Depending on your style of riding and the type of saddle you use, what do you put underneath that saddle? I use something pretty close to this. Jess and Gerald turned me on to it. It's a nice shock absorbing wool pro-pad that conforms to the horse and leaves a space for withers. I also notice that it tends to keep the saddle from sliding. You can easily throw a wool blanket over it to "pretty" it up a bit, but it works well enough on it's own. I really need a second one. I also have another thick wool pad that's a bit more decorative and a few blankets. It's clear by the looks of this pad that I use a western saddle. Mine are lightweight saddles, part leather and cordura. Misty loves her saddle, an old Saddle King of Texas, black with a purple southwestern motif and quite comfortable for both of us, although not very attractive. I also use a wool backed cinch for the saddles. Once tried to put a really nice leather saddle of Gerald's on her with a neoprene cinch, just to try it and she kept buckling. It was weird, not like her at all. So I went back to her trusty light weight saddle and wool girth strap. I think it was the neoprene pinching or something. So what kind of pad or blanket do you use?
11 comments:
That would be the $64,000 question here. Still trying to find some kind of pad to help Dandy out.
I have a pad like the one you've shown, wool navajos, cool back pads, the list goes on and on. Still looking for one that will really protect him for the fact we're never going to find a perfect fitting saddle.
Since Scooter has aged and his withers are narrower, Ive been riding in a built up western pad...I would NOT take a thousand dollars for it, it was hard to find!
I love my little gray wool felting pad! It's like yours only shaped just like my all pupose saddle. It is 15 - 20 years old. I wash it a lot and it's still good! I can't find one like it anywhere and it makes me worry if something would happen to it. It holds so so much moisture keeping my horse's back much less drenched than any other pad I've tried.
Thanks for keeping me in check. Yes, I need to order a new blanket and I've been looking at one like this...thanks for keeping me looking at other blogs and catching up...Mustangs, Romania... Blog Stars for you!
I use a Supracor pad when I ride Silk. It's made out of the stuff that they use in hospitals for people in wheelchairs. It has little holes in it so it "breathes" and i can hose it off. It was expensive, but it's one of the best things I've ever bought for my horse. She never gets sore. I've had it about 6 years and it still looks like it did when I got it. I also have a Professional Choice pad which is good, but makes a kind of rustling noise that drives some people crazy. Skito pads are great too- they really take the pressure off the horse's back and you can customize them.
We use either an all purpose pad or a dressage pad depending on the saddle being used. We are lucky that all our saddles fit our horses pretty well. Dusty and Blue have almost no withers to speak of and they are pretty round, so those two were the hardest to find saddles for, they wound up sharing one all purpose English saddle.
Thanks All, I love to hear what others use or are looking for. I'm hoping to find a little something at the Midwest Horse Fair at a decent price! There's one I have my eye on for Kola's saddle.
Oh man-finding a good pad is like finding a good man-when you do find one that fits, doesn't rub you the wrong way and is easy to take care of-you hang onto it for dear life-LOL.
I like the wool pads. I have a couple of the thinner ones to use under show blankets as well and I found a used one with wither cut outs that works for my barrel horse-he pushes his saddle back terrible.
I tried a wool pad with the neoprene lining on him one day when we were roping-thinking it would help keep the saddle from slipping back and he bucked like crazy-he has NEVER bucked in his life. My niece also tried using her neoprene cinch on him and he wouldn't move right-so we took it off. I think some horses just don't like the feeling-maybe it pulls their hair??? So am sticking to mohair cinches and wool pads from now on.
For Jet, I had to buy a cut back, built up pad. Finding one was difficult, but finally came across one that didn't break the bank. It's not pretty and it's not the best quality, but for now it lifts that saddle up off her withers.
I do like wool, though!
Yeah, that neoprene girth what cutting her off or pinching a nerve and her front legs kept buckling and it was a struggle to get it quickly uncinched as she was dropping while tied as we were sadlling......scary....I hate neoprene stuff!
Well, Steve just informed me that I'll have a few spendin' dollars at the fair, so hope to get what I want! Yippee!
Pads and saddle fitting oh my nemisis with Harley. I am using a diamond brand pad with merlino wool on the underside it was about 85 from smith brothers but so worth it. They also make one with removable shims in a western style pad for hard to fit horses. Can't use neoprene on Harley either he has to much loose skin on his belly by the elbow, think that is why he was galled so bad when he first went to the trainer's. I just started riding a Billy Cook pro cutter saddle and I love it! I have been riding a Crates reiner for years but it is for sale now.
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