Purpose of shearling

[colttrainer]

HI Never built a saddle, will one day. The shearling on my old saddle is wore very thin in spots, saddle is about 85 years old, looking at replacing it. My question is what is the purpose of the shearling? I ask because I only see it in western saddles.

Al

[Traveller]

As I understand it, the sheepskin keeps the saddle from sliding off the saddle pad. If you just had smooth leather under the saddle, it could slide off the pad and then off the horse. Some saddle makers use felt to do the same job.

English saddles don't need that system; instead, their saddle pads usually have tabs that keep the pad attached to the saddle. An English saddle shouldn't actually require a pad, if it's the right size for the horse; the pad's job is just to keep the saddle from sitting directly on top of the horse's dirty back. Unlike English saddles, western saddles don't have their own built-in padding, so they need a pad to keep the horse comfortable. And the shearling keeps it all in place.

Joanne