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The Saddle Solution

At last, a solution to your horse's back problems that not only shows lasting results but vast improvements.

01

Free from spinal pressure

The Equipoise has the ability to keep you connected to your horse while lifting you off its spine

02

Room for muscle development

The specialised fitting of the Equipoise encourages muscle development ensuring a solution to pathology

03

Moulded to your horse's shape

The precise fit and tailormade nature of the Equipoise allows it to mould to the anatomical design of your horse

A solution for horses with kissing spines, back pain and hollow backs all the while exuding style and elegance.

With the Equipoise, the horse’s back is relieved from the pressure increase caused by the saddle. This saddle pad is fitted with various thicknesses of high-density foam, which is minimally compressible.

This design allows room for the muscle to expand and grow, even after you have adjusted your saddle pad, effectively addressing the primary cause of your initial problem.

Hollow backs
It is a thing of the past as you gift your horse with a fighting chance to develop muscle in the right places.
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Build the right Muscle
By creating space in the right places, we give you and your horse a chance to better yourselves.
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Kissing Spine
Well managed and
well maintained
ensuring optimal function.
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Saddle pressure - dead hair
The equipoise will free up any unwanted pressure through its unique style of orthopaedicically orientated fitting.
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No More chaffing
The Equipoise focuses on keeping you in close contact but successfully manages to take any weight off the spine with no pressure or contact.
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Not just another numnah

The Equipoise is not just another saddle pad. It stands out with its unique features that set it apart from regular numnahs.

Unlike a standard numnah, it is adjustable, ensuring even pressure distribution along the horse’s back.

It tackles the symmetry issue by custom building it with various thicknesses of high-density foam, considering the horse’s shape, movement, and the rider’s seat. This means that while each saddle pad is designed the same, it is tailor-made to the horse’s shape and rider’s restrictions, providing a personalised fit.

In this regard, the development of injury and restriction is relatively straightforward and logical. Tightness on one shoulder because of unevenness in shoulder height causes a slide of the saddle onto the side where there is more space. The saddle will then jam into the shoulder with more space and get thrown off onto the opposite diagonal behind. All of this leads to an uneven weight displacement of the rider, which causes the horse to strain itself just to maintain working in a straight line.
In most cases, this leads to a horse with a sore back and/or limited movement to one side and, very often, a rider who is very stiff and sore when they dismount because they, too, have been fighting to keep a body straight that is being forced to move unevenly!It’s a widespread issue that the industry has mostly indicated that they are unaware of horses’ handedness. So many clients whose horses I treated would complain that their horses always seem to move better on one rein compared to another, and when I assess, it is generally because one shoulder is being pinched and one shoulder has too little contact.
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The Problem...

My investigation into the challenges of saddle fitting revealed a recurring issue: our saddlery system operates under the assumption that saddles are symmetrically designed. However, most species, including horses, have a dominant and non-dominant side, leading to uneven shoulder heights. Placing a symmetrical saddle on their asymmetrical bodies and expecting them to move equally on both sides creates a significant spoke in the system.
Because our favoured side is used more frequently than our non-dominant side, it results in uneven muscle mass. This is completely normal. Look at most people or animals from straight on and see how unlevel their shoulder heights really are because of uneven usage.So let’s then think of the saddle on the horse, the said saddle which is fitted over the horse’s shoulder and has to engage with the horse’s shoulder blades. The shoulder blades we now know are normally uneven.
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Furthermore, a sizeable causative factor is that not all saddles are adjustable. Some saddles, like the American Saddlers, Western, Polo and Endurance saddles, are created using materials that are not adjustable, like foam and wood or metal. These riders have no choice but to use adjustable numnahs, or in most cases, people simply use very thick numnahs or half pads underneath their saddles to “relieve” pressure points. Ironically, the denser the numnah, the greater the pinching effect becomes unless the numnah uses the correct materials for pressure distribution, like the Equipoise.
Commercial products have been designed to overcome these problems. Working in the industry for two decades, I had the opportunity to work with the most commercially available products in South Africa and deal with saddle fitting limitations. None of these solution products effectively helped me or my clients with our saddle-fitting dilemmas until I designed the EquaNah thirteen years ago. In South Africa, the best solutions must be imported, yet they still do not compare to the sophistication of this design. The more expensive products are somewhat tailor-made, but if applied without the correct knowledge and outcome in mind, they are futile.
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The Solution...

The Equipoise is different from the normal numnah in that it is adjustable to ensure even pressure distribution along your horse’s back. It addresses the symmetry challenges by being custom-built with a variety of high-density thickness foam, tailor-made according to your horse’s shape and movement and considering the rider’s seat. Therefore, each Equipoise is designed the same, but on your horse, it is tailor-made to their shape and the riders’.

With MBPhysio’s orthopaedically designed Equipoise, you can be confident that your horse’s freedom of movement is not compromised, regardless of your discipline. Our product is dedicated to unlocking your horse’s best physical performance while ensuring its comfort and giving you the peace of mind that your horse is pain-free.

Every feature of the Equipoise has a reason and a problem-solving nature.

Non-slip design

Ensures you sit deep and steady into your horse.


6 pocket System

Learn to create space for muscle development, working towards ambidexterity.

high wither clearance

Ensuring no pressure or downward pulling forces on your horse’s spine.

Deep Cut Shoulder Padding

This ensures that your horse has the full range it needs around its shoulders without restriction from the saddle.

12 High Density Inserts

Manage your horse and your alignment to encourage a ride with minimal resistance from your saddle, your seat and any possible musculoskeletal resistance.

The Central Line

It is made of either leather or rubber, which enables the Equipoise to move with the horse and saddle and not against them.

Automotive Leather Edging

Your saddle pad is also rounded off with a particular type of leather that prevents chaffing against your horse.

Leather Ties

To fasten your endurance saddle and ensure the lift off the whither.

Metallic Leathers

The dressage and jumper Equipoise show off a strong, water-resistant metallic leather.

Breathable Open-cell Foam

The saddle pad's interior is made of water-wicking, breathable open-cell foam, ensuring no heat buildup or water retention.


Reinforced Girth Padding

Our reinforced girth padding with veg tan leather allows for maximal abrasion without wearing down your saddle pad.

Criss-cross Girth Support

The unique crisscross girth support system firmly holds all girth designs, ruling out chaffing or unwanted movement to ensure durability along the wearable areas.

Durable Marine Vinyl

For our endurance riders, we have used durable marine vinyl balanced by the dry cell underneath it.

Extra Body Length

The Equipoise has been made with extra length, allowing your girth to be fastened on the numnah and not to your horse's body.

Pure Merino Wool Base

A natural fibre on your horse’s skin, ensures comfort and breathability, aids in avoiding abrasions and definitive pressure points, and encourages even sweat distribution.

We aspire to use all-natural fibres against your horse’s skin, ensuring hypoallergenic saddle pads. Our outer layer is designed for durability, wear and anti-chafing, so your investment will last.

The Equipoise, formerly known as the EquaNah, is a revolutionary product that addresses multiple issues in one go. It is meticulously designed it as a one-of-a-kind solution, unique in its format and functionality.

Tailored Connection Through Elegance

Ride free of resistance and look great while doing it. 

Reach Us

  • 6 Lemoenklood Road, Lemoenkloof, Paarl, 7646
  • +2772 303 6043
  • admin@equipoisesaddlepads.co.za

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