For more, see our half pad page.

Medallion's pads are offered across saddle sizes from 14 to 19.5, and its children's pads are one size for most children's all-purpose saddles. Measure your saddle, or look up its size on the saddle itself, and check the maker's chart. Other makers use other schemes, such as small, medium and full, so use each maker's own chart.

Once you have a size, check the finished fit with the five-step checklist in the next section.

None of that needs a measuring tape. It needs you looking at the saddle on the horse, from the side and from behind.

It takes a couple of minutes. Here they are in order, with one worked example after the list.

• Match the cut to the saddle. A mismatched cut leaves sections of the saddle unsupported.
• Check the spine channel. There should be clear space along the spine from front to back.
• Check the visible border. Roughly one to two inches of pad should be visible all the way around the saddle.
• Pull the front of the pad up into the gullet before you mount.
• Check for movement after about ten minutes. A pad that keeps migrating may need girth loops, a different cut or a non-slip liner.

Say you ride in a 16.5 inch close contact saddle. You would look for a close contact cut, and then for the size band that includes 16.5. Medallion's pages, for instance, group its pads by saddle size in bands such as 16 to 16.5 and 17 to 17.5. If you ride in a 17 inch all-purpose saddle, you would look for an all-purpose or general purpose cut in the 17 to 17.5 band. Different makers have different bands, so the chart for the pad you're buying is the one to use.

Once it's on, run the checks. If the pad shows two inches of border on the sides and almost none at the back, it's probably not the right length or shape for that saddle. Try the next size or a different cut. If every pad looks wrong, ask your saddle fitter whether the saddle is the problem.

Medallion also lists show pads, in close contact and general purpose cuts, and quilted number pads. They follow the same rule: the cut matches the saddle.

Medallion says its SuperQuilt High Profile versions add wither relief contouring for horses with higher withers, and it has its own cut for Pessoa saddles. Those are the maker's descriptions. Our Saddle Pad Guide adds a caution: a very thick pad can raise the saddle and change its fit.

The practical takeaway: if you find yourself reaching for more and more padding, the saddle's fit may be the issue. If no pad seems to work, the guide recommends having the saddle fit checked separately. Ask your saddle fitter, who can look at the saddle on your horse. Wikipedia and Horse & Rider (UK) both say a pad can't replace a properly fitted saddle.

Our Saddle Pad Guide says wool and felt pads are not machine washable, and to brush them out after each ride and spot clean as needed. Medallion's close contact pad is made from 100 percent polyester pile fleece, which its product page lists as machine washable. That's the maker's care instruction for that product only.

What materials are common? The guide lists quilted cotton or felt for dressage and notes that white is required for competition in dressage. You can browse shaped, all purpose and dressage options on our saddle pads page.

The first is answered above. For the second, Wikipedia treats the numnah and the saddle pad together and describes them as thicker than a half pad. For the third, there isn't a number we can source, so we won't make one up.

If you're shopping for someone else, find out what saddle she rides in first. Not the discipline she rides in, but the saddle itself. That's the one fact that tells you which cut to look for.