Whats everyones favourite daily saddle pad? Looking for something to fit under a 17.5" saddle, that washes well and is comfy for my boy.
I like Anky pads, they are simple but elegant, have âcool dry materialâ, easy to clean.
I use LeMieux saddle pads everyday. I like their shape and material. I have mostly the Pro Sport Suede collection, but some of other material too (cotton, mesh, etc). I recently bought a Weatherbeeta Prime pad which is similar shape wise and quite like it. I think it was cheaper than the LeMieux pads too. Iâve washed it a few times, and so far so good. Iâll probably buy a few more.
I mostly stick with saddle pads that have fasteners to the D rings since I have a Monoflap, but also prefer that anyway.
I second the LeMieux saddle pads. I have been using them for everyday since they were recommended on a CotH thread a few years back. I wash them almost every ride and they still look like new.
I really like the Dover Warendorf line. I like the cotton backing - it is incredibly soft. I have two swallow-tail and one square edge pad. Theyâre not glamorous, but theyâre super soft and have held up incredibly⊠Iâve had them for nearly ten years, theyâre all white, and they still wash up almost 100% pristine every time.
Roma has a line called âEcoleâ which really washes and breaks in well. Soft backing too. It comes in some cute colors. I have a ton of them.
Iâm not a fan of the stiffer pads that are kind of bulky/rigid - partially because I canât imagine stiff cloth against skin is comfortable, and also because I usually ride with a Thinline and want to minimize the amount of material under the saddle.
I like the Ogilvy baby pads but they are a bit more expensive. I have two of the LeMieux and definitely agree, they are high quality! I only use mine for showing (so they never get used - ha, ha, ha) but they are a bit thicker than I like. I have a hard time finding a nice pad that is the thinness I want, but still holds up well after a few years.
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I had problems with my other pads slipping and bunching and have only used Ecole for almost 10 years. Iâve had spots on the spines repaired on 2 of them but otherwise, they are surviving.
They have a âcoolingâ underside that pulls sweat from the horseâs back to the top of the pad. The top of the pad will be noticeably wetter than the underside on really hot days. It does mean the panels of your saddle will get sweaty unless you put something between the pad and the saddle (I usually use a Thinline pad between).
I fourth the LeMieux pads. I have about five of them and they are fabulous. My favorite is the brown plaid heritage one. 
The only complaint I have with them is that the teal colored one I have tends to be squeaky against my saddle for some reason! I have no idea why that is the case with that one particular pad, but itâs so weird. :lol:
I also have two beautiful Seams Right pads that I bought 3-4 years ago, and theyâre a little thicker than the LeMieux pads are, but they wash up amazingly well and last forever. Sadly, she no longer makes the colored pads anymore. I think all you can get these days are regular white pads.
The Weatherbeeta pads are good pads, too. I have a white one that I bought for when I took my horse to the YH show a few years ago and was pleased with it. As Cantering Carrot said, theyâre cheaper than the LeMieux pads and are nice quality. Toklat also makes a nice pad, though depending on which one you get, they are perhaps a little pricey just for schooling. I have one that I custom ordered and it was around $80ish, IIRC.
Iâve yet to try the Ogilvy pads and I also want to try the Wilkerâs pads. I know people seem to love the Anky pads, especially some of the fun colors, but I canât get past how âfluffyâ they seem. lol Itâs purely an aesthetic thing for me.
Oh, and if you guys are ever looking for someone to do a wonderful job embroidering your pads, I ended up sending mine to Pat at So Southern Custom Equestrian Products. She did a beautiful job on them and it was totally worth shipping them out to her since I couldnât seem to find anyone near me who was willing to put a breed logo on a pad for me without jumping through hoops to do it.
Funny, I was just thinking of this yesterday. My favorites have already been mentioned. The Le Mieux pads are great but the price point is high. I tend to purchase them on sale. My real everyday go to are also the Roma Ecole pads. They are economical at under $30 most places and last until you get tired of them. Even when âlimpâ they still work well.
Another LeMieux fan here. I think I haveâŠ(blushing) 7âŠwould love more (great colors!) but donât need them as they hold up well.
Back on Track
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I need high withers and fairly substantial so they donât slip. Currently I am using 2 Ogilvy dressage pads and one Lemieux jump pad. And a BR jump pad that works. I can wash my pads at home so I donât need a huge collection of inexpensive pads. Decided to go for a few pads that really worked.
Yes indeed, the Lemieux pads are wonderful - I have two of them - and I also bought two of the Weatherbeeta
pads that are modeled after the Lemieux pads and nearly identical to them (but a tad less spendy)
I totally love both these brands and all the nifty colors to choose from
I also have a couple of the Roma pads and they are very nice as well - attractive, affordable, durable, washable, comfortable for the horse. . . very nice pad for the money.
I have four of the LeMieux numnahs with the merino lining. They work perfectly with my monoflap saddle, and I figure with less material where I donât need it, theyâre cooler for the horse. However, they fit oddly under the Kent & Masterâs I bought for my baby, so I am looking for something different for her.
SmartPak has a pretty nice quilted pad for under $30. However, after washing it shrank a little and is now borderline too small for my 18" saddles and looks small on my 16.2H baby horse. It would be a good economical choice for a smaller horse/saddle though.
Another vote for the Roma Ecole- They hold up well, good thickness, great colors, cant beat the price.
Also a vote for the worst: Tuffrider. Sure theyâre cheap but I they never seem to lie smooth, I always get a diagonal crease.
Theyâre pricey, but I have two that are 11 years old and still look new - the success equestrian ones. I also like the non-slip and how light they are.
Roma Ecole is my go to every day pad. I love they are shaped so comfy even for my very high withered horse. Love the LeMieux pads too and use one on my barrel-shaped, low withered horse because it does. not. slip. at. all.
Iâve tried a bunch and these are still my go-to. Cheap, wear well, very durable, embroidery nicely. I love love love that the spine is long enough that any half pad I use doesnât hang off the back of the pad.
https://www.doversaddlery.com/riders-international-contoured-dressage-saddle-pad/p/X1-19183/
My runner ups are BOT pads. I love the durability and size, but they are a pain in the ass to wash and thus I rarely use mine. 
I have used these but I found them to be quite thin and they never seem to lay quite right on any horse. They are contoured but not quite enough for my high withered horse and donât fit the round boy either.
I love ogilvy for the summer. Wash up perfectly, comfy and fit under the saddle well.
For the winter, I like back on track. Helps mine be a little less cold backed.
