I recently got a trail saddle made for one of my horses… it’s basically a western saddle without a horn. He is round like a sausage so things tend to slide around on him. I have a breastplate already… but I’d like to get a good pad. One that is comfortable for him and hopefully will help with preventing the saddle from slipping. I’m an english rider… I don’t know anything about western brands or whats good, etc. Help? 
a girl at my barn has the same problem. her horse has no withers. She uses a Rubbermaid type Shelf liner( the kind with puffy bumps) under her saddle pad to help. it does help, and she has not found any problems using this. you could always try this first before buying an expensive pad.
The Won Pad. It will. not. slip. After I untack my horse, it won’t even come off when I slide the saddle off. I have to pick it straigh up off my horse’s back.
Love it!
Reinsman Tacky Too pads seem to work pretty well to prevent slipping. 
^ ^ Ditto on the Tacky Too pads. I have them for my round QHs and saddle stays put, even up and down some pretty steep hills.
tool box liner works great can get at home depot… rubber bumpy OR for to walmart ross or any store and get the no slip gripper (same runner bumpy stuff) that goes under little carpets… you can cut it to the size you want…
or get a chamois cloth… have it slightly wet and put on before you add saddle pad
LOL ok I showed this to my trainer and she about had a heart attack. All these cheap wonderful easy solutions that don’t include a fancy smancy custom pad boggled her mind. But she’s practical and the Tacky Too pads worked perfectly this morning.
Tacky Pads
Has anyone ever had a horse that had an adverse reaction to the pads with the rubber material? I’ve been tempted to use the Tacky Two pads, but was always hesitant for fear of causing rubs, galls, etc.
I’m a trail rider and am in the saddle anywhere from 2-6 hours per ride. Same with the ‘grippy’ girths - ever had any problems with sores/horse discomfort in general?
TIA!
CHAR - I had a mare where the TackyToo Rubber Pad slowly but surely rubbed off her hair in the back (behind the saddle) - so that pad is “retired”.
Also, I have to ride my gelding with a synthetic fur cover over the cinch - otherwise it will rub him sore in the girth area:( This applies to his Dressage and Western gear.
However, I like the neoprene girths because they are easy to clean; well, now I just wash the girthcover periodically…
As for the Western Pad, I use a real wool pad (which was not as expensive as the Won-Pad)…
We live in a hot+humid climate and the horses will definitely build up more heat and sweat under “rubber gear”.
Because you also ride a lot, I would consider using the synthetic fur cover for the cinches/girths and wash it often. As for the pads, I would not go with the “rubbery kind”, but rather look for wool or synthetic fur (cheaper, but you have to clean it more often and they don’t hold up that long)…
I don’t care for the Tacky products, I sored my little guy with one, too grippy and he’s a big moving little gaited horse. Maybe on a QH they are ok. Sewing machine vs rowing machine 
A real wool pad like a 5 Star or the Won pad, those are naturally sticky.
We use this, has worked on many horses, round and skinny, not rubbed any:
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=8babd425-af58-4b5b-8da8-1dd55055a60f
There are many cheaper but still very good felt pads, sold as liners, that can be used alone on very round horses and that come in different thickness, thinner for round horses, thicker for roping, etc.
Most cowboys here still use a plain doubled wool pad.
I use a wool felt contoured pad and don’t get much, if any, saddle slip. The fleece bottom pads get slippery, particularly once they start to pack down.
I’ve got a tacky Weaver pad that I used to use on my really round gelding (he’s gone now) and it worked well. Never had a problem with it, although the rides were never more than 2 hours and we’re in the PNW where the temperature/humidity are pretty reasonable in the summer.
I am about to have a thrombo over using rubber grippy thingys under a western pad!! Those are easy to excoriate your horse’s back. A few of the ranches around me used them for round up and branding and threw the blankets away immediately thereafter.
The best, bar none, is the real wool pad. They do kind of cost but will last into your next life.
If they are too plainfor you, put a pretty doily or kerchief over the TOP so your horse will be comfy.
I forgot, you could also put a lovely serape under the back of the skirts. Be sure to find one that color coordinates with your horse’s color. Nice long fringe is a must!! Get a good quality one so when you want to take a nappy, you have plenty of cushion under your bod, mustn’t let any rocks poke through.
My instructor told me to try a chamois under the pad on my QH mare. Worked pretty good! I just got one for doing the car at the local auto/tire store.
That’s what I thought
I just got my new little guy last fall, after riding season ended. I’ve only had him under saddle for about 10 rides total so far.
He’a a TWH, 8 years old, with not much muscling. Built very narrow. (Was stunted when he was younger) The saddle that I bought for him seems to fit like a glove - no dry spots, very even sweat pattern, ran my mands all up under it, no ‘tight’ spots.
Currently I’m using a woven wool saddle blanket, with a fleece bottom/wool top pad on top of that. Because he is fairly narrow, and I use a combo of blankets/pads, I’m pretty sure that’s where my problems are coming from.
Thanks for all the info guys, you’ve helped me make my desicion for a new pad - 3/4" or 1" wool felt. Ditch the milti-blankets.
ETA - The cinch I’m currently using is a Weaver Smart Cinch with the wool felt lining. The saddle itself doesn’t seem to have any problems staying in place, but the blanket/pad sort of twists and shifts under the saddle. Weird!
I have a thick wool woven ‘navajo’ saddle blanket… it’s a nice heavyweight/thick one, not the el-cheapo ones… and I have a inexpensive 3/4" wool felt pad. I tried the navajo (sp???) one last time. The saddle wasn’t slipping much but I could feel that it could move. Maybe I’ll try it a few more times. I got those pads for starters just to have something to use.
It was the first time using the new tack and everything needed a few adjustments, etc. Maybe I didn’t get the girth as tight as I should have. I am using a string girth which is wider in the middle and has dees for the breast plate and rear girth to connect to.
In the meanwhile I’ll save up for a Won Pad. I’d rather just buy one very good quality one than be mucking around with different stuff trying to find something that works well. This horse is VERY round and wide. He has withers, but huge shoulders and I had to have this trail saddle and his english saddle custom made. Nothing off the rack fits him because he is so wide and round.
As an aside, if you ever want a chuckle, imagine english-riding-me in my new trail saddle with an extremely deep seat and high cantle, with my stirrups too long to even touch them with my toes, sitting in the middle of my arena hollering for my husband because I can’t GET OUT OF THE DANG THING without having any stirrups to help get me out of the saddle. I am using to just leaning forward and “vaulting” off my english saddle. Yeah, was not happening. I had a hard time getting out of this saddle even AFTER my husband had come out and shortened the stirrups for me (which I could not manage to do from the saddle - dang, western tack is complicated!).
I use a Classic Equine ESP pad- the felt bottom doesn’t move around on their back, and the wool top has stayed nice looking for the 3 years I’ve had it. It has memory foam and really molds to my mare’s back.
Another vote for 5 star Equine contoured pad here, I can even ride my totally round, devoid of any sort of withers Haflinger without slippage. Best money I ever spent on a pad.
Thanks! I will look into both of those as well!
