Saddle flocking

Modern saddle panel fillings give saddle fitters a wealth of options when it comes to achieving the best possible saddle fit. While some work particularly well in saddles designed for mature, well-developed sport horses, others are better suited to young, still-growing horses whose musculature can change dynamically from week to week.

The most popular fillings include silicone fibres, natural or polyester fibres, and synthetic-natural blends. They are most commonly available either as loose fibre or in the form of so-called “braids” - long, several-metre strands of intertwined fibres resembling thick yarn.

With such a wide range of options available, how do we decide what a particular horse needs? The answer lies in the filling itself. Let’s take a closer look at the different types.

• 

• 

• 

100% natural wool (braid) Silicone wool Polyester wool

Natural wool

Natural filling is produced, most commonly, entirely from natural raw materials and is a by-product of agricultural production centred around the farming of various breeds of sheep. It is obtained by shearing the sheep and, before reaching its final form, undergoes thorough cleaning, washing, drying and carding.

Saddle fitters can find it both as carded fibre and in braided form, either 100% natural or blended with synthetic fibres at a 50:50 ratio. Each form requires a different approach when flocking saddle panels. While carded filling is inserted in small tufts, braided fibre needs to be carefully arranged inside the panel, ideally without separating the braid into shorter sections.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Natural wool offers excellent breathability. It allows for very good air circulation and moisture regulation, helping to prevent moisture from horse sweat and occasional saddle cleaning from accumulating inside the panels. It also contributes significantly to effective temperature regulation - heat is distributed evenly, while wool warms up slowly and does not readily retain excessive heat. Natural fibres bond together easily, which makes it possible to carry out small adjustments without compromising the integrity of the panel filling as a whole or creating empty spaces or lumps. As a natural material, wool also has the clear advantage of being biodegradable.

This material is relatively demanding in terms of maintenance and requires frequent adjustments. Natural wool does not offer the same resilience as its synthetic counterparts - it compresses more easily and more quickly. When exposed to increased moisture, it becomes heavier, loses elasticity, and is more prone to flattening and clumping, which can lead to areas of increased pressure as well as empty spaces within the panels. Even apart from situations in which the saddle becomes completely soaked - for example during trail riding, swimming a horse, or simply as a result of an accident - leather is a permeable material, meaning that horse sweat and water can penetrate into the saddle relatively easily. Natural wool can also attract moths and other pests that feed on animal fibres. If the saddle is stored in unsuitable conditions, the filling may also be susceptible to rotting and mould growth. Wool is a renewable raw material, which should certainly be considered an advantage. However, an immediate and unavoidable consequence is that it is also a resource that renews relatively slowly. Sheep are typically shorn only once a year, and producing high-quality fibres requires a considerable amount of labour, which has a significant impact on the final price.

Synthetic wool

As new technological developments emerged, they inevitably found their way into the equestrian world as well, significantly influencing both the way horses are kept and the way they are used. Saddle fitting, too, has benefited from the advances of modern technology.

Yet in an age of widespread automation, saddle fitting still cannot exist without the human hand - both literally and figuratively. This craft requires not only a sound understanding of equine biomechanics and the ability to analyse cause-and-effect relationships, but above all a finely developed feel and the ability to recognise the horse’s often immediate reactions to even the smallest changes made to the saddle.

Although saddle fitting continues to rely heavily on traditional approaches, processes and tools, not everything has remained unchanged. With the introduction of synthetic fibres, which gradually but steadily began replacing natural materials on the market, these new materials also found their way into the saddlery industry.

Synthetic flocking is available exclusively in carded form, making it somewhat more forgiving of minor errors or imperfections during flocking. Before comparing polyester and silicone fibres, however, it is worth first considering the differences between natural and synthetic wool more broadly.

Natural vs Synthetic - Advantages

Natural vs Synthetic - Disadvantages

Synthetic flocking materials retain their elasticity and resilience for significantly longer. They are less prone to clumping and resist compression and flattening over extended periods. Pests show no interest in polyester or silicone fibres, and because neither material absorbs water, they are also completely resistant to mould and rot. Polyester and silicone can considerably extend the intervals between necessary adjustments. This is particularly advantageous when fitting saddles to mature horses whose body shape and musculature change relatively little over longer periods of time. Mechanised production also makes synthetic flocking materials more readily available, while their price is noticeably lower than that of natural alternatives.

The first thing that stands out is the obvious lack of biodegradability. Synthetic fibres take significantly longer to break down than natural ones and often contribute to increased waste production, ultimately ending up in landfill, where the material may remain for a very long time before it finally decomposes. The difference is also noticeable when it comes to air circulation and, consequently, heat regulation. Polyester and silicone fibres warm up quickly, and their structure does not allow for the same level of airflow as natural wool. This does not mean that air circulation is completely restricted - rather, it simply behaves somewhat differently. The key distinction lies in the materials themselves and their insulating properties: permeable natural wool versus non-permeable synthetic fibres. Synthetic flocking fibres also tend not to blend together as readily. If the panels are flocked carelessly, this can result in empty spaces forming within the panels.

So what is the difference between polyester and silicone fibres, given that both materials display similar characteristics when compared with natural wool? The devil is in the details - more specifically, in the fibres themselves.

Polyester fibre arrives at the factory in pellet form, from which so-called polyester balls are produced. The finished polyester flocking resembles a collection of small, loosely clustered balls that do not readily cling to one another - hence the name.

Polyester wool

And now for the plot twist. Silicone fibre is actually made from polyester fibres coated with a thin layer of silicone. The fibres are shaped, twisted and processed so that they remain light, resilient and resistant to clumping, unlike pure polyester fibres. As a result, the finished silicone flocking has a much more uniform and consistent structure.

Silicone wool

Let’s briefly compare polyester and silicone fibres to better understand how each behaves, allowing us to make the most appropriate choice for the individual horse:

Polyester

Silicone

Polyester flocking consists of small, three-dimensional clusters. It therefore provides a large amount of volume at relatively little weight, which may have a noticeable impact on the horse’s performance during work. Thanks to its high resilience, it is very soft and recovers its shape well after compression. In a saddle, this creates a soft and flexible panel, which can be a particular advantage for highly sensitive horses. It does not readily compact into a uniform mass and is therefore especially useful where a high degree of elasticity is desired. The main disadvantage of polyester fibre in saddle fitting, however, stems from this very ball-like structure. Individual clusters can move around much more easily instead of forming a continuous network of fibres. As a result, it is more difficult to make very small but necessary precision adjustments with this material. It also requires more patience during flocking, as flocking irons meet less resistance from the small polyester clusters than from the longer silicone-coated fibres. In practice, polyester works very well as a general filling material, but is less effective as a material for fine corrective adjustments.

Silicone fibres are very easy to arrange within the saddle panels, which significantly improves both the speed and comfort of the saddle fitter’s work, as well as the precision of the final result. From the perspective of both horse and rider, this is an extremely important characteristic. The key to a correctly and evenly fitted saddle lies not only in the softness of the flocking, but above all in the ability to control its quantity and distribution. This directly affects even contact with the horse’s back as well as the overall balance of the saddle. The silicone coating reduces friction between the fibres, allowing the flocking to remain soft and resilient for longer. It also shows little tendency to compress or flatten, as well as to clump or felt. At the same time, it can still be shaped within the panel to some extent as a cohesive mass of fibres, rather than requiring the fitter to work with individual balls. In terms of its behaviour, silicone flocking resembles natural wool more closely, which is a direct result of the structure and construction of the fibres themselves. Silicone flocking is not without its drawbacks, however. This very soft, down-like material requires more intensive shaping and particular care to ensure that excess air is properly expelled following a complete reflock. Filling the panels also requires a larger quantity of material, making it relatively easy to overfill them. Compared with other types of flocking, the first check after a complete reflock should therefore take place sooner, due to the material’s greater susceptibility to settling and reshaping.

Wool Blends

Blends are most commonly found in the following configurations:

Polyester fibre + silicone fibre - as might be expected, this type of flocking is designed to combine the desirable characteristics of both materials: the long-lasting resilience of polyester, the reduced quantity of silicone fibre required, and a lower tendency to deform or settle, all without sacrificing ease and comfort of use during flocking.

Natural wool + synthetic fibre (polyester or silicone) - this type of blend is intended to improve the practical properties of natural wool. The synthetic component reduces its tendency to harden, clump and felt over time.

Both types are available either as loose fibres or in braided form, although braids are more commonly encountered in natural wool blends containing a synthetic component.

Every decision is a compromise

Unfortunately, we cannot have it all. Each type of flocking described in this article comes with its own undeniable advantages and disadvantages. The choices every saddle fitter faces each day lie at the very heart of the craft. Using either pure fibres or blends in a wide range of proportions is a constant balancing act - an attempt to find answers to questions asked of a creature that cannot speak to us in human language. Every saddle fitter receives two certificates of their competence: the first is awarded once, upon gaining journeyman qualifications in saddlery. The second is issued by every horse whose saddle we fit.