Joyce Cheng

Project

Presentation

Capstone Essay

Joyce Cheng

Mrs. Ferrari

English

April 14, 2020

Horse Riding Saddle Pads

The thrill of horse riding gives a rush of adrenaline. The best part was the thrills of being up high. It’s scary to be up high because I feel like I could fall at any moment. I can feel the wind in my hair and my body is moving with the horse. Sometimes I feel off balance. When I was 6 I rode a horse for the first time and I really enjoyed it. The best part was the thrills of being up high. One time my horse, Juno, realized that I was falling off after a jump. He slowed down and raised his neck to help me keep my balance. Another horse, Barney, knew when I was scared and he would reach back and nuzzle my foot. That always made me feel so much better. Ever since then I wanted to get my own horse. I begged every day and my dad would buy me stuffed animal horses but wouldn’t actually buy me a real horse. After begging nonstop for 6 years, my parents finally said that they would consider my request. The main problem about getting a horse is the cost. Horses cost a lot of money. For example renting a place for it to stay cost up to six hundred dollars a month. The most expensive part of the horse is the tack. The main tack used is a saddle, saddle pad, bridle, halter, lead rope, horse blanket, hoof pick, and brushes.Tack can cost up to twenty thousand dollars. Tack with colorful designs which are what I enjoy most usually cost more.

My project is to design a saddle pad by sewing a horse picture on it. A saddle pad is put between a horse and the saddle. It help cool the horse by absorbing its sweat and helps protect the horse from feeling the weight of the saddle. I plan to sew a horse eating grass without any tack or gear on it on my saddle pad. Many saddle pads found in stores have at most three colors and there aren't many variation in design. Most of the saddle pads with designs are very expensive. The most common saddle pads without designs are about $60 but the ones with designs are about $90. Most of the saddle pads are made of the same materials. The materials are nylon fabric, foam and fabric.

Domestication of Horses

3600 BC, was the earliest sign of a horse domestication. When the historians found the horses, several had bits in their mouths. This surprised the historians because people at that time had the technology to build the bits and had them work properly. The horses were found near a pen to keep the horses safe. In 800 BC, a saddle was found. The saddle didn’t have stirrups but humans were able to sit on them. Later historians found chariots that horses pulled in 200 BC. The horses found were suspected to pull the carts. The earliest horse stirrups were found in 200-300 AD, after the saddle was found (Hirst). Horses mainly used simple and basic tack such as a saddle, bridle, and a saddle pad back then. The saddle pads and stirrups were made from animal hides and the saddle was made from simple cloth (Budd). Nowadays, the modern riding gear is a stable rug for extra protection and warmth in winter. People need a saddle, bridle, reins, and a saddle pad (Dench)..

1. 1. Horses’ in the Past

In the past, around 200-300AD, horses provided milk for the people to drink. People sold the milk or sold the horses for money. The main use of horses was transportation. They either rode the horses or they used carts. When they rode the horses, they rode bareback without saddles because saddles would have cost a lot. The carts were simple and made from wood. The wood made the cart heavier and it took longer for horses to transport objects (Hirst).

Protection

Saddle pads help protect the horse from the saddle, sometimes the saddle is put on wrong and the horse can feel that. With the saddle pad the horse can’t feel it enough to bother it (Budd). There is an extra padding for protection in a saddle pad. The saddle pad has gel inside to help the rider have a smooth transition from two-point back into the saddle. Two-point is like standing on the horse when the rider goes over the jump. The horse can feel the saddles’ weight if it is really heavy. With the saddle pad, the horse is able to feel the saddle less. When riding the rider has to squeeze the horse with force to move the horse, this can hurt the riders legs and the saddle pad helps the rider squeeze with more comfort (Easton).

Absorbs sweat

A horse can sweat 12-18 liters a day, when the rider rides the horse it generates more sweat. Saddle pads are made to absorb the horses sweat so the horse can keep cooler (Easton). The nylon fabric absorbs sweat and keeps the horses cool, there is also a layer of wool that can also be used for absorbing sweat (Clayton). In the past, before the 1960s, animal hides didn’t soak the sweat. The animal hides were not washed often, it will cause white spots to appear on the horse. The riders noticed this and started to create new saddle pads. In 1960, someone tried a foam saddle pad. After a while, the white spots disappeared. Ever since then saddle pads are made with foam so the white spots won’t appear. The white spots appear to be a common skin problem when the horse is stuck in its own sweat (Hirst). Saddles are hard to clean and can take hours. Using a saddle pad that can just be thrown into the washer is easier than cleaning a whole saddle (Easton).

Saddle pads in the past

Saddle pads are made from animal hide and skin, the hides were not good at absorbing the sweat so white spots appeared on the horses coat. People later tried foam pads and the white spots disappeared. The animal hides didn't absorb the sweat and it caused the horse skin problems (Easton). Now every year horses' backs are changing and we have to create a new technology every year to keep the horse comfortable (Hirst)

How saddle pads were made

Materials

It is important to have foam to absorb the horses’ sweat and nylon fabric for rebound resistance (Easton). Materials of a saddle are: top layer fabric, nylon fabric, fabric scissors, pins, low loft batting, pattern. The design on the saddle pads are normally diamonds, it best absorbs the sweat best. When cutting make sure to leave at least an inch of space in case of a mistake (“How to Make”).

With a loom

Helps sew it easier because there is a less chance of making mistakes. The looms don't use much force so it's harder to get tired. The loom is big and cost thousands
of dollars, that is why more people make their own saddle pads (“How to Make”).

Made with cooling, resistance to rebound and protection

On hot days, a horse can sweat up to 18 liters. The saddle pad helps cool the horse down by absorbing its sweat (Easton). The part of the saddle pad that absorbs sweat is the foam. When the horses used animal hides white spots kept appearing on the horses back (Hirst). It was because the animal hides couldn’t absorb sweat causing horse skin problems. After a jump the rider has to go from two-point back into the saddle. The rebound resistance helps the rider after jumps by making it more smooth of a transition between the saddle and the horse itself after a jump (Easton). The nylon fabric helps with the rebound because it is squishy and it feels like it has springs (Hirst). The main use of a saddle pad is for protection. The rider can squeeze the horse with an extra layer of padding and the horse can be able to be more comfortable (Easton). In the past, animal hides were tough and hard to use. They didn't do very well protecting the horse because of how tough they are(Hirst).

I learned that saddle pads needed a loom to make. When I first started this project, I wanted to make my own saddle pad. When I talked to Mrs. Ferrari, she told me they were made with looms. I had to change my project because of that and now I am sewing a design on a saddle pad. I thought that saddle pads only helped with protection but they have rebound resistance that helps the rider have a smoother transition from a two-point back into the saddle. The most surprising thing I learned was that saddle pads were not always made with cloth. Saddle pads help protect the horse and I thought that animal hides were too tough. This research helped me understand how saddle pads are made and what they were for. Saddle pad makers may set prices inconsistently when it comes to selling. Some are made with the same materials but one can still be more expensive than the other.

During this Capstone research I learned many surprising things. I know what materials I will need to sew into the fabric well. I need a needle sharp enough to poke through the saddle pad. I also need yellow, brown, black, grey, and green thread, and a thimble to help poke the needle through the fabric of the saddle pad. The yellow thread is used to make the sun. The brown and black thread is for the horse, grey thread is used to make the clouds in the sky and the green thread is used for the grass. By using a thimble, I will be able to poke through the thick material of the saddle pad. By using the video, I can explain in my presentation how saddle pads are made. Saddle pads are made with looms or sometimes can be sewed by hand. The main thing when you sew your saddle pad is that when cutting, you need to leave and inch to make sure you have enough space. You also want to make it thick enough so that it has the protection needed. Using a loom is much easier because its harder to mess up. I can also explain what saddle pads are used for. They help protect the horse so that the horse can’t feel the saddle’s weight. They are also used to absorb the horse's sweat and cool them down.

Works Cited

Budd, Jackie. Horses. KINGFISHER, 1995.

Clayton, Hilary. “The Science of Saddle Pads.” horse-health connection, October 2016, pages 1-6.

Dench, Justine. “What Do I Need to Own a Horse? A Beginner’s Guide.”Preloved, 6 years ago, https://www.preloved.co.uk/blog/animals/owning-horse-beginners-guide/.
April 6,2020

Easton, Mike. “Saddle Pads & What Manufacturers Don’t Tell You.” Five Star Equine Products, n.d., https://www.5starequineproducts.com/articles/saddle-pads-and-what-
manufacturers-dont-tell-you. April 5,2020.

Hirst, K. Kris. "The Domestication and History of Modern Horses." ThoughtCo, Feb. 11, 2020, thoughtco.com/horse-history-domestication-170662. April 2,2020

“How to Make an English Saddle Pad.” YouTube. Posted by Caroline Winkler, July 29, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIvUdc3iHO4. April 7, 2020.

Clayton, Hilary. “The Science of Saddle Pads.” horse-health connection, October 2016, pages 1-6. April 27,2020

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