Why should you choose real sheepskin Numnahs?
The benefits of using sheepskin under a saddle are well known and proven for the therapeutic properties.
Sheepskin absorbs heat and wicks moisture away from the horse’s skin, preventing ‘heat bumps’ and skin irritation. With its anti static and shock absorbing properties it is the ideal product to reduce both friction and concussion during riding and competition. Being natural, soft and self cleaning it also suits those horse’s with sensitive skin when used directly against the back.
Only real sheepskin wool absorbs heat, wicks moisture, reduces friction and concussion
However, with sheep’s wool being cheaper and easier to produce and also to care for, many sheepskin numnahs are replicated by a wool backed material. Many are impossible to tell apart from the real thing and advertising is not always clear.
Why should this matter if its the wool that is best for the horse?
Until recently, I was quite unaware that it did matter or that there could be problems lying right under my saddle.
By chance some unravelling stitches gave an insight as to what was going on and I’m so very pleased they did!
Loose stitching allows a view of the back of the fabric holding the merino lambswool and show how horsehair has worked its way through. Once there it becomes trapped.
Opening up the saddle pad at the back showed a lot more hair had worked through the material and balled up under the saddle’s panels.
Horse hair pulled from just this small section of saddle pad.
It would be much harder to see with a dark bay horse.
Further investigation showed that most makes of these numnahs had the same issue. One I was using on our older horse had more balled up hair on one side than the other. Ironic that it was being used to protect his back. Could it in fact have been causing him discomfort!, and can it be prevented?
Horsehair cannot penetrate genuine sheep or lamb skin.
My first thought was that these numnahs just needed more thorough cleaning but this is not the case. The underside of a Merino Lambs wool saddle pad. Regularly washed and always thoroughly brushed out to keep the wool clean and soft.
However, looking further into the wool, horse hairs become visible.
Using a blunt knife, the hairs can be pulled out but most are left behind. When checking other numnahs I was dismayed to find that several of those I had been using had lumps of balled up hair under the weight bearing surface of the saddle.
Over time, hair collects along a roll edges on half lined numnah and make its way through the woollen weave.
These wool half panels are positioned under the bearing surface of the saddle, therefore any added hair or lumps will produce pressure points.
How often could this issues go unnoticed in a numnah and the blame be put on the saddle or the horse or just stay unexplained?
Using a wool half pad above a numnah could be seen as an option however not only does this lose the benefit of the wool but is also likely to alter the fit of the saddle, making it too tight, or putting it out of balance.
In conclusion, please do carefully check your numnah or saddle cloth. Wool is one of the best materials to use under your horse’s saddle but check that it is lamb or sheep ‘skin’ and not just a woven wool material. If it isn’t a genuine sheepskin check for any hair building up under the wool. Be aware also that using a thicker numnah could change the balance and tightness of the fit of your saddle. Always have your saddle fitted with the numnah you are going to use and consult your saddle fitter about its suitability.
A numnah should be used for the comfort of the horse, not primarily a fashion statement!
