I have a couple of BOT dressage pads that I love, but they are way too warm for summer. What do you guys recommend? I want something that has some of the same characteristics, just not as heavy. TIA!
I actually prefer numnahs because they are shaped, so there isnāt that extra fabric covering the horse and trapping heat. I have some LeMieux numnahs that are pretty good; I want to order some Mattes ones, but trying not to spend money on tack right now. If my āsame characteristicsā you mean the ceramic element of the BoT, I donāt think youāll find it in a lighter pad.
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You might like USG pads - they are lovely and wear like iron, but they are 100% cotton, including the filling, and I find them so much cooler than foam filled pads which tend to trap heat more.
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I just discovered Lemiuex dressage pads, omg, they are amazing! Especially if you have a horse with high withers. Just dont put them in the dryer or they shrink.
They keeo the horse so cool. The area where it lays on your horses side where this is no saddle, has zero sweat under it even after a good hard ride. This is the first pad I have seen have that effect. Plus they come in a million colours!
I recently got two of these. Yes they are AP but my ānormalā dressage saddle fits OK. You can see through it, itās fairly rigid, and Bravo is barely damp under the saddle when we are done. https://www.statelinetack.com/item/sā¦e-pad/E025257/
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and this High Point Advantage pad is a good compromise between full pad and numnah https://www.sstack.com/high-point-adā¦yABEgKLx_D_BwE
I love the look of these. But, woof! Expensive. I am in the process of trying to get a saddle that fits my baby right now. I think I am going to have to get a second jobā¦
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You can usually find some deals second hand on FB
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I like the PRI contour pads for summer.
I just discovered the Centaur Ultra-Light Berliner, which is made of this incredibly cool microfiber (not suedey, more thin and light). They are moisture wicking and wash up so well. Iāve only seen them for sale on Tack Warehouse and havenāt tried to order, but I will.
I have a few BOT pads and agree they are far too thick and hot for summer use. I have 2 Lemieux all cotton pads and they are awesome. They also wash well and come in great colors. Also, recently treated myself to a Equestrian Stockholm pad. It has an airy back that really wicks the moisture away and keeps the back cool. If they werr more affordable, I would have one in every color.
Agree with the numnah / shaped pad comment.
The less fabric, the better. Shaped pads also cause less overall movement friction on the horse.
My current Summer pairing is a HĆĀ¶pfner saddle with this pure cotton shaped pad:
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I have some Fleeceworks pads I like, and Smartpak. Honestly for me, the best aspect is having a few that I can wash a lot. I have 2 horses going 5 days a week and 6 schooling pads. When some are dirty, others are washing. A daily saddle pad just needs to be fairly clean to be fine for the horse. I donāt like to do more than 2 rides on a saddle pad.
I like that!
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It appears that the non-fleece, LeMieux dressage numnah is no longer being made. I did find this Griffin pad that looks great ā high-wither, D-ring attachments, shaped, no fleece, but I have no idea of the quality. Would love to get recommendations for pads with those same attributes along with the shape-holding, long-wearing qualities of LeMeiux pads.
āā¹āā¹āā¹āā¹āā¹āā¹https://www.townfields.com/griffin-nā¦r-numnah/p4499
Ecogold coolfit, but does not meet the affordable requirement
I had never thought of a shaped cotton pad for summer, duh. I just ordered one from Lemieux. It was very hard to find, it seems like they may have discontinued the dressage version? I found a black one still available. Thank you @Annie Burton
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Someone mentioned earlier that they are also called Numnah, which makes them much easier to find, new and used, on ebay, for example. Ebay sellers often accept offers for new itemsā¦ just give that a try next time. Good luck!
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I have one of those shaped pads if someone wants to buy one. Iāll never use it, I think they look funny.
My favorite schooling pads are the wilkers dressage baby pads.
Iāve seen the standard Lemieux pads mentioned, but wanted to add this one in there. $70 from Riding Warehouse, and itās made of technical mesh so it breathes really well. Very high quality.
