A numnah is a piece of padded material that you put under the saddle. They come in varying thicknesses and colours and even patterns. My friend has a leopard print one. They also come in different material, cotton quilt, velvet, sheepskin. A numnah is the same shape as the saddle. Saddle cloths are a similar principle but are square, so that more is visible when the saddle is on. Half numnahs are also available which only cover the top half of the saddle, not the saddle flaps, but still protect the horses back. Some people use half numnahs if they want to lift the saddle a bit, though it cannot alter the fit. Some people do try to alter the fit of a too big saddle by using a thick, or even more than one numnah. It is important to remember that you can`t alter the fit of the saddle with the numnah. It is equally important to be aware that, as the saddle is fitted without the numnah, a thick one could alter the fit of the saddle. You just need to use your common sense.

A numnah is used primarily to protect the horses back. It offers cushioning and protection, I supose it is a bit like wearing socks. Some horses do not like it if you don`t use a numnah. When in the show ring, it is customary to either not use a numnah, or to use a very discrete one. I cannot ride my thoroughbred mare without a numnah as it is too uncomfortable for her. She misbehaves as it is painful for her. The numnah also has the added advantage of keeping the underside of the saddle clean. Horses, even when thoroughly groomed, retain a lot of dust. It is easier to put a numnah in the washing machine than to clean the underside of the saddle (though this needs to be done aswell).

The Cottage Craft Pimple Grip Numnah is available in pony, cob and full sizes and priced at £12.99. It has a contoured spine pattern and wither pad. It is a general purpose numnah so suitable for most saddles as most people ride every day in a general purpose saddle. The numnah has anti-slip pimples to reduce movement and improve grip (improve grip of the saddle to the horse, not rider grip). The numnah is available in black, green, burgundy, navy and white.

Years ago, I had a cheap synthetic saddle for my mare. It is not like the modern day ones, it was nowhere near as good. The saddle often used slip when I got on. I was alright in the yard with a mounting block, but if ever I had to get of when out, it would slip if I couldn`t find a piece of higher ground. My mare used to be a bit flighty when she was young. One day I was riding along the main road (no choice where we are, but after that the lanes or moors are lovely and quiet. Anyway, one day there was a plastic bag at the side of the road which I couldn`t get my mare past. It would have been alright on a quiet road, but I had to get off. It is not usually advisable to get off a horse as you have more control when you are on them and you don`t want them to learn that you will get off if there is something scarey. However, in traffic you can`t take any chances and horses are always more brave if you are leading, or another horse is in front. I had just got off when the couple who run the yard drove past me and waved. I couldn`t get on as the saddle was slipping and 15 minutes later they saw me again and I was still walking. He had to hold the opposite stirrup while I got on to prevent the saddle from slipping. This was frustrating and I felt stupid and did not wish to repeat the experience (which I haven`t). My saddler recommend the Cottage Craft Pimple Grip Numnah.

As numnahs go, it appeared quite comfortable. It was fairly padded though not overly so, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The padded wither was good to protect the wither. It has girth straps and loops, the girth passes through the loop and the girth straps go around the girth straps on the saddle. These help the saddle stay in place. These can be a disadavantage for two reasons. Firstly, they can dictate where the numnah lies on the horses back, depending on the shape of the saddle. That is, the straps can pull it into position making the fit not as good, inhibiting the natural lie of the numnah. Having said this though, this one is not too bad, I just prefer not to use the. Secondly, when removing the numnah from the saddle after each ride which is it good practice to do, it makes it slightly more difficult. It only really makes a few seconds difference, but if you don`t have to do something, why do it? With regards to the anti slip properties, I found that it did help a bit. However, when I changed saddles, I no longer had the problem with the saddle slipping, regardless of the numnah.

I don`t really use it now as I have no problem with the saddle slipping. I use a polypad most of the time. The polypad is quilted and thick, has no straps so is easy to put on and washes and dries quickly (though the pimple grip is no problem to wash and dry). My personal preference is a numnah without straps as I am essentially very lazy. It doesn`t slip as long as you have positioned it correctly. I didn`t bother using the straps on the pimple grip, so it made them a bit superfluous. My thoroughbred has a sensitive back and prefers a thicker numnah like the polypad which is thicker than the pimple grip, though it is suitable for lots of horses as is still quite quilted.

If the saddle is slipping and it fits, I think the Cottage Craft Pimple Grip Numnah could be useful. It would only be suitable if the saddle slips and it fits. If the saddle is slipping because it doesn`t fit, then it would not be suitable. In this instance the saddle would need to be changed. I found it useful for a while. The saddle slipped due to its design, not its fit, but I soon progresses to a better one. Some horses are a funny shape, posing problems with saddle fitting. If the saddle fits and it still slips, this would be worth a try. The most important thing is, to be sure that the saddle fits. The saddle must always fit the horse and you cannot use the numnah to cover up any problems with the fit of the saddle.