Frequently asked questions
Here we would like to give you some answers and assistance to frequently asked questions about our riding pads & PADDLE®. If you do not find the question you are looking for, our service team will be happy to help you personally. Contact us via contact form, email or by phone during our business hours.
We are happy to come to you and your horse's stable for an on-site appointment to test and prepare our PADDLE®. This allows you to test our different models on your horse in a relaxed atmosphere at home and our saddle experts are also on hand to help you choose the right PADDLE®. You can register conveniently via our online form "Registration for saddle fitting".
Of course, you have a 14-day right of cancellation when purchasing from our online shop. This means that you can carefully test the riding pad or PADDLE® on your horse. We ask you to protect the item from horse hair or dirt when trying it on. If you are unable to return the product sent to us in full or in part or only in a deteriorated condition, you may have to compensate us for the value. This does not apply if the deterioration of the item is solely due to its inspection, as would have been possible in a shop. In addition, you can avoid the obligation to pay compensation by not using the items as if they were your property and refraining from doing anything that could impair their value.
It is possible to hire a riding pad or PADDLE® for a longer test period via our partner www.reitverleih.de.
Please note: On site appointments for fit check as well as the service of reitverleih.de is only available in Germany.
For the best possible pressure distribution on the horse's back, we recommend combining our riding pads with our Velcro padding and a saddle cloth. Our PADDLE® is intended to be used exclusively with the Velcro padding supplied.
In this magazine article we have put together step-by-step instructions for you on how to position the Velcro padding under a riding pad.
Here you will find a video instructions for fitting the PADDLE® including the correct positioning of the Velcro padding. This can be done on the riding pad or PADDLE® using the same principle.
When adjusting the PADDLE®, the Velcro padding and especially the gullet should be correctly fitted to the horse.
We have prepared a step-by-step guide to help you with this. Click here for the magazine article "Fitting the PADDLE® with the help of the Fitting System", with the help of which you can carry out the fitting yourself on site in just a few steps.
For an even easier fitting of your PADDLE®, we have created video instructions. In these, we show you the individual steps for adjusting the PADDLE® with the Fitting System directly on the horse.
Our PADDLE® can be easily adjusted to suit different types of horses. The gullet plate built into the PADDLE® can be adjusted to an almost horizontal position in the widest setting. The Velcro padding can also be positioned as desired, so that nothing stands in the way of adapting to particularly wide horses.
For an even easier adjustment of your PADDLE®, we have created video instructions. In these we show you the individual steps for adjusting your PADDLE® with the Fitting System directly on the horse. What you have to consider when fitting the paddle to particularly wide, narrow or short horses, we have described in another video "Fitting the paddle for wide, narrow or short horses".
Our PADDLE® can be adapted to different types of horses in just a few steps due to the simple adjustment possibilities. The gullet plate built into the PADDLE® can be adjusted so narrowly that no horse's back would need it. The Velcro padding can also be positioned as desired, so that for the time being nothing stands in the way of an adjustment to narrow horses or horses with high withers.
If the spine clearance provided by the Velcro padding over the withers does not create sufficient withers clearance, we recommend additional padding with a lambskin saddle cover or a lambskin saddle cover with additional inserts.
For an even easier fitting of your paddle, we have created video instructions. In these we show you the individual steps for adjusting your PADDLE® with the Fitting System directly on the horse. What you have to consider when fitting the PADDLE® to particularly wide, narrow or short horses, we have described in another video "Fitting the paddle for wide, narrow or short horses".
How to find the right size for you and your horse is explained by Stefan Baumgartner in our video "The Paddle Size - How to find the right size for you and your horse".
The size of our riding pads & PADDLE® is based on the rider's clothing size. The seat profile allows the rider to sit relaxed and centred when the size fits.
- Size S is recommended for clothing sizes between 34-36 (only available in the Riding Pad & PADDLE® Configurator).
- Size M is recommended up to a clothing size of 38-40
- Size L is recommended from a clothing size of 42-46
If the seat is too small, the rider (especially with the rising seat profile of the riding pad Dressage and the PADDLE®) would not only sit uncomfortably, but would also exert unnecessary pressure on the rising seat profile and cantle, thus unnecessarily increasing the pressure in the rear area of the horse's back.
The Velcro padding recommended for the Riding Pad and the Velcro padding supplied with the PADDLE® are designed with regard to size, length and shape in such a way that they allow an optimal and even distribution of pressure on the horse's back for the seat size. The Velcro padding is deliberately slightly longer than the seat surface of the riding pad or PADDLE® in order to allow a gentle pressure distribution without pressure peaks, especially in the edge areas and the rear end of the padding.
The pressure on the horse's back is mainly transferred to the horse in the seat area. As our riding pads and also the PADDLE® do not have a fixed saddle tree that stabilises the Velcro padding in the rear area all the way to the end, the effect of the Velcro padding in the rear area can be compared to the effect of a padded saddle cloth. With the recommended size of the Velcro padding, unpleasant pressure peaks in the sensitive lumbar region of the horse's back are avoided, even on particularly short horses. However, if the Velcro padding is too short, the well-intentioned and desired effect of relieving the horse's back in the rear area can be reversed - if the padding is shorter than the seat itself, the leverage of the rider's weight on the cantle of the riding pad/PADDLE® will transfer the pressure much more selectively to the end of the Velcro padding and thus put unnecessary strain on the horse's back.
