I’ve ridden Western and English for years, but have a silly question about the western pad. I have a western saddle fits the horse well, but only with a thinner English type pad. What options do I have for a western pad that’s nice and thin, but not one of those huge “saddle blankets” as this is a round skirt saddle and not a whole lot of skirt to it. Thanks.
Maybe you can locate a sythetic felt pad to use under the saddle . They are thin, made to go under the expensive, thick wool show blankets to keep them clean. Pads are dense, so are better protection than English quilted pads, but not inflexible like the 1" thick felt saddle pads Ropers use for imact protection of horse back. Being thinner they wash easier, though I put mine in a laundry bag to protect it when washed.
The large square felt
pad can be trimmed to just outline the round skirt saddle if you like. Felt does not ravel when cut, does not need finish edge work stitching. Being synthetic it washes easily, dries fast hung up or in the dryer. I think the one I have is 1/4 or 3/8 inch thick.
I really feel any Western saddle NEEDS some thickness to the blanket or pad under it. English pads are more for keeping saddles clean, not truly protective, since English saddles come heavily padded when built. The tree of western saddles is '“right there” against skin and bone without using a reasonably thick blanket or saddle pad. No give on the western saddle construction, so soring a horse can happen really fast using thin pads or blankets. So you need to be careful choosing your layers for use.
Thank you, all good points. I’ve not ridden him with the English pad, just tried the saddle on and the only other options I have in my tack room are those long 1" thick hard type thicker felt pads which I think would make the fit too tight. Might just need a wider saddle altogether so I can use one of the thick pads.
Thinline makes a western pad.
I use a Professional’s Choice SMx Air Ride Pad on one of my horses. There are different variations; you can get them thinner with the synthetic top, not the woven top, and in a rounded skirt shape. They are also made with either a fleece or felt underside. You can get them cheaper at different retailers, I just gave you this site so you could read about it.
http://profchoice.com/i-7261519-smx-air-ride-barrel-saddle-pad.html
I found this pad to be nice and thin but still have some cushion for absorbing shock and making the horse comfortable.
If you want something cheap, you could just use a thicker wool saddle blanket.
Also, don’t be afraid to try a thicker pad on your horse. Perhaps you could try one with a thin base but then has been risen up where the saddle tree sits if you don’t want a really thick one. I was using a thin wool pad on my horse for years only to find out that the saddle needed to come up off of his back more. If you do try something new, always check the fit of the saddle and ask knowledgeable people to check the fit as well.
I would suggest a pad liner. They are meant to go under show pads or more expensive pads to keep them clean, without adding lots of bulk. Back On Track has a pad liner that is thin and quilted like an English baby pad. There is really nothing to them. However, I was always told that western pads offer the shock absorbing and body forming function that flocking on an English saddle provides, so may want to keep that in mind.
[QUOTE=Draftmare;8813424]
I would suggest a pad liner. They are meant to go under show pads or more expensive pads to keep them clean, without adding lots of bulk. [/QUOTE]
When my mule was in the process of outgrowing his last saddle, I switched from a thicker pad to just using a felt liner pad (3/8" thick) and it worked fine.
Most thin western pads that are meant to be used on their own are going to have risers in them. They also help correct the fit of saddles that are too wide. If you’re not doing very strenuous riding you could probably get away with a true blanket. They’re usually very inexpensive and can some in all sorts of designs/patterns. One of my local shops sells the basic ones for $8.
If your Western saddle fits well, IMO there is no need to 1" of padding.
Personally, I’m a huge fan of 5 Star saddle pads. They are soft and pliable, and stand up to hard use. On a saddle that fits well, I would recommend a 1/2" thickness.
They do also make them in different shapes, including a rounded barrel pad that works well with a round-skirt saddle.
