Saddle Pad Bottoms - Wool, Fleece or that Rubber Looking Stuff

[Rodeio]

I bought a new saddle pad. It is from Weaver and has a wool core with a fleece bottom. Actually it is this one but I didn’t pay that much for it:
http://www.shopatron.com/products/productdetail/All+Purpose+Cut+Back+Saddle+Pad/part_number=35-9309/1207.0.1.1.23771.0.0.0.0?

It seems to slip. Not sure if it does this because it is new or if it is the fleece. Saddle is brand new. Fitted by a saddlefitter so I know it fits that is why I am wondering about the pad and if that is not going to work.

Then I see these Diamond Wool pads I am drooling over: http://www.diamondwoolpads.com/product.asp?CID=1&PID=6

And then there is this Tacky Too stuff: http://www.horse.com/item/reinsman-micro-suede-tacky-too-pad/SLT700155/

What do you use as pads? Like/dislike? I need a cutback or a built up as I have a high withered horse. The Tacky Too seems like it would rub but the reviews are great.

Agh. Help please!

[JetsBuddy]

We’ve recently upgraded our saddle pads. On my high withered gaming horse, we use a felt impact gel pad. He needs the extra support and the gel, it has wither relief and a spine channel and he gets galls from neoprene. We use SMX air ride pads on the other gaming horse and our QH mare (2 different pads). Both have wither relief, both are thinner with synthetic fleece on the bottom. All of the horses have even sweat marks and no soreness. I bought all of these pads at tack sales for really cheap but I knew what I was looking for. What I’ve found with the first link that you posted is that those pads tend to be thick and stiff. The pads I mentioned conform better to the horses’ backs.

[Leather]

I’ve got a saddle pad that’s a combo of fleece (synthetic) and a grippy material.

It’s made by Grandeur for treeless saddles so it’s got good spine relief.

I have the Vario, it looks like the Suspension Plus has the same type of bottom:

http://www.blackforestsaddles.com/pads.html

They are spendy, but IMO very worth it. Never had any saddle slippage issues.

[LARGEBORE]

A new pad on the market from Ovation the NeoGel, it is really non slip.

[twofatponies]

[QUOTE=Rodeio;4851739]
I bought a new saddle pad. It is from Weaver and has a wool core with a fleece bottom. Actually it is this one but I didn’t pay that much for it:
http://www.shopatron.com/products/productdetail/All+Purpose+Cut+Back+Saddle+Pad/part_number=35-9309/1207.0.1.1.23771.0.0.0.0?

It seems to slip. Not sure if it does this because it is new or if it is the fleece. Saddle is brand new. Fitted by a saddlefitter so I know it fits that is why I am wondering about the pad and if that is not going to work.

Then I see these Diamond Wool pads I am drooling over: http://www.diamondwoolpads.com/product.asp?CID=1&PID=6

And then there is this Tacky Too stuff: http://www.horse.com/item/reinsman-micro-suede-tacky-too-pad/SLT700155/

What do you use as pads? Like/dislike? I need a cutback or a built up as I have a high withered horse. The Tacky Too seems like it would rub but the reviews are great.

Agh. Help please![/QUOTE]

I got a diamond wool contoured pad - the contour aspect really helped with any saddle shifting and it has a wither relief cutout (my former horse and current horse are both high withered). Plus it’s a solid inch of felt, so super nice on the horse’s back. It’s my fave… It was expensive but will probably last forever - it’s got a lot of miles on it already.

[lawndart]

Hi Rodeio The only pad of those three that I have any experience with is the Tacky Too pad.

My Willow is a mutton withered, barrel shaped, short backed hony. :winkgrin: No matter what saddle I’ve used so far, they slip. The TackyToo helps prevent that, and I’ve never had an issue with pinching, pulling, or rubbing. Even after our 6 hour trail ride on Thursday. :winkgrin: I used my all purpose Wintec English for that ride, and it didn’t slip, nor did she seem uncomfortable in any way.

Phoenix, the foundation QH can wear any pad, wool, fleece, etc, and it all stays put. But some pads work better with different saddles. I try to go with the ‘too much padding is better than not enough’ theory.

[coymackerel]

I have this Reinsman pad with the tacky too bottom and really like it for my high withered horse http://store.reinsman.com/products/x_series_1. You can also get it with a felt or a wool bottom. It’s not stiff at all and it’s shorter than many pads so doesn’t hit his loin area.

[JollyBadger]

I have a Tacky-too pad (and a couple of pads with similar material on the bottom) and have never had rubbing or slipping issues.

The only real issue is in the spring when the horses are shedding; the long hair tends to get stuck in the material and doesn’t “just hose off” as easily as advertised.

Otherwise, during the rest of the year, cleanup is quick and easy.

[pnalley]

I have 2 tacky too’s. I can’t stand them. Two of my horses wound up with white hairs under the saddle. I have 2 really old SMX pads (20+ years) they are still great pads.

My Skito’s have the wool fleece.

We still use the dixie midnight style pads underneath. No slipping, hair balls or anyother problems.

[wendy]

if you had the saddle fitted well to your horse, and then you stick a thick wool pad under it, you probably messed up the saddle fit and that is why the pad is slipping out.
What kind of pad did the saddle fitter use during the fitting? you may need to use just very thin pads.
I personally like a pad that is nothing but wooly sheepskin (wool and leather, no other padding), the wool side down on the the horse, not bulky, but the wool really improves the comfort/ sweat removal for the horse.

[sublimequine]

For a horse with substantial withers, the tacky pads should not be necessary. My mare uses a pad that is tacky on BOTH sides, because she is mutton withered, broad shouldered, and downhill. Even with a well fitting saddle, there’s slippage with this type of conformation. Interestingly enough, she seems to prefer the tacky pads specifically because she HATES when the saddle slips and I have to readjust. The tacky on both sides pad means I never have to readjust once mounted, so she’s a happy girl.

For a horse without mutton withers/slippage issues, I’d say real wool/sheepskin is a good choice. That’s what I would use if I had a horse with some withers. :yes:

[BigHorseLittleHorse]

[QUOTE=sublimequine;4857707]
For a horse with substantial withers, the tacky pads should not be necessary.[/QUOTE]

That’s what I thought, too, until I rode my high-withered horse down a steep hill at the beginning of a ride a few months ago. The saddle slid forward just a little bit, stopped when it got to his withers and stayed there, pinching him, for the rest of the ride. I didn’t realize because it was so slight a movement of the saddle, but he had pressure point spots on either side of his withers at the end of the ride (and it explained why he was uncharacteristically spooky and crooked on that ride). So now I’m on the tacky saddle pad hunt, too…

[sublimequine]

[QUOTE=BigHorseLittleHorse;4875531]
That’s what I thought, too, until I rode my high-withered horse down a steep hill at the beginning of a ride a few months ago. The saddle slid forward just a little bit, stopped when it got to his withers and stayed there, pinching him, for the rest of the ride. I didn’t realize because it was so slight a movement of the saddle, but he had pressure point spots on either side of his withers at the end of the ride (and it explained why he was uncharacteristically spooky and crooked on that ride). So now I’m on the tacky saddle pad hunt, too…[/QUOTE]

I should have clarified…

…horses with substantial withers, who live in central IL where the biggest hill is the manure pile, should not need a tacky pad.

[BigHorseLittleHorse]

[QUOTE=sublimequine;4875541]
I should have clarified…

…horses with substantial withers, who live in central IL where the biggest hill is the manure pile, should not need a tacky pad. :D[/QUOTE]

haha, excellent point. I have to go to NJ to find a piece of flat land…

[craz4crtrs]

I have three contoured Tacky Two pads. Two have the extra padding thru the bar area, the other doesn’t. I prefer the one with the extra padding, but the one without is fine, too.

My old arab, now deceased, has super sensitive skin because of his Cushings. He did great in these pads.

I have this one, http://www.horse.com/item/reinsman-micro-suede-tacky-too-pad/SLT700155/ .

And this one, http://www.horse.com/item/reinsman-tacky-too-contour-navajo-pad/SLT901605/ .

I had two of these, but the ones I had weren’t thick enough and they didn’t have the cut out for the withers. So don’t know if these are worth buying or not. http://www.horse.com/item/tacky-heavyweight-show-pad/SLT901133/

[system]

Fortune7

I want to post a vote for my Toklat Coolbak fleece saddle pad (endurance style).
It is lightweight.
It conforms extremely well to the horse and is absolutely not in any way stiff
It is thin enough not to mess up a good saddle fit but thick enough to provide cushion for the horse.
Plus (and this is a big one) I can throw it in the washing machine and the dryer after EVERY ride so it doesn’t stink or harbor dirt or fungus.

LOOOVE it!! Want more in assorted colors!

[acoustic]

I’m a fan of wool/wool felt.

I have the exact Diamond Wool pad that you posted and love it! Doesn’t hold sweat, slicks it right off. Plus, it’s pretty!