Saddle pads come in a variety of colors, prints, and patterns. While you want a pad that will look nice with your tack, you want to also make sure it is a pad that will keep your horse comfortable and protect your horse. Let’s look at some of the basics when choosing a saddle pad.
First, let’s start with your riding discipline. Do you barrel race? Do you show jump, compete in dressage or rope? This is the question you must answer first because it will determine which pad is best suited for you.
If you ride English, then you look at English saddle pads that are suited for those saddles. If you ride western, then you look at western saddle pads that are made for those saddles. I am mainly going to focus on western saddle pads here because that is what I am most familiar with.
Size
After determining what discipline you ride, you next need to look at the size of your saddle. Your pad should be at least one inch larger than the saddle all the way around.
Material options
There are many different options of material to choose from such as fleece, felt, and neoprene. Most saddle pads have a fleece bottom. Fleece saddle pads are usually the least expensive, but it does come with a cost. When a horse sweats, the chemicals in the sweat will break down the fleece material if it is not cared for properly. Fleece could also make your horse sweat more during the warm months.
Felt pads are made of compressed wool that will provide benefits over a standard fleece pad. The greatest benefit of a fleece pad is the moisture-wicking effect that the compressed wool has. Felt draws sweat from your horse and then transfers the heat into the felt. Felt pads are possibly one of the best choices for a saddle pad.
There is a newer type of saddle pad that has a neoprene bottom in a waffle pattern. Neoprene material is a type of rubber that is waterproof and has other benefits. These types of pads are water-resistant and very easy to maintain. These saddle pads also reduce the chance of a saddle rolling or sliding.
There are also closed-cell foam saddle pads. Closed-cell foam pads consist of molded foam wrapped in a nylon cover. The foam allows even distribution of weight and provides shock absorption. The foam molds to the horse’s back for better contact. The foam inserts are wrapped in mesh materials that provide airflow for your horse. Although there is airflow, it doesn’t have the same effect as felt pads.
Shape
There are many options for the shape you want your saddle pad to be. A contour saddle pad is made for a horse that has a slight dip in its back. These are best for high-withered, or sway-backed horses. Next, there is a straight saddle pad. The straight saddle pad is for round or mutton withered horses or a horse with a flat back.
Round skirt saddle pads are mainly used on horses with short backs or saddles that have a round skirt. A cutout saddle pad has a cutout at the top where the horse’s withers should be. These can be helpful when relieving the pressure that a pad could have when resting on the withers.
A cutback saddle pad has a section cut away for the withers to have relief. There is no material on top of the withers when using a pad like this. Swayback saddle pads have a gradual increase in thickness towards the center of the pad. These pads are great for horses that have a big dip in the back.
A built-up saddle pad is good for horses with high withers. It is built up along the center of the pad, raising the saddle on the withers. This kind of saddle pad can also be good for a saddle that doesn’t quite fit perfectly.
Comments