Tell me about western pads

[Preposterous_Ponies]

Well, Miss Mare has voted and it appears she prefers to be a western horse. She recently had two bone infections and since the second one, she doesn’t seem to want to jump. She’s sound and she will do it if I ask, but I can tell she isn’t pleased, so I imagine it’s a bit uncomfortable. So jumping is out, at least for a good long while. She just seems happier in her western tack and I seem to ride better in that tack anyway. Her happiness is paramount.

The western tack was supposed to be just an “occasional” thing, so I only have one saddle pad. I really love the pad - it fits her well, provides a good amount of cushion and is nice looking too. But it’s HOT - it doesn’t take much to get her lathered under the pad.

This is what we are currently using: http://www.pleasantridge.ca/index.php/western-tack/saddle-pads/pad-southwest-cut-back-built-up-1.html

I haven’t really sorted out what we’re going to be doing discipline wise - I’m toying with barrel racing but that may be too high impact. She loves to be trail ridden so trail or extreme cowboy races are definitely something I’m interested in. I’m hoping to start taking western lesson so we can set some goals. I’m not sure if discipline impacts pad choice in the western world.

So tell me about pads - your favourite brands, styles, materials, ect. Help would be greatly appreciated. I am looking to stay under $150 CAN price wise, but could go higher for the right pad.

[Flash44]

I use a thin felt pad 3/8" with a saddle blanket over top, both are washable. I can’t stand anything that is hard to keep clean.

http://www.sstack.com/product/dura-tech-miracle-felt-liner-pad/

I personally don’t like to put a lot of padding under the saddle - the saddle should fit well enough without a pad. These felt pads are cheap enough that I have 4 for 2 horses and can keep them washed as needed.

I do have nice Mayatex wool pads for shows and competitions, and use the felt pad under them as well.

OP, if your horse can’t jump, it will not be able to barrel race. Good luck with your mare, she sounds like a cool horse!

[bugsynskeeter]

I use a 1/2 inch Won pad with a BOT liner on my filly. I use just the Won pad on the rest of the horses I ride.

[Preposterous_Ponies]

[QUOTE=Flash44;8299097]
OP, if your horse can’t jump, it will not be able to barrel race. Good luck with your mare, she sounds like a cool horse![/QUOTE]

Yeah, I figured as much, and that’s fine. Whatever makes the mare happy, she gets.

I’m thinking a wool pad like this:
http://www.pleasantridge.ca/index.php/western-wool-contoured-pad-protector.html

and a saddle blanket would be a bit cooler.

[beau159]

Myself personally, I don’t like either of the pads you posted because they don’t have the wither cutout. JMO. Good to see that they have contour though.

I am a fan of 5 Star pads. Until I find something better (doubtful) these are the only pads I will use.
http://www.5starequineproducts.com/saddle-pads/100-wool-contoured-pads/

Red uses a 1/2" pad and Shotgun uses a 3/4" pad (until he fills out a little more).

You can get them in virtually any thickness and any shape (rounded, square, mule, etc).

They are spendy but well worth the price. Red’s pad is 4 years old and gets used HARD. I simply wash it is up with the pressure washer and it’s just as soft as new. They are SO buttery soft. Love them.

[Tee]

I prefer the contour pads and adore my Pro Choice pads. They wear like iron and both of my boys seem to like them. For a thicker pad, I have a Weaver fleece pad with a wool core (I think) that works great. I think it was around $60. The PC are obviously a bit more expensive.

[Draftmare]

Welcome to the dark side! I recently made the transition because it seems to make my mare much happier. I know it helps that my western saddle is also the best fitting of the two saddles I have.

I recently bought a Toklat Matrix pad. They are spendy, but worth the investment. Right now they have a $15 factory coupon going on. They breathe well, absorb shock, have shims that can make a totally custom fit, and most importantly are machine washable. I did an unofficial review of mine on my blog not too long ago: https://draftmare.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/toklat-matrix-saddle-pad-review/

[Blumeroo]

I love my Impact Gel pad. My mare has very uneven shoulders (something we’re working on!) and this pad keeps pressure off of her over-developed shoulder. It has a wither cut-out and seems to keep her happy. They are a bit pricey but come in several thickness options.

I would love to try out the 5 Star pads but my bank acc’t has different ideas lol. I’ve heard great things about them as well.

[RemiRocks]

I agree with Tee, the Professional Choice pads are really great. I especially like the All Around Air Ride.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16280

Lightweight, high cut withers, nice amount of cushion. Worth the price.

[beau159]

[QUOTE=Blumeroo;8330180]
I love my Impact Gel pad. [/QUOTE]

I had Impact Gel before making the switch to 5 Star. One thing I didn’t like about Impact Gel, is that gel gets really hard when you ride in freezing temperatures. (which I do very frequently)

[Halt2]

When I worked in a tack store and ordered this pad for the store (I strongly believe it’s the Ger-Ryan brand) I was disappointed to say the least. I can guarantee that it’s not worth the money (even at cost, about $25). Don’t be fooled by the contour. This pad is very rigid and the wool is so compressed it offers no flexibility. To put into perspective, when we (the other employees and I) sat on it, it felt like sitting on the concrete floor. We returned it and got a full refund. This is my own experience. Hope this helps.

I always fit the saddle to the horse to minimize the padding. And remember, going too thick is not good either. It’s all about find the correct combination of tack.

[akhunterrider]

http://www.jefferspet.com/products/ranch-tough-contoured-pad-32-x-32?via=5338848b9fa2600f00000196%2F5338848b9fa2600f00000197%2F5338848d9fa2600f000001be

I have had that pad for over 6 months. For the price, it is very nice. If I had the budget, I would have gotten a 5 star pad, but since I didn’t, I’ve been really happy with the wool felt.

[akhunterrider]

[QUOTE=Halt@x10;8359416]
When I worked in a tack store and ordered this pad for the store (I strongly believe it’s the Ger-Ryan brand) I was disappointed to say the least. I can guarantee that it’s not worth the money (even at cost, about $25). Don’t be fooled by the contour. This pad is very rigid and the wool is so compressed it offers no flexibility. To put into perspective, when we (the other employees and I) sat on it, it felt like sitting on the concrete floor. We returned it and got a full refund. This is my own experience. Hope this helps.

I always fit the saddle to the horse to minimize the padding. And remember, going too thick is not good either. It’s all about find the correct combination of tack.[/QUOTE]

Which pad are you referring to?

[Halt2]

Sorry never mentioned it but it’s this one in the link below. The one the OP posted.

http://www.pleasantridge.ca/index.php/western-wool-contoured-pad-protector.html

[Bluey]

We have been using this kind for several years now for all kinds of riding and they have worked well for us:

http://www.jefferspet.com/products/32-blk-impact-gel-contour-saddle-pad3-4?via=5338848b9fa2600f00000196%2F5338848b9fa2600f00000197%2F5338848d9fa2600f000001be

Interesting to hear some get stiff in cold weather, ours have not, since they are against the warm horse’s back, maybe?

We also use hospital white fleece with an indian blanket upper and plain doubled woven wool pads.

When you ride one horses for several hours doing all kinds of stuff, you may need a little different pad than if you only use one to train for an hour and then put the horse away.

Interesting to hear about the newer pads.

[Horsegirl2015]

Has anyone tried any of the thinline western pads? They look interesting…https://www.thinlineglobal.com/product-category/western-saddle-pad-blanket-liners

[NoSuchPerson]

[QUOTE=Horsegirl2015;8385248]
Has anyone tried any of the thinline western pads? They look interesting…https://www.thinlineglobal.com/product-category/western-saddle-pad-blanket-liners[/QUOTE]

I have one like this:

https://www.thinlineglobal.com/shop/western-saddle-pad-blanket-liners/western-saddle-pad-pro-tech-premium-grey-felt

But holy bank roll, I did NOT pay anywhere near that price. I’ve had it for a while, but it’s been sitting in the tack shed for most of the time I’ve had it. I haven’t used it enough to give you a review. However, there is one thing I’m not too thrilled with. My saddle, with it’s standard western saddle fleece underside, is kind of slippery on the smooth plasticey thinline top. It’s not really a problem, it’s just that I’m used to the fleece of the saddle grabbing onto the felt of my other saddle pad, so it feels kind of wrong.

[Horsegirl2015]

Interesting, I would have never thought that would be an issue! It is suppose to be non slip. Did you buy yours online or from a store?

[QUOTE=NoSuchPerson;8385305]
I have one like this:

https://www.thinlineglobal.com/shop/western-saddle-pad-blanket-liners/western-saddle-pad-pro-tech-premium-grey-felt

But holy bank roll, I did NOT pay anywhere near that price. I’ve had it for a while, but it’s been sitting in the tack shed for most of the time I’ve had it. I haven’t used it enough to give you a review. However, there is one thing I’m not too thrilled with. My saddle, with it’s standard western saddle fleece underside, is kind of slippery on the smooth plasticey thinline top. It’s not really a problem, it’s just that I’m used to the fleece of the saddle grabbing onto the felt of my other saddle pad, so it feels kind of wrong.[/QUOTE]