I got a new saddle pad for my horse, and, he doesn’t like it. Ears pinned, bloating. Looks like he wants to bite me. It’s just a basic all purpose Shires Performance pad. His other pads are Lettia Coolmax and Back on Track. Anyone else got a super picky horse? My best guess is it’s stiffer/rougher than his current pads. Maybe with some washing and wear he’ll stop objecting, but if not, recommendations for softer pads that he’d hopefully approve of? I can always get more of the Lettia/Back on Track, but wanted to mix it up!
I’m not familiar wth any of the pads you mentioned.
But if the roughness is a problem, you could put a plain cotton babypad under the new pad & see if that helps.
Cheap solution if it does & keeps the new pad cleaner.
One possibility–and maybe you’ve already done this–is to wash the offensive pad and then see if the horse approves. Sometimes new fabrics have various chemical finishers in them that make them stiffer, make the colors brighter, etc. Washing the pad, preferably with a mild soap and no fabric softeners, will get rid of some of those chemicals. You can also add a little white vinegar to the rinse water, as that will help to rinse all of the soap out as well.
I personally prefer to use wool pads, either sheepskin or pads that have wool facings, and put the wool actually directly onto the horse’s skin without an intervening baby pad or anything. The wool is soft and absorbant so it acts as a cushioning layer and it wicks away sweat. In general, I think such a pad is way more comfortable for the horse. JMHO.
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Oh yeah! I have one that hated Ecogold. No idea why - I’ve had other horses that were fine with it and I appreciated the non-slip. Washing and using it multiple times did not help. Full disclosure - this was a chestnut mare 
For soft pads, my picky mare really appreciates sheepskin. If you don’t want to mess with that, the Lemieux pads have a very soft bamboo fabric and come in tons of colors.
Is it thicker or thinner than your other pads? I have had my horses object when the pad alters the saddle fit enough to cause irritation.
I have a mare who has opinions about saddle pads. She has opinions about everything. I am embarrassed to say it took over a decade for me to realize what she was trying to tell me.
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He’s definitely one with opinions on everything! It’s not thicker/thinner, and my saddle needs fit anyway. I really do just think it’s the texture. Washing doesn’t seem to have helped - I’ll probably end up giving it to someone and getting something else. I’d rather not mess with layering baby pads and not sure I want to venture into sheepskin, so will give Lemieux a look!
