Oh Saddle Pads, Woe is Me!
Ok the title might be a little dramatic, but seriously I have crammed way more knowledge into my tiny brain over the last few weeks than I ever planned!
Saddle pads are complicated business! And I was just focused on Western ones!! Sorry, English riders, I got zilch info for you this time.
As is the general standard I try to write by, I am going to keep this simple. Here we go!!
Saddle pads are obviously a crucial part of tack, for those that don't know the pad is what goes under the saddle. Seems just like a big squishy square you just throw up there, so shouldn't matter much what you use, right? Nope! Sorry :) Now as with all things horse, it's all about what works for you and if you are ok with just any old pad, then sure, grab and go. However, if you're curious as to how they are meant to function and what technical aspects make one better than another, then let's dig in!
When choosing a pad you need to consider:
1. Length/Width
2. Thickness
3. Shape
4. Material
Length/Width - Generally you are going to see saddle pads in these sizes
30 x 28
30 x 30
32 x 32
32 x 34
I personally prefer a 32 x 32, I ride in a 16 inch seat saddle, that is designed for trail riding, meaning it has fairly minimal skirting, so a 32 x 32 gives me lots of room around the perimeter of my saddle that the pad will cover. For the size of my saddle I can go as small as a 30 x 30, but I prefer the 32 x 32 - why? Because having a high withered horse means I want to pull a little extra pad to the front, so I like the extra inches to give me plenty of room to move the pad forward, also it gives me extra inches if I decided to use my saddle bags, then they will also sit on the pad and not right on my horse - again, a preference.
When you have a smaller saddle you can get by with a smaller pad, or if you are riding in a saddle with very little skirting you can use a smaller pad. For instance a barrel racing saddle is small enough for the 30 x 28.
Thickness - generally Western pads come in
1/2 inch
3/4 inch
1 inch
Here is where things start to get tricky. Everyone has a different opinion on how thick you should use and it depends a lot on how your saddle fits your horse and what your horse's personal needs are.
For instance I have one saddle that an inch seems too thick with an another that 1/2 inch is too thin for, this has to do with bar flare and how fluffy the fleecing is under the saddle. The purpose of the pad is to cushion the horses back, to protect them from the concussive pressure of you bouncing around in the saddle. However the horse also has to be able to move their shoulders freely, so too thick might mean too tight of fit, but too thin might mean not enough cushiony protection.
My personal preference is a 3/4, but I keep a 1/2 and 1 inch on hand as well, just in case I need to switch it up.
It's important to pay attention to the fit of your saddle each time you ride, the fit can change as your horse gains and loses weight, so keeping an eye on how everything fits together to make sure that you always have a proper, comfortable fit as your horse changes.
Shape - gonna stick to just a few options for this
Reiner
General Purpose/All Around
Barrel
Trail
The reiner is going to have to a bigger cut out along where your legs go and have some additional contouring to give you more of a close contact feel.
General Purpose or All Around pads are going to be square to rectangle (depending on chosen dimensions) either squared off edges or slightly rounds edges and are what you would see most people use for 'regular' or ranch riding. Show pads are longer variant of this with more colors and style options.
Barrel pads are made smaller, rounder, with contouring to match the saddle shape that they are used with. These pads cannot be used with all western saddles as they are much smaller than most saddles need.
Trail pads are another contoured option, similar in overall dimensions to the general purpose, but designed specifically for trail saddles and needs of trail riding. They tend to have extra length along where your legs go, and a rounded back to alleviate any rubbing on the loin area of the horse.
Material - what do you plan to use this pad for?
There are a host of material options and depending on what you use your pad for depends on what material you might choose to go with. Here are a few options.
So what do I use??
Well I have tried several saddle pads and right now my favorites are:
Diamond Wool 1inch pad
5 Star 3/4 inch Wool pad
1/2 inch wool pad of undetermined brand (bought it new when I bought my saddle but there is no tag on it for the brand and I don't remember what it was, my bad)
and under those I use one of these:
ECP All Purpose Western with Shims
ECP 3D Mesh pad
Yes, I sometimes use 2 pads at once. Ideally one pad is better, less layers to shift, roll or bunch, however Pistol has some hollows along his back and so he needs a customized fit. To get a great fit for him I use the thin pad with shims under my 5 Star, and in the summer I often use my mesh pad under by a wool pad, as the mesh does an insane job of keeping him cool.
Happy shopping and riding!!!
Saddle pads are complicated business! And I was just focused on Western ones!! Sorry, English riders, I got zilch info for you this time.
As is the general standard I try to write by, I am going to keep this simple. Here we go!!
Saddle pads are obviously a crucial part of tack, for those that don't know the pad is what goes under the saddle. Seems just like a big squishy square you just throw up there, so shouldn't matter much what you use, right? Nope! Sorry :) Now as with all things horse, it's all about what works for you and if you are ok with just any old pad, then sure, grab and go. However, if you're curious as to how they are meant to function and what technical aspects make one better than another, then let's dig in!
When choosing a pad you need to consider:
1. Length/Width
2. Thickness
3. Shape
4. Material
Length/Width - Generally you are going to see saddle pads in these sizes
30 x 28
30 x 30
32 x 32
32 x 34
I personally prefer a 32 x 32, I ride in a 16 inch seat saddle, that is designed for trail riding, meaning it has fairly minimal skirting, so a 32 x 32 gives me lots of room around the perimeter of my saddle that the pad will cover. For the size of my saddle I can go as small as a 30 x 30, but I prefer the 32 x 32 - why? Because having a high withered horse means I want to pull a little extra pad to the front, so I like the extra inches to give me plenty of room to move the pad forward, also it gives me extra inches if I decided to use my saddle bags, then they will also sit on the pad and not right on my horse - again, a preference.
When you have a smaller saddle you can get by with a smaller pad, or if you are riding in a saddle with very little skirting you can use a smaller pad. For instance a barrel racing saddle is small enough for the 30 x 28.
Thickness - generally Western pads come in
1/2 inch
3/4 inch
1 inch
Here is where things start to get tricky. Everyone has a different opinion on how thick you should use and it depends a lot on how your saddle fits your horse and what your horse's personal needs are.
For instance I have one saddle that an inch seems too thick with an another that 1/2 inch is too thin for, this has to do with bar flare and how fluffy the fleecing is under the saddle. The purpose of the pad is to cushion the horses back, to protect them from the concussive pressure of you bouncing around in the saddle. However the horse also has to be able to move their shoulders freely, so too thick might mean too tight of fit, but too thin might mean not enough cushiony protection.
My personal preference is a 3/4, but I keep a 1/2 and 1 inch on hand as well, just in case I need to switch it up.
It's important to pay attention to the fit of your saddle each time you ride, the fit can change as your horse gains and loses weight, so keeping an eye on how everything fits together to make sure that you always have a proper, comfortable fit as your horse changes.
Shape - gonna stick to just a few options for this
Reiner
General Purpose/All Around
Barrel
Trail
The reiner is going to have to a bigger cut out along where your legs go and have some additional contouring to give you more of a close contact feel.
General Purpose or All Around pads are going to be square to rectangle (depending on chosen dimensions) either squared off edges or slightly rounds edges and are what you would see most people use for 'regular' or ranch riding. Show pads are longer variant of this with more colors and style options.
Barrel pads are made smaller, rounder, with contouring to match the saddle shape that they are used with. These pads cannot be used with all western saddles as they are much smaller than most saddles need.
Trail pads are another contoured option, similar in overall dimensions to the general purpose, but designed specifically for trail saddles and needs of trail riding. They tend to have extra length along where your legs go, and a rounded back to alleviate any rubbing on the loin area of the horse.
Material - what do you plan to use this pad for?
There are a host of material options and depending on what you use your pad for depends on what material you might choose to go with. Here are a few options.
|
Material
|
Pro
|
Con
|
|
Wool
|
Breathable, Odor Resistant, Repels Moisture, Soft on Skin, Comes in
variety of compression levels for customized impact resistance
|
Is an older technology so does not perform as well as newer fabrics
in impact tests
|
|
Neoprene
|
Easy to clean, Good impact resistance, variety of options
|
In certain conditions can cause sores for horses with thin fur and
skin
|
|
Fleece
|
Soft to the touch and can be paired with other materials as an additional
layer to have customized shock absorption
|
Can be slick, also can be difficult to clean
|
|
Gel
|
Distributes impact evenly, can be long lasting, can be paired with
variety of other materials for customized look and fit
|
The feel is not for everyone
|
|
Air
|
Air pockets and air meshes can be used in conjunction with other
materials to give isolated areas of additional impact resistance
|
May not be available in the shape, size or material combination
required
|
So what do I use??
Well I have tried several saddle pads and right now my favorites are:
Diamond Wool 1inch pad
5 Star 3/4 inch Wool pad
1/2 inch wool pad of undetermined brand (bought it new when I bought my saddle but there is no tag on it for the brand and I don't remember what it was, my bad)
and under those I use one of these:
ECP All Purpose Western with Shims
ECP 3D Mesh pad
Yes, I sometimes use 2 pads at once. Ideally one pad is better, less layers to shift, roll or bunch, however Pistol has some hollows along his back and so he needs a customized fit. To get a great fit for him I use the thin pad with shims under my 5 Star, and in the summer I often use my mesh pad under by a wool pad, as the mesh does an insane job of keeping him cool.
Happy shopping and riding!!!
Comments
Post a Comment