Custom made Pure Merino Wool Saddle Pads

Our High Country Wool Saddle Pads are handmade here in Taupo, using steam-pressed 100% virgin Australian and New Zealand, merino, wool felt.  This is top grade felt (F10) with the highest purity available and no added synthetic fibres.  It has a superb feel and is arguably the very best material to put on your horse’s back. 

Premium quality wool felt 

Wool felt has the best shock absorbing characteristics of all materials and minimises heat build-up, through its unique ability to wick away moisture and associated heat.  Wool felt has the additional benefit of being quite grippy, which can reduce saddle movement and consequential friction on the horse's back, whilst providing additional stability to the rider.

Our pads are not made with needled felt, which has the risk of broken needles in the felt.  Needled felt also usually requires a blend with synthetic materials such as polyester, to maintain the felt structure.  Steam pressed wool felt is the very best on the market. 

If you want an all-natural, virgin wool pad that is superbly comfortable for your horse, will last for many years and wicks heat away from your horse’s back, then this is the very best wool pad available in New Zealand.

The following link provides some interesting reading on the benefits of wool  https://www.5starequineproducts.com/articles/saddle-pads-and-what-manufacturers-dont-tell-you .   

The following table from this article provides compression ratings for different saddle pad materials.  If you squeeze a pad between your thumb and forefinger and can feel the digit the otherside, then the protection the pad provides against pressure points is not likely to be high enough to protect your horse's back.   

Contoured Shape 

High Country Wool Saddle Pads are contoured along the top to ensure the most comfort for your horse by minimising pressure on the wither.  These are not as common as straight topped pads as the contoured shape requires significantly more work to make and the pad uses more material, but your horse will thank you.  

If you prefer a square pad without a contoured top then this can be made with no seam along the spine. These are only suitable for horses with almost no wither but are a lot easier to make so a more economical pad. 

Cleaning

They are best cleaned by hosing them off periodically to remove the dirt and salts.   Brushing them vigorously is not recommended as this will roughen the surface. When cared for they should last for hundreds of rides.

Custom Options

When ordering your High Country Wool pad please decide which of the following optional features you prefer.  

Pad shapes

  You have a choice of square-backed or round-backed.  Square backed are a good idea if you plan to use saddle bags behind a round skirted saddle, as the bags sit on this additional area of pad rather than the horse’s sides. 

Standard sizes   

Wool pads don't tend to move under most saddles"and most people find that a good size is about 3" longer than the longest point on the saddles skirts.  It is important to measure when the saddle is upside down and with the tape laid along the underside contour, not straight along the top of the skirts or the pad will be too short.  The pad below is 3" longer than the saddle.

At their longest points, the square shaped pads are approximately 32” along the spine by 32” wide (32" at the contoured wither and 30" across at the back) and the round backed are 29” along the spine by 32” across the shoulder (32" over the contoured wither and 28" across at the back) .   If you require a different size from this please confirm what you want in your order. 

This is a 13mm single layered pad. 

Wither relief holes

Some western pads have wither relief holes where they are not sufficiently contoured to prevent downwards pressure on the wither.  I tried this initially to let heat out, but after trialling the pads myself, I no longer include wither holes as I have found they tend to frequently sit to one side of the wither.  This resulted in them rubbing the wither on one edge or at the back where the hole ends and this can create a pinch point right on the top of the spine.  The contoured top shape that I make the pads provides excellent wither release and the shape negates the need for a wither hole so I don't recommend them but will include them if a customer specifically requests it. 

Pad Thickness  

You can choose from two pad thicknesses, either 10mm & 13mm of felt.  The pads can come just cream felt or they can have a fabric top layer with shim pockets in, to allow customisation of fit or addition of another layer of felt or foam under the saddle bars. 

Prices

Prices start from $175 for pads without a contoured top line and without leather wear strips.

  $175  ( $225 with leather wear strips)

Leather wear strips are optional on all pads and cost an additional $50.  Wool is extremely tough and in most cases probably does not actually need wear strips other than that they look really nice :) 

Contoured top pads with a webbing top tape, are $225 without wear strips and $275 with wear strips. 

  $225 ($275 with leather wear strips as in the photo) 

Fabric Top layer The addition of a fabric top and shim pockets is $75.

   $325 ($275 without wear strips)   

Pad shape can be customised and I can advise at the time if this will make any difference to the final price.