What’s the greatest and why? Also, best inexpensive and best money-is-no-object? Ease of laundering? Quality construction? Colors? Include half-pads, too, if you have wisdom to share. Also: Does anyone sew their own baby pads?
I love the LeMieux pads the most. I buy them when they’re on sale or closeout. But they fit my gelding perfectly! They wash great and are made really well.
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Hands down favorite is Equestrian Stockholm. That’s all I use, and I LOVE them. They have a lot of wither relief and fit my horse really nicely. They’re also thicker which he appreciates. The bonnets are really nice as well, mine are all matching sets.
Tbh I don’t know what the best inexpensive pad would be since I only use those. I really like the Ogilvy baby pads, and they’re definitely more affordable than ES, but I wouldn’t call them super cheap either. Any of the REALLY inexpensive basic pads (Dover, Smartpak, etc.) are pretty crummy in my experience.
I really like LeMieux pads (regular and Loire lines) EXCEPT I don’t like the way they fit my horse and my jump saddle. I’m hoping once I get a dressage saddle, I will like the fit better. Otherwise they’re really well made, good wither relief, and look really nice.
Added: sorry I forgot half pads. We use Mattes sheepskin half pads. We have mostly the regular ones with the rolled wither area, no rolled back area. We have one that’s shimmable as well. Both horses are very comfortable and happy in them.
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I like the LeMieux too. I have three of the LeMieux merino sheepskin backed ones. My horses seem to like them. I agree the cut on them can be a little weird, almost small and I wish they were more generous in the spine/wither clearance.
I did buy an Equestrian Stockholm last fall because it came in “my” colors. The quality is there, but the drop is yuge and I think the sizing is a little inconsistent. I like the cut over the back better.
I look forward to when they drop a sheepskin backed line.
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Ogilvy all the way. The jump pads specifically. I’m getting rid of literally everything else I own in favor of the the Ogilvys. They stay pulled up off the withers, don’t bunch, and don’t slip.
Everything else I have is crud. I don’t like the LeMieux personally, they always seem to try to bunch up since the cut is weird.
I love my thin line half pads (shimmable), and my KS horse prefers a sheepskin pad next to his skin. I’m still shopping for him to find something thin enough.
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@beowulf yeah that’s the problem I had with my LeMeiux, I also don’t have a forward flap and the pad is cut to be with a more forward flap, but overall the pad just looked way too small (I had a size large).
The ES sizing works perfectly for me, I’m not sure how because he’s pretty average sized, but it’s just the right fit.
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Check out Mr. Cute Clip over here. He’s all, “Ladies, PLEASE with the cameras. I’m half-nekkid.”
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I am a big fan of Dover and Smartpak pads. I’ve found they wash well, stay up off the withers if properly tented in the front when you tack up, don’t move/slide around, and last a while. Plus customization is cheap.
I HATE the tuff rider pads - the material feels almost plasticky. Hard to describe. I like Olgivy, but honestly not enough to justify the price tag over a Dover/Smartpak pad.
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Lemieux or Mattes for me!
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Same. I have white show pads from them that have been to 20+ shows (so, 20+ washes) and they still look great.
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Same! The Dover pads especially seem to hold up well to washing. I’ve noticed that my SP pads sometimes get a bit floppy (for lack of a better word lol) after washing, but they’re so affordable (and haven’t fallen apart on me yet) that idc. Both brands also do deals for free customization pretty frequently which is fun.
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Do you know how the lemeiux sheepskin lined compared to the premiere equine ones by any chance?
I love the premiere equine but they are so thick, would love to find sheepskin lining that was a little thinner.
I’ve gone quality over quantity. I need a long pad with high wither clearance and stability so pad doesn’t slip back. I have 2 Ogilvy for dressage and 3 LeMieux for jump saddle (just scored #3 second hand from someone at our barn). I really like the D ring straps on leMieux and am considering a self cooling LeMieux for trail riding in my dressage saddle.
My saddles are flocked to not need a sheepskin if my mare is in good weight.
I find 2 or 3 of each is plenty and they last forever. I also have some backup BR pads that are nice enough but not quite as functional.
When I started in the dressage world I was super excited about the color and pad variety we don’t often see in hunter/ jumper world.
I own Le Mieux, ES. Equine Comfort and some generic dover saddle pads.
The Le Mieux and ES are beautiful and fit fantastically.
However, I will admit to being super lazy and not enjoying the whole hang up to dry thing plus my SO doesn’t love smelly horse laundry clogging up the hallways.
The beauty of the Dover pads is that I can wash them with bleach and dry them and they look fine.
I’ve found the le Mieux and Equine comfort last about a year of regular use and wear before looking shabby.
Preface this with all dressage, but I have some LeMieux suede finish that fit well and wash beautifully. They don’t move or bunch, but I do notice that the plastic girth guards squeak against you boots sometimes.
I also have some Smartpak ones that wash and wear well that I particularly like in the summer as they are a bit thinner. They have some pretty colors, but don’t throw anything white in the machine with them! My show/clinic pads are white Smartpaks with a navy and gold rope braid on them. I’m not going to cry if they get stained and moved on to everyday pads, but so far they’ve held up outstandingly well!
And last in pads, a couple of BOTs that I like in really cold weather as they help warm his back up.
Half pads, I use the Thinline with the fleece edges and quilted bottom. It is shimmable but we no longer need the shims. It stays in place and washes well and I’ve had it for probably 5 years and it isn’t really showing any wear. It cushions my lower back a bit and he seems to like it.
I’m a dressage rider but all I use are either PS of Sweden or Eskadron. I love the velvet Eskadrons the most–they’re lovely and squashy. With the exchange rates right now, they are screamingly less expensive in the UK and EU. PS are my fave for the front stop pads and they stay tented so, so well.
I’ve also heard really good things about Kentucky but I don’t own any of those 
My Kentucky is gorgeous. It fits great and looks amazing
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I have a couple of old Practical Choice saddle pads that are sadly not made anymore (I believe they were sold by Eisers, so they’re 20+ years old), and I adore those things! So well padded and well made. I also have an old Roma pad that is like a Poly Pad, which I love as well! It’s very pillowy, but not excessively bulky.
My next favorite is probably PRI (Pacific Rim International). They seem to last forever (one of mine is 17 years old and still holding up great) and come in a lot of different options. Roma is still a good brand as well for basic schooling square pads. I have some old Dura-Tech from Schneider’s I like (though they’re 16 years old, so I’m not sure if they’re still the same) and a nice Waldhausen and Wilker’s.
As for half pads, I seem to always reach for my Fleeceworks a lot and really like it. ThinLine makes great low profile pads for shock absorption without bulk.
Oh, my gosh. Eisers. There’s a name I haven’t heard in AGES.
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These are my favorite for day-to-day riding. I own 3 “double back” (fleece just on the underside of the pad where the saddle sits) pads, 2 AP and 1 dressage. They wear and wash like iron, fit my Tb / saddles beautifully. I don’t think they make them (AP pads) anymore though. That’s too bad, they weren’t expensive and great quality. **
My other quilted cotton pads are so old I don’t even know what brand they are, except one Forestier, but they are still in great shape after 15 to 20 years of regular use.
**MTA they look just like this one, but you had a choice of many colors, then.
Passport by Toklat Double Back All Purpose Saddle Pad | Riding Warehouse
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