Toklat Woolback Products

[myamego]

Is anyone familiar with Toklat products, specifically their Woolback saddle pads?

I’ve been riding at a hunter/jumper barn for the past 5 years, and sheepskin half-pads seems to be one of the very top level items that you can buy your horse. Anything sheepskin, actually. I’ve always wanted a sheepskin half pad but just couldn’t fork out the money for an item that seemed to get dirty easily and wouldn’t hold up very well to sweating and washing and long-term use. Now I’m at a western barn, casually looking at western tack, and wool seems to be the big thing over in the western world! Except it seems way more durable, easier to clean, and has just as good weight distribution and impact absorption properties. Why isn’t wool a bigger deal in the english world? Even if I end up keeping my dressage saddle, I’ll probably still get some kind of wool pad for it. The Toklat Woolpack pads seem really cushiony (is that a word?) and easy to wash. Any positive or negative Toklat saddle pad experiences? Any other recommendations for wool pads for english saddles?

[Melissa.Van_Doren]

Woolback pads are well made and durable. That said, I still bought a Toklat sheepskin half pad because I like the natural density. When the wool fibers are attached to a different backing, it doesn’t have quite the same loft. But you’re right, wool without the skin is a little easier to maintain. My co-favorite are the Mattes pads.

[irish_horse]

Love them. I have used a standard woolback with my dressage saddle for endurance riding for years, and have now upgraded to the woolback version of the Matrix pad (it has fancy inserts). They dry super quickly (which seems counter-intuitive for the thickness, but they do!) and I find pretty easy to wash (hose them off, scrub a little, rinse, hang to dry).

I also use the woolback girth (Only issue: going through high weeds and getting burrs all over my girth, hate picking them off!)

[Palm_Beach]

Us Westerners have nice washable inexpensive wool pads that you can throw in the washing machine. Not sure why the English versions are so pricey. Sounds like the above posters are not using baby pads, which I agree with, because why buy wool pads if you are going to put a cotton/synthetic pad between the wool and the horse’s skin…

[16_Hands]

Love my woolbacks under my western saddle. They clean up easily; I just hose them off. Palm Beach, probably to keep it clean? I don’t know. I don’t use it for my English tack because I don’t need as much padding.

[myamego]

@irish_horse sounds awesome, I’m thinking of getting the girth too! Only problem is no metal buckles in the washing machine…

@Palm Beach I agree, the point is to have the wool against the horse so it can breathe, prevent slipping, release heat, etc. Toklat Woolback standard western/endurance/ap full pad is $100, Mattes sheepskin HALF pad is $250 AT LEAST…what gives??

[irish_horse]

@myamego You can put the girth in the machine! I put athletic socks around the buckles, use a hair rubber band to hold them on, comes out clean and nice. I only really do it in the winter, as I find power hosing outside is just as simple in the summer.

I don’t put the pad in the machine, it’s just too bulky.

[Nezzy]

i have used Toklat Coolback pads for years. They are awesome and last forever. I have not tried the woolback, tho.

[Posting_Trot]

I have the woolback girth and love it. I have two woolback pads which wear like iron. The only caveat about the pads is that they tend to be thick, and they will change the fit of the saddle. Also, with the woolback girth, you may find that you’ll need one size longer to accommodate the thickness of the fleece.

[Melissa.Van_Doren]

@myamego

@irish_horse Toklat Woolback standard western/endurance/ap full pad is $100, Mattes sheepskin HALF pad is $250 AT LEAST…what gives??

Sheepskin is always more expensive than wool/synthetic backing.