Ideally, I’d like every saddle to fit my horse exactly. However, a few times I’ve had saddles that are just a hair too large. In those situations, a Mattes pad with shims is a great way saddle fitting tool that has helped to protect my horse’s back.
I have the type without the sheepskin as they are easier to keep clean (just throw it in the wash) and less expensive. I was lucky enough to buy mine in the Smartpak clearance section for less than $100 and I’ve been using it for several years.
A Mattes correction pad won’t help if your saddle is too narrow, but if it’s too wide it’s great. You can also use it to add padding to either the front or the back of the saddle, if, for example you need more wither clearance. Mostly I’ve used mine when I’m just starting a horse and it hasn’t muscled up and filled out yet (I don’t want to buy a narrower saddle for a temporary phase in a horse’s life) or with one of my favorite saddles, as a way to allow me to use it on my current horse (it’s a wide tree and he’s a medium wide fit — even when reflocked it was still too wide but with the shims, it’s perfect).
The important thing to remember is that if you pad you have to keep the saddle in balance with your horse’s back. Simply adding wither clearance might not make your saddle fit — it would just shift the pressure points to the back of the saddle. I generally use mine with a shim in every pocket as that’s an effective way of making a too-wide saddle fit better.
The Mattes pads are expensive but they are very durable and useful. If you need it to make your saddle fit, it’s pretty cost effect — and certainly less expensive than a new saddle!
