Bareback pads - money being no object

[Auventera_Two]

Tell me what you think is the best bareback pad on the planet. I’m looking to buy a new one and I’d like a really nice, higher end one. Not the cheapie ones sold at every tack and farm supply store with the attached nylon strap girth. I already have one and it sucks. I’d like a really good one, but I don’t know which are good and which aren’t in terms of quality, construction, balance, stickiness, etc. Christ, Cashel, Skito, ElCompanero, Parelli??? It would be even better if I could use my Montana Cincha mohair dressage girth, but that means it needs english billets.

I rode in an ElCompanero that belongs to my friend and it was incredible. But I’m not crazy about the ‘native’ look of it, but I guess I’m not going to be that picky.

[katarine]

One of my students rides almost exclusively on her hideous purple El Companero. It was an ebay find and did I mention it’s purple. She loves it. Good stickiness. No clue if she mounts from the ground somehow or hops on a log to climb up there.

Did I mention it’s purple LOL.

[Petstorejunkie]

I adore my tacky too bareback pad. I can do everything in it and it doesn’t slide, slip, nothing.

[Rachel_L]

I love my Parelli bareback pad. Sticky, the right amount of padding, and quality rigging. So many bareback pads have el cheapo straps as the “girth.” That drives me to distraction. I have ridden in it probably two or three times a week for the five-ish years I have had it, and it looks like the day I got it.

[Auventera_Two]

The ElCompanero was very secure and comfortable. I did a 2 hr trail ride in it and never got tired. It did not slip even a tiny bit. Even cantering was easy. I have been going back to their website for the last few months, and just might end up going that route.

[JetsBuddy]

The ElCompanero is a very good pad. I’ve ridden horses and ponies in the pad walk/trot/canter and gone over some very small cross rails.

I ride bareback a lot, especially in the winter. My daughter rides more bareback than she does with a saddle.

We have two bareback pads that we use:

Best Friends Bareback Pad - Western
http://www.bestfriendequine.com/westernstyle.html
Very comfortable with good padding, non slip waffle weave neoprene underneath and a non-slip girth that fit my 12 hand pony and my 15.1 hand TWH horse. I’ve done flat work in the ring walk/trot/canter and I’ve done shorter trail rides with varied terrain and no problems. I bought this one new at a tack store. The only thing I wish it had was rings for a breast collar but I am going to have the harness shop add for me.

Christ Horsedream Bareback Pad
http://horsedreamimporters.com/bareback.php
I bought it new with the tags at a tack sale for about a third of the retail price. By far the best bareback I’ve ridden in. Our Mexican Mustang Jet was really bony along his topline until he filled out and this pad made a huge difference when riding him because of the padding in the seat. Has rings for a breastcollar/breastplate, uses a standard dressage girth (comes with a sheepskin girth but it was way too big) and you can add leathers and irons if you want. I never ride with stirrups on a bareback pad. I use a generic version of a Dixie Midnight pad underneath, cut to size, to keep the sheepskin clean. I’ve done flat work in the ring walk/trot/canter and I’ve done 2 hour trail rides in very rocky terrain with lots of hills with no problems.

I love the Christ pad and would definitely recommend it.

[paintlady]

I second the Horsedream Christ Bareback Pad. I have the premium pad with the knee rolls. It is soooo comfortable and secure. I never attempted to canter my mare bareback until I got this pad. I often have to force myself to ride in a saddle because I always want to ride bareback now.

[Wraper2]

Little Joe!!!

Best bareback pad in the world! PLUS… you can (should) use your dressage girth.

Made to order… they will put rings for attaching ‘stuff’ where ever you want. I suggest getting the ‘long’ billets. You get to choose color and get a free saddle pad in your color too.

http://www.better-horsetack.com/lj/

I know of 150# riders that can and do mount without a block in thier Little Joe… no slipping.

[whitesage]

I love my el companero. I got mine off of ebay, and the previous owner shrunk it a bit so I had to trim the foam that goes into the insert. But like everyone else has said, it’s very grippy, and very secure-feeling for a bareback pad.

Additionally, I like the design better than the Parelli-type suede pads, because the el companero keeps me clean head to toe, whereas the Parelli pads are too short to protect my calves. Sometimes when I’m riding bareback I’m just in shorts, and it’s nice not to have a layer of grime on my lower leg when I’m done.

I also have a treeless saddle, so i have a really nice HAF pad 9which is a lot like the skito pads, grandeur pads etc.) and I tend to use my el companero with the HAF pad underneath. Super comfy for me and my horse and somedays I prefer it to using the treeless saddle.

I also like that it’s machine washable (in COLD water!), that it can get rained on or snowed on no problem.

I took the two long leather straps (latigos) off the back as they annoyed my horse and served no purpose as far as I could tell. And DO NOT use the loop they provide for mounting from the ground, it can really strain your horse’s back since there is no tree. You have to use a mounting block of some kind to get on.

But I have the “english toast” and it’s a much more reasonable color than the purple.

I bought a best friends pad first, and it is nice, but not even in the same class as the el companero.

Also, Wraper2-- I thought bareback pads with stirrups were a bad idea because of the way they place strain on your horse’s back in one narrow band…the little joe BB pad looks like it does this, and also looks like it doesn’t have a tree. From what I have heard, with pads like that, it’s not a good idea to use the stirrups, it’s better to take them off and use the pads without the stirrups.

[jeano]

A2 I dont know from bareback pads but you can get a converter so you can use your dressage girth with Western rigging, y’know.

[AZ_Native]

[QUOTE=Rachel L;4365891]
I love my Parelli bareback pad. Sticky, the right amount of padding, and quality rigging. So many bareback pads have el cheapo straps as the “girth.” That drives me to distraction. I have ridden in it probably two or three times a week for the five-ish years I have had it, and it looks like the day I got it.[/QUOTE]

Second that. This has been a super pad for me for years.But I am not familiar with the other brands.

[tabula_rashah]

I rode in a Little Joe for the first time the other day- 5 hours. I had it on my skito pad that was meant for a round skirted treeless- LOFFED IT!!! Was not sore, very comfy, no slippage problem. Pricey, but highly recommended:)

[bdj]

Have a Christ - the premium one, with the “thigh blocks” - LOVE it. Soft, squishy and secure!

But… the long billets (which I love, since I’m not so good at tying a proper cinch knot) are pretty darn long. I had to buy a very short dressage girth (24" I think) for my guy - he’s an Arab/AppX around 14.3 - and my regular short girth for my dressage saddle was MUCH too long for him.

That’d be my only caveat on the Christ.

[Auventera_Two]

Ok, thank you everyone! I think I’ve settled on the El Companero. I’ll get a black one, and it will blend in quite nicely with my black/bay horse.

Thanks for all the input.

[GallopingGrape]

Cashel Soft Saddle is amazing! Secure, comfy, comes with stirrups, very steady, won’t roll… love it.

[citydog]

Sounds like you’ve made up your mind, but I have to say I love my pad from Rodeo Etc.. I’ve had it forever, and you can get it with billets that will work with a dressage girth. Doesn’t budge, really well made, nicely padded but doesn’t pretend to be a saddle. Love it. :yes:

[system]

Another vote for the Little Joe - I LOVE mine!

[system]

Has rings for a breastcollar/breastplate, uses a standard dressage girth (comes with a sheepskin girth but it was way too big) and you can add leathers and irons if you want. I never ride with stirrups on a bareback pad. I use a generic version of a Dixie Midnight pad underneath, cut to size, to keep the sheepskin clean. I’ve done flat work in the ring walk/trot/canter and I’ve done 2 hour trail rides in very rocky terrain with lots of hills with no problems.

[CanterQueen]

A2, I have an El Companero and love it. Mine’s in the toast color and I bought the breast collar to use with it and am glad I did. Good luck!!

[dacasodivine]

Any thoughts on Tough 1? I’m looking on Ebay and saw that one.