Dressage Saddle Pad Fit and Function
Dressage saddle pads are specially designed for the dressage rider. Not only sized to fit a dressage saddle’s length, but dressage saddle pads are also specially tailored to sit cleanly and evenly on the horse’s back.
Elegant and detailed, dressage saddle pads are created in standard show ring white and also in an extensive assortment of colors, trims, piping, fabrics and stitching patterns.
As with all saddle pads, the dressage pad’s basic function is to keep the dressage saddle clean and prevent the horse from chaffing. As with other pieces or horse tack, dressage pad has moved beyond its basic function and has evolved into a very technical, functional and beautiful piece of tack.
Dressage horses, in the correct form, engage their back and propel from their hind end. It is important that a dressage saddle pad doesn’t inhibit this freedom of movement. This is why manufacturers and designers have spent hours perfecting the dressage pad fit. Contoured tailoring allows the correctly sized dressage pad to conform to the horse’s conformation, leaving the pad free of wrinkles and creases that would otherwise cause a friction point.
With the dressage horse’s back foremost in mind, many styles of the dressage saddle pad have therapeutic features that provide shock absorption or help you fit your saddle fit with shims. Whether they are keeping the horse’s back cool and dry, absorbing shock or helping with saddle pressure points, these technical dressage pads are a welcome addition to the rider’s tack room.
Many dressage saddle pads sport detailed and beautiful quilting patterns that subtly transform the pad into an elegant piece of art. These along with trim styles and colors, and piping styles and colors, provide an almost irresistible collection of pads to choose from, bordering on creating a saddle pad obsession with a lot of riders.
Dressage saddle pads of today have the ability to enhance the performance of your horse and provide elegance and beauty to your turnout.