Bareback Pad for Horse Comfort

[Tjkobol]

Long story short, I have a mare who is basically retired due to a wither injury. She will never be back in full work, but she LOVES to work, is completely healed and sound and a bit of a spitfire, always wanting to get out and have a job (mares… gotta love em…). I’ve been doing a lot of in hand work, it’s been fun!

Anyways, the point of my question… I think she may tolerate and greatly enjoy short hacks and mini trail rides ridden at a walk, but I’d like to try it with a comfortable bareback pad for her. I’d like to find something that stays in place well (I’m over slippery bareback pads lol) and that has some form of protection that helps distribute weight a bit (I know, asking a lot for a bareback pad). I’m willing to spend some money on this. If she doesn’t like it, that’s fine, I can use it on other horses. But if she does like it, I’d be over the moon.

I’ve been looking at the thinline bareback pads, which I’m about ready to order… but I wanted to see if there were some other good options out there that others might recommend.

Thanks!!

eta: a pad that has wither clearance either by way of high clearance or cut-out is ideal!

[Bluey]

I am sure you have consider why a pad and not a saddle, but seems that a treed saddle would be way more steady on her back, one that clears well anywhere close to her old injury?
Here is one that tries to give some wither’s clearance, something hard to get with bareback pads:

https://www.freedomrider.com/product…-bareback-pad/

They also sell this one as a combination saddle/bareback pad:

https://www.freedomrider.com/product/cashel-soft-saddle-g2/

Pads tend to be made to hug a back, not to clear it in some places, like saddles are.

[Tjkobol]

@Bluey

I am sure you have consider why a pad and not a saddle, but seems that a treed saddle would be way more steady on her back, one that clears well anywhere close to her old injury?

Pads tend to be made to hug a back, not to clear it in some places, like saddles are.

So far all the saddles I’ve looked into will not be cut far back enough from her withers to be comfortable. Plus while I am willing to spend a couple hundred on a good bareback pad for light walks, I’m not sure I’m willing to spend a couple thousand on a saddle for the same thing. BUT I am definitely open to recommendations if you have any. Doesn’t hurt for me to do more homework and look into different options for the good of the pony

[S1969]

Do you know anyone who makes quilts or is a good seamstress? It might be possible to take a bareback pad and make a cutout in it and finish the edges. Or, you could try it yourself - at the relatively low prices of bareback pads it might be worth trying. I think you would need upholstery needles to get through the thickness.

[Larbear]

Just wanted to add that I have a thinline bareback pad and I’m pretty happy with mine. My ottb is pretty sensitive and in the past, I’ve used other bareback pads and put extra pads underneath for more padding. With my thinline pad, I don’t need anything extra.

[SolarFlare]

@Larbear

Just wanted to add that I have a thinline bareback pad and I’m pretty happy with mine. My ottb is pretty sensitive and in the past, I’ve used other bareback pads and put extra pads underneath for more padding. With my thinline pad, I don’t need anything extra.

I have the same experience (although my OTTB isn’t as sensitive). The Thinline pad is the only one I can comfortably ride him bareback in without any extra padding. It’s not too thick, doesn’t slide around.

[ZELLA]

A bareback pad is really only to give the rider a scooch more grip/security/comfort; it doesn’t do squat for the horse. One option would be to ride commando (the horse, not you). Once the horse sweats a bit, it’s a better grip for you than any saddle pad can give.

I use an old cheap-o bareback pad myself that probably originated from somewhere like Chick’s or Schneider’s. It’s got sturdy fabric on the seat and fake-sheepskin fleece against the horse. It used to have stirrup attachments, but I cut 'em off–they’re dangerous. The girth/cinch attachment is fairly crude, and I really can only snug it enough to keep it from shifting when I get on from a mounting block. Something like this should work, if you position it so it ends up underneath you and doesn’t shift back too much. Alternatively, use an old eventing overgirth with a saddle blanket.

[Outyougo]

Like the other posters have noted. A “ThineLine” bareback pad is great for Thinskinned Rocky mountain backed OTTB. I sue one under my saddle. But it does sits close to withers when used as saddle pad. If you want maybe get a shoe maker to cut our a wither release notch?