I’d like to buy a couple new dressage pads for my BO, who rides in an older style Ansur. I’m guessing the pads with more wither relief might now work. Any recommendations? The pads she has now are a medium thickness (and beyond well-used). It would be great if I could get two and keep it under $100-ish.
This pad got good reviews when googling “treeless saddle pads”. Many of the others are more expensive. Do you know what brand she currently uses?
Actually I think Smart Pak has this same pad for around $65.
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Thanks! I can try to peek at the brand when I’m out today. They look like pretty standard quilted pads, no extra padding in the back section or anything.
She has these Roma Ecole pads - I recognized them once I stumbled across them on the interwebz: https://www.jefferspet.com/roma-ecole-double-diamond-dressage-pad-color-black-red/p?idsku=77373&gclid=CjwKCAiA7IGcBhA8EiwAFfUDsUWTyyKnZ98DVZ0HaNbWVYJHlfDrSDSjvocEmhfqV43TGnWaCBZKABoC-o4QAvD_BwE
But I’d like to get her something a little nicer as a gift.
Some of the very old Ansur models don’t have a gullet channel. Is it one of those or is there a channel? Whether or not there is a gullet channel will impact how pads fit.
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Exactly my question.
But since she’s already using a normal pad, I think the answer is - it’s a saddle with a gullet.
So, that means any pad that works in general for Dressage saddles is in play. Nuumed makes some nice sheepskin-lined ones that aren’t outrageous, but you can’t get 2 for $100
Toklat has some great pads.
I WOULD go for something with a wither relief, not just contoured, so keep that in mind when searching, especially since the pad she’s using now
LeMieux makes nice pads, also not 2/$100 though
Weatherbeeta Prime would get you 2/$100, and fits the wither relief profile
And then of course, There’s still the Roma option since she’s apparently loved those enough to use them to pieces 
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Thanks I will try to get a look at her saddle without her knowing. I just have the impression that they sit pretty low over the horses’ withers, which is why I wasn’t sure about the more contoured pads. I have several LeMieux pads myself and thought they might bunch up a little at the withers. I don’t know that she loves the Roma pads so much as she uses everything to bits and never buys herself anything nice. A few years ago I bought her an Equiture browband after she helped me with treating a horse on multiple ulcer meds, and I don’t think she has ever used it because it’s “too nice.” So definitely something quality that will hold up to daily wear, but also utilitarian.
I’ve looked at lots of pads this morning, and in the more padded range, the Passier FlexiPad and the ANKY pads look like top contenders. Maybe I can get a couple barn mates to chip in a few bucks.
I use these Roma pads and have for years under my “regular” dressage saddle. I dont know much about treeless, but many discussions say the pad should have some anti-slip features.
Look at how the saddle sits on her horse, rather than just at the saddle itself. Beyond the original models, the rest of them have just as much or as little wither clearance as any treed saddle. It’s how it sits on the horse that matters, rather than just the shape of a given saddle. If her saddle sits low over her horse’s withers, either it doesn’t have a tall enough pommel, OR, it’s too wide and actually needs a front shim.
I rode in an Ansur Hunter saddle for several years. There was no special padding needed, no anti-slip, no wither/spine protection, etc, because it had structure to the “tree” that made it function like a treed saddle, just more flexible.
Smartpak often has pads on clearance. I got a nice dressage pad for $13. Would she like a half pad? Those are pretty nice under the treeless saddles giving a little extra padding. I have one that I would part with cheap 
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Susan
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I don’t think so. She was given a ton of tack recently including several half pads that we all picked through and grabbed what we could use, and she is still using the plain Roma pads. I wouldn’t want to suggest that she is not using her own saddle correctly. They get used on lots of different horses. I will see what I can sleuth out - some other boarders have probably used her saddle(s) at some point.
I meant they seem to sit quite low on the horses, but it’s not like I’m getting up close to inspect her tack.
No…half pad is not needed just nice for the treeless. I have a shimmable one so you can get the balance right for the rider. But yeah, using it on as many horses as she does…I really Iike those old Roma saddle pads. Mine are nearing the end of their life 
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Susan
