Customizable Mattès Sheepskin Shock Absorber
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What is a half pad used for?
A half pad sits between the saddle pad and the saddle, covering only the area that bears the rider’s weight. It is not a layer added for comfort: the sheepskin half pad distributes pressure instead of allowing it to concentrate beneath the tree points.
The Spine Free channel leaves the spine completely clear — this is Mattès’ signature, and why the sheepskin never touches the vertebrae.
Sheepskin can be brushed, washed and will last for years if properly cared for — see “How should I care for sheepskin?” below.
Which model and what size?
The model follows the cut of your saddle, not the horse’s conformation — that’s the difference from a girth.
- Dressage — long, straight flaps.
- General-purpose — the everyday saddle, with moderately forward flaps.
- Jumping — short, forward-cut flaps, for a show-jumping saddle.
The size matches the saddle pad you already use underneath, or the seat size of your saddle. This is the product’s only fitting measurement, and the only answer the configurator does not pre-fill.
Not sure? Write to us before ordering: we’ll confirm your configuration with you before production begins.
Les matelassages et les coloris
- Hexagone — coton, matelassage en nid d'abeille. Le classique Mattès.
- Quilt Sheen — le même coton, légèrement plus brillant et plus lisse.
- Velours — une autre matière, au toucher velouté.
Le velours existe en moins de coloris que le coton : le configurateur n'affiche que les teintes réellement disponibles dans la matière choisie. Si vous changez de matelassage, votre coloris peut donc changer — c'est normal, et c'est ce qui évite une commande infabricable.
Le ruban est la bande du bord supérieur, le galon le liseré qui fait le tour. Tous deux se choisissent librement, et c'est ce qui personnalise le plus la pièce.
Spine-Free®, passants, cales, Saddle Fix
Spine-Free® — le canal habituel de Mattès. Il dégage la colonne : l'amortisseur se place bien sous la selle et l'air circule. EWWA ajoute une échancrure au garrot, sans mouton, pour dégager davantage — pour les chevaux à garrot saillant.
Les passants — le passant long se ferme au velcro ; les passants « courts » sont d'une couleur fixe, noir ou blanc. PM est le système propre à Mattès : une ouverture dans l'amortisseur, dans laquelle passent les passants du tapis, pour tout attacher d'un coup.
Le système de correction — des poches à cales, pour rattraper une selle qui pique de l'avant ou de l'arrière. Il y a toujours deux poches, une de chaque côté : à l'avant, à l'arrière, ou les deux. Trois cales sont fournies par emplacement, à mettre selon le besoin.
Saddle Fix — un ruban amovible qui s'insère dans la gouttière, entre la selle et le haut de l'amortisseur, pour l'empêcher de glisser.
How do you care for sheepskin?
For everyday care — let the half pad dry, then brush the sheepskin with a stiff brush to remove dried sweat. That is the essential maintenance.
From time to time, or whenever it gets dirty, machine-wash it with a special sheepskin detergent. These detergents clean and re-grease the skin, just as you grease a saddle’s leather: this is what ensures the sheepskin’s longevity.
Never use ordinary detergent or fabric softener. Regular detergent dries out the skin: it cracks, and the sheepskin eventually tears away. This is the only real way to damage a Mattès item.
Your half pad comes with a care booklet and a detergent sample. We also sell the appropriate detergent — feel free to order it with your half pad.
About Mattès ...
The house of Mattès, since 1867
E.A. Mattes is a German family business founded on 1 April 1867, independent ever since and still run by the family — Peter Mattes and Elke Jordan-Mattes, joined in 2020 by Richard Mattes and Simon Feuerstein. Working hide and leather is the original trade, not a sideline.
Products are developed with professional riders and saddlers and — Mattès states — with the equine department of the University of Zurich's veterinary hospital and the German Institute of Equine Osteopathy in Dülmen.
The material
Australian lambskin exclusively, selected on the fineness and density of the fibre. Mattès states that only about 3 % of Australian production meets its criteria, and has sourced there for close to forty years.
The making
Assembled in Europe, in the group's own workshop. Every personalised piece is stitched to order, not taken from stock.
Automotive
According to the brand, its lambskins also line car seats, and Mattès is one of the few approved suppliers to Mercedes-Benz for lambskin seat covers.
Aviation
Again according to the brand, its lambskins are also used by Bentley and Boeing. Durability specifications with nothing equestrian about them — which the same material has to meet.
That is what a Mattès half pad pays for: a sorted material, assembly one piece at a time, and a piece that washes and lasts for years.
Photographs: E.A. Mattes GmbH.
