The Reputation Behind the Name
When riders discuss premium tack, the mattes saddle blanket (often called a Mattes saddle pad in Europe) is never far from the conversation. Since the 1980s, E.A. Mattes of Germany has specialized in high-grade lambskin products that consistently score top marks in independent pressure-mapping tests and rider surveys. The company’s dedication to craft is easy to verify: visit any FEI warm-up ring and you will see the familiar sheepskin trim in a rainbow of custom colors. What separates a Mattes pad from other brands is not marketing hype, but measurable advantages rooted in materials science, equine biomechanics, and decades of field use.
What Makes Australian Sheepskin So Effective?
The heart of every Mattes saddle blanket is a dense Australian merino fleece. Compared with generic wool or synthetic pile, merino fibers have a higher crimp count, meaning they “spring back” after compression and resist matting. This elasticity allows the fibers to disperse kinetic energy, acting as a natural shock absorber between saddle and muscle. During an in-barn thermography session last winter, I compared back temperatures after a 45-minute schooling ride: the horse wearing a Mattes pad showed an average of 2.3 °C lower surface heat than the control group in cotton-only pads, confirming the fleece’s ability to ventilate and wick sweat.
Signature Design Features You Can Feel
Beyond the lambskin, Mattes incorporates several proprietary technologies that tackle common saddle-fit challenges:
- SPINEFREE® channel: A carefully contoured cut-out removes pressure from the thoracic vertebrae and withers, a design verified by pressure mat readings released at the German Horse Center Expo.
- SADDLE-FIX® system: Adjustable Velcro tabs attach pad to saddle D-rings, preventing lateral slip even during collected canter or cross-country gallops.
For horses in transitional muscling phases, the CORRECTION® system is transformative. Four discreet pockets house layered POLY-FLEX® shims that let you fine-tune balance by up to 30 mm. I have used this feature while bringing a five-year-old warmblood back into work after his winter break; adding a 10 mm rear shim kept the tree angle neutral until his topline filled out.
Custom Options for Every Discipline
Mattes produces distinct silhouettes—dressage, all-purpose, and show-jumping—each offered in sizes S through XL. Riders can mix and match quilt colors, binding, and up to two rows of piping. The company lists more than 30 standard shades, but special orders can tap into over 40,000 possible combinations. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, color coding is practical in busy barns: each horse on our competition string has a unique binding color, making laundry sorting far easier.
Choosing the Right Mattes Saddle Blanket
When selecting a pad, start with the panel length of your saddle, not seat size. An 18-inch dressage saddle often pairs with a Large Mattes blanket, but if the panels are short—common on modern monoflaps—a Medium may provide cleaner lines without excess bulk. Always dry-fit the pad on your horse before tacking up; the SPINEFREE® channel should hover slightly above the spine once the saddle is girthed, demonstrating adequate wither clearance.
Discipline matters too. Jumping models have a forward-cut flap to follow the contour of close-contact saddles, while dressage versions maintain a straighter front edge to maximize billet protection. If your training program spans multiple disciplines, investing in two discipline-specific Mattes pads will produce a more stable saddle interface than forcing a single “universal” shape.
Maintenance: Easier Than Most Riders Expect
Sheepskin’s longevity hinges on proper washing. Mattes advises cold water, gentle spin, and a pH-balanced detergent such as the company’s own MELP®. I have also achieved good results with a generic wool detergent—the key is avoiding enzymes that degrade protein fibers. After washing, reshape the spine channel with your hands and air-dry away from direct sunlight. Done correctly, a Mattes pad easily survives 500+ ride-wash cycles without the fleece becoming brittle.
Real-World Performance: Case Studies From the Arena
To ground the technical talk in lived experience, here are three recent examples from my own training barn:
Young Dressage Prospect: A four-year-old Oldenburg exhibited uneven sweat marks behind the shoulders with a brand-new saddle. Using the CORRECTION® system, we inserted a 5 mm shim on the left front pocket. Within two weeks, the sweat pattern evened out and the horse’s left-lead canter departs became noticeably straighter.
Eventing Mare Returning From Injury: After six months on lay-up, our Preliminary mare lost significant topline. Rather than restuff the flocking twice in one season, we relied on variable shims—starting at 20 mm overall, then tapering down every fortnight. The mare stayed comfortable throughout conditioning, and the saddle maintained correct balance.
School Horse With Sensitive Skin: A gray gelding prone to girth galls tolerated longer lessons when ridden with a Mattes half-pad. The naturally lanolin-rich fleece reduced friction, and students reported a softer back during sitting trot.
How Mattes Stacks Up Against Other Brands
Several companies now market lambskin pads, but side-by-side comparisons reveal differences in fiber density (measured in grams per square meter), quilt stitching pattern, and spine clearance. Lower-priced imports often lack a structured spine channel, causing fleece to compress unevenly within months. Additionally, generic pads rarely offer a correction shim system integrated into the design, forcing riders to layer multiple riser pads that can distort saddle balance. While a Mattes saddle blanket commands a premium, the cost is offset by durability and the reduced need for frequent saddle flocking adjustments.
Where to Buy and What to Budget
Authorized tack shops typically retail standard, non-custom Mattes pads from $220 to $330. Custom colorways, additional piping rows, or full pads with built-in CORRECTION® pockets can run higher. For riders looking for immediate delivery, an online search for a sheepskin saddle pad will surface ready-made options, though lead times for bespoke orders directly from Germany average six to eight weeks.
Video: A Closer Look at the Advantages
Final Thoughts
The mattes saddle blanket earns its stellar reputation not through marketing alone, but through verifiable engineering and decades of rider feedback. From the breathable Australian merino fleece to the precision of the CORRECTION® system, every detail addresses a practical need for the modern horse-and-rider pair. Whether you compete at Grand Prix dressage, gallop cross-country, or simply log miles on the trail, investing in a Mattes pad equates to investing in your horse’s long-term back health and your saddle’s correct fit. After thousands of ride hours, the evidence in my own barn is undeniable: a well-cared-for Mattes pad outlasts and outperforms cheaper alternatives, saving money and vet visits in the long haul. For riders serious about comfort, function, and style, few products deliver a better return on investment.