Has anyone had experience with the Riders International saddle pad? They are currently 10 dollars at Dover- so I was wondering if they were decent quality? The reviews aren’t super helpful on the website, so if anyone knows anything about them it would be awesome!
They last nigh on forever but I find them to be short along the spine. A 16.5" saddle works fine on these, but my 17.5" extends beyond the binding of the pad.
I use the extra-long contoured ones (which I’m sure are NOT the ones for $10, unfortunately) and they are great.
[QUOTE=Renn/aissance;8691733]
They last nigh on forever but I find them to be short along the spine. A 16.5" saddle works fine on these, but my 17.5" extends beyond the binding of the pad.[/QUOTE]
If you’ve got long/forward flaps, the drop is also too short 
Which is a shame, because they’re reasonably priced and hold up well. I do have a couple I use under my sidesaddle, and a few of the dressage version, and have been very happy with them. I just wish they worked for a saddle belonging to someone tall.
Agree with the above! Last forever, nice pads, but I find the regular pads short along the spine.
Seems many saddle pad makers don’t realize a lot of us ride with larger saddles that do not fit their pads, especially if using a half pad with it. I don’t like the half pads getting all dirty in the back. I like the large Shires pads for this reason. They are great for larger saddles and/or half pads.
I do not like these pads. I find they bunch weird, and aren’t contoured to the spine so they put pressure on the withers.
For a few dollars more you can get the SmartLite pads from Smartpak. If you wait for free monogramming it’s an even better deal. And these pads never slip/bunch/push down on the withers.
Just my $.02!
[QUOTE=lachelle;8692483]
I do not like these pads. I find they bunch weird, and aren’t contoured to the spine so they put pressure on the withers.
For a few dollars more you can get the SmartLite pads from Smartpak. If you wait for free monogramming it’s an even better deal. And these pads never slip/bunch/push down on the withers.
Just my $.02![/QUOTE]
When was the last time you bought them?
They do have the contoured spine, and reinforced padding right over the wither.
I have at least 20 of these pads - they last so long, wash well, and are the perfect price. Our local PC chapter monograms these pads @ Dover for end of the year stuff and rallies, so I’ve got a fair bit of them leftover that are 10+ years old and still look fantastic.
At the end of that spectrum, I was deeply disappointed in my Smartpak SmartLite pad that I got – it was $30, and not even a few rides in the trim and piping frayed off. I’ve never had that problem with any of my RI pads. It is also the exact same dimension as the RI pads so if you don’t fit in the RI pads you wont fit in the SmartLite.
I have one that I won last fall. It does not fit my saddle. The SmartPak Lite ones I have, including one I bought this spring, do. Not sure if its how they’re cut or what, but I can’t use the RI ones with my jumping saddle, while the SP ones are a pretty perfect fit.
I have a few that I got during previous $9.99 sales. They have certainly lasted forever, like others have said. They fit my 17" saddles fine. Mine are not contoured for the wither, so I only use them on horses with low withers. However, mine are old, and from what Beowulf said, it sounds like they’ve changed the design.
They work fine for my 17" saddle with Thinline Trifecta. I pull the pads up into the gullet, and they don’t bunch up or bind the withers for me. I kind of like it that they are just big enough, with no extra material.
I adore them. I own, oh just about 50 of them. They wash up great, aren’t stiff, and boy do they last forever. I have a bunch that are monogrammed and some that are just their white with colored trim.
I dont do the color ones. Sometimes, the color batch is a little bit off, I’d say its a quality control issue. If you just want one teal one, go for it. Barn full of teal? The colors might be off a little bit. Disclaimer, the all black one is fine. So its the funky colors that sometimes dont match (teal, pink, purple, light blue, etc). The darker colors (navy, green, black) seem to be fine across the board. I also dislike crazy colors on my horses. I enjoy being boring. :lol:
The back of my Ecogold pad did have some dirt on it the other day, so that leads me to believe that the pad is a little short for my 17.5 CWD. But that doesnt bother me, because I hate having so much fabric hang off.
Great deal for $10, buy a barn full.
[QUOTE=Renn/aissance;8691733]
They last nigh on forever but I find them to be short along the spine. A 16.5" saddle works fine on these, but my 17.5" extends beyond the binding of the pad.[/QUOTE]
Agree. And they shrink too!
[QUOTE=Renn/aissance;8691733]
They last nigh on forever but I find them to be short along the spine. A 16.5" saddle works fine on these, but my 17.5" extends beyond the binding of the pad.[/QUOTE]
Really? I have a bunch of them, the ones that are very thin, quilted, and while they are short top to bottom (works great on the large pony and the hony I used them for) they fit well under my 17.5 CWD. But maybe they weren’t the same pad, Dover sells a ton of different styles for $10. Regardless, all of my Dover/Riders International pads wash beautifully and last forever. Plus I get them all monogrammed, which costs more than the pads do. 
[QUOTE=beowulf;8692637]
When was the last time you bought them?
They do have the contoured spine, and reinforced padding right over the wither.
I have at least 20 of these pads - they last so long, wash well, and are the perfect price. Our local PC chapter monograms these pads @ Dover for end of the year stuff and rallies, so I’ve got a fair bit of them leftover that are 10+ years old and still look fantastic.
At the end of that spectrum, I was deeply disappointed in my Smartpak SmartLite pad that I got – it was $30, and not even a few rides in the trim and piping frayed off. I’ve never had that problem with any of my RI pads. It is also the exact same dimension as the RI pads so if you don’t fit in the RI pads you wont fit in the SmartLite.[/QUOTE]
My saddle pad collection is a bit…um…ridiculous. 1 horse, and I have maybe 30+ saddle pads. I have purchased 2 or 3 RI pads within the last 5 years.
I ONLY buy the SmartLite pads now. Sorry you spent so much…I catch them on sale for $14-16! PLUS free monogramming!
My only issue (if I can call it that?) with the SmartPak pad is staining…but it’s a white pad, so I expected that.
But I exclusively use my Thinline Half Pad with the SmartLite pads. It hangs over about half an inch on the “fluff” of the half pad, but fits my 17.5" County Saddle just fine.
I have a ton of them. Some from the late 90s. Those are looking fairly ragged but fine for everyday use. I like to wash pads often so I go through a lot. I think the size is fine, consistent with most baby pads I have used for the purpose. It is a bit small to be perfect but it is fine for the price.
They are durable and long lasting but have a STRAIGHT spine. And run short if you have a saddle bigger than 17" or use a half pad. The ‘Riders Contoured’ pad doesn’t go on that great sale, but it is contoured at the spine. Seems to fit better. I used to work for Dover, so I’m pretty knowledgable about their products. XL Contoured pad is pretty long!
I own several of these pads, purchased in 06/07 back when I still worked at the Dover Warehouse. They all look super, are high quality and are a thick fabric (not thick padding wise) so they last forever. My version is contoured over the withers and has extra padding in the wither area to help prevent bunching/rubbing.
I also agree with what others have said. They fit my 17" CWD with 2L flaps really well, but my 17.5" forward flap Stubben is a tight fit, mostly in the spine length. Still great for schooling though.
[QUOTE=refresh;8695155]
They are durable and long lasting but have a STRAIGHT spine. And run short if you have a saddle bigger than 17" or use a half pad. The ‘Riders Contoured’ pad doesn’t go on that great sale, but it is contoured at the spine. Seems to fit better. I used to work for Dover, so I’m pretty knowledgable about their products. XL Contoured pad is pretty long![/QUOTE]
I think it depends on how contoured you are looking for :winkgrin:
The RI Cotton Pads do have a contoured spine and have for many, many years… for horses with reasonably contoured withers. If you have a shark fin or big withered horse, you may find you need more contour. I have a 17" saddle that they fit perfectly in, but my 17.5 forward flap Ainsley is a snug fit. The SmartLite (Smartpak) has the same issue, except their drop is too short.
I personally really love their Warendorf line of pads; they don’t go on the same sale but they are soft soft soft cotton and are worth the $20-30 you pay for them. They are big too, fit my 17.5 saddle with plenty of room to spare.
I have lots – many that I snapped up at $10/pad and took to my local monogram place for my <EF> and they look great. Decent quality, and I find them long enough in spine and drop for my 17" close contacts with thinline or TC half pads. They are durable and have been lasting great so far, and some of mine are several years old.
