Need saddle pad advice --

[Foxglove]

While I don’t jump a lot, I do a bit on the fox hunt when I must (horse is perfectly capable, as am I, but our combined age is nearly 100) --hunt horse has a saddle and saddle pad that suit him --he’s not the problem.

It’s the new horse. Bob could easily be the clone of my old hunt horse --same breeding, same everything including a great personality --but one problem the old fellow doesn’t: No withers —I mean FLAT.

While my saddle fits the new horse well (his name is Bob), using my big fluffy saddle pad (Fleece Works Show Hunter Pad) --give no sense of security --I am worried my saddle will slip to the side!

So I am on the hunt (with your help, I hope) for a non-slipping WHITE fitted pad suitable for the hunt field (no, can’t be square, can’t be black or any other color than white --unless the black one doesn’t show under a white one).

I prefer the fluffy kind (looks cool) but quilted is fine too --or whatever it takes as long as it is fitted and withe and doesn’t allow the saddle to slip. I use a breast collar (always) as our hunt country us up and down hill. Help?

Pix of Bob’s flat withers —

And another pix of Bob (he’s a bay roan, or a “silver tipped bay” as I like to call his color.

[Against_All_Odds2]

Ecogold is coming to mind

[NancyM]

You can use a shammy under the saddle pad to keep things from moving. A shammy can be a lambskin “chamois”, or a piece of the padding stuff you put under a tablecloth to stop it from moving around (or in a cupboard with a glass shelf). Either work. Dampen and wring out before putting it directly onto the horse’s back. Then put your saddle with whatever pad you like on top of that. It won’t move.

[GreyDes]

Ecogold Secure worked beautifully on my Arab who had no withers. It’s a non-slip material and very traditional looking. I believe both Dover and SmartPak carry them.

https://ecogold.ca/hunter-pads/

[mika0116]

Ecogold or Avacallo (https://oursaddlery.com/half-pad-acavallo-non-slip/) - maybe you can put the Avacallo underneath a white / hunt approved pad? I don’t hunt but back in the late 90s in the NE I used hilltop as a kid and I felt like I saw people with JUST halfpads under their saddles…

omg he is so cute - gah I love an interesting colored horse that jumps

[Rumorhasit93]

Another vote for EcoGold!

[Renn_aissance]

Stop reading this thread right here and get an EcoGold pad. Great product, long-lasting, good customer service.

PS Bob is ADORABLE.

[Foxglove]

Humm, just realized that Bob’s pix I just posted looks identical to that of my old hunter that’s photo is beside my name . . .they are closely related, but 20 years difference in age. Both are Hancock geldings . . .

@GreyDes @Renn_aissance @Rumorhasit93 @mika0116 @NancyM @Against_All_Odds2 @ OK! Equigold Secure it is --Bob will be thrilled to have his own pad. So far, he’s using equipment from other horses or horses that have passed along their tack after moving to the pasture in the sky. I did buy Bob a new halter plate to put on a used halter . . .

[mika0116]

All hail Bob the Warrior King I like a broken in leather halter - new name plate make it his for sure.

He looks stoic (eye shape, I think, gives me that vibe). How did you find two horses of the same breeding 20 years apart - do you have a connection to the breeders?

[Foxglove]

@mika0116 --not sure I used the terms correctly “same breeding, or similar breeding” or “same line?”

Bob, my new horse, is a Hancock line QH on top, and a Two Eyed Jack QH on the bottom. My 28 year old hunt horse is Hancock line QH on top and Poco Bueno QH on the bottom. Hancock geldings are known to be (as you pointed out) stoic, hard working, sound, sometimes a challenge to train, but once they understand, they never forget. They are mostly seen as ranch horses --not particularly seen in the show ring, except maybe in cutting/sorting. They are sturdy with great feet. Oh, their other claim to fame is that Hancock line horses make up the majority of bucking horses that have registration papers.

My older Hancock does not like kids --pins his ears when they try to pat him or touch him. Not sure he likes me much either, but then I rode him 250 miles across MI in 14 days --maybe he just never forgave me for that. He is a great horse, though. Does everything I ask him to. Poco Bueno is a well known sire of cow horses: roping, cutting , sorting.

Bob is typical Hancock in looks: sturdy, big bones, about 15.2 HH. Thick mane and tail. Bay Roan (Hancock’s are often roan, blue roan being especially desirable). The Two Eyed Jack influence is in the cow sense. Two Eyed Jack has sired many top dollar cutting/sorting horses. I have only had Bob two months --so far, he’s a great horse with excellent training. On paper, he’s the nicest bred horse I’ve ever owned.

I have a 3rd Hancock gelding who is red roan with curly mane and tail --again a Hancock trait. He is Playboy on the bottom which gives him a “puppy dog” personality --loves people, great jokester --always the one who opened the gate and let everyone out.

There are folks who breed only Hancock horses --I actually avoid a line-bred Hancock as they are known for soundness issues --but each to their own, I guess. I do look for a “Hancock Influence” as I’ve found my geldings to be easy to train [once you make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard] and hard working. None of my Hancock geldings need shoes --a tremendous savings over the lifetime of a horse.

The three I have could all be described as “laid back,” maybe even lazy . . .but I find lazy to be ok because lazy horses will always figure out that the easy answer is the right answer --and they don’t forget it.

My other two Hancock geldings on the hunt field:

[mika0116]

I don’t know much about foundational QH breeding, but I did have some exposure to Morgans as a child (I’m tall so I outgrew most Morgans I was around pretty young) and some of the concepts and traits feel / sound similar.

Sounds like awesome horses and looks like all your experience culminates to finding the right animals for your purposes.

I am such a sucker for roans - I also rode a lot of Welsh / TB /WB crosses as s kid that were sometimes roany and 10 year old me was in LOVE with a strawberry mare - she too liked hunting.

[Foxglove]

Bob hunted out yesterday in his new saddle pad Eco Gold! While he wasn’t perfect --once not his fault, the other time perhaps a nervous rider (I had a younger member take him for me and I rode behind them on my old faithful hunt horse). In the first case, Bob’s bridle fell off --one second on him properly, the next second it was hanging by his knees. I did not bridle Bob so my guess is the young rider perhaps did not have it all the way behind his ears (?). Bob stood absolutely still while she dismounted and put his bridle back on. Then Bob continued to stand quietly while she mounted from the ground.

The only other incident of concern was just as second flight was headed in after a long hunt, first flight went past us in the other direction at speed --Bob who had been relatively unaffected by all the activity became factious as the last horse sped by to the point where his rider asked me to pony him --I took him firmly under the chin, pulled his head to my knee and we walked in --after about 200 yards, Bob relaxed (or his rider did) and we continued the 2 miles or so back to the hunt club with Bob being very good and relaxed. FYI my old hunter whom I was riding was a race track pony horse 20+ years ago --he is the go-to horse for leading other horses off the hunt field when need arises. Pix of Bob with his new saddle pad:

[Willesdon]

Glad the saddle pad worked. I was going to suggest a breast girth to hold the saddle steady over varied terrain.