I am saddle pad shopping and need some input. I ride LD’s in a barrel saddle and want to know what your favorite endurance saddle pad is. Brand, material, style, etc. So far I have looked at Impact Gels, CSI’s, and the PRS pads endorsed by Clinton Anderson. (I’m impressed by the CSI pads, but they are insanely expensive. I’d have to hear some great stories from endurance people before I’d spend $300 on a pad.) I’ve had some saddle fit issues and want something that will evenly distribute pressure, and keep my horse cool. I plan on doing a 50 by the end of this season. The problem I keep running into is that all the “rave reviews” are from reiners, cutters, and barrel racers. All knowledgeable people, but I’d love to hear some reviews from endurance riders. It makes a difference when you are spending 4hrs at a time on a pad, versus 1hr in an arena setting. Any personal stories would be appreciated. Thanks!
Supracor pads are the best, no matter what you do! They are also expensive, but SO worth it!
Love, love, love my skito pads! and so do the horses
Woolbak. Nothing fake about it. All wool. Easy to care for, toss in washer and hang on the fence rail to dry. EASY.
Toklat woolback is a great pad. I use a Thinline on top of mine for weight distribution. I also have an Impact gel that I use with my roping saddle, but it is a bit thick and heavy with my trail saddle. I prefer to use the least thick padding possible. If it were me, I would try to figure out the saddle fit issues well before trying a 50 to be fair to your horse. That is a long way to go with saddle that has fit issues. After all, you wouldn’t walk even 10 miles in a pair of shoes that you know will give you blisters:cry:.
Good luck!! :winkgrin:
I can really recommend the Fleeceworks pads. I use the FWES-1 and FWES-3 for my English-style endurance saddle but they make others as well:
http://fleeceworks.com/products/western-endurance.html
Also, as a side note: It should not be your pad that distributes the weight correctly, it should be your saddle! Pads can make things worse, and they usually don’t fix a bad saddle fit. So keep this in mind before you tackle 50 miles…
I really like Equipedic. I was hesitant to spend the $$ when I bought it several years ago but I dont regret it at all. Always, always, always use the black mesh Dixie Midnight-type pad under it though. I have NEVER had to wash my Equipedic.
I think part of my saddle fit problem is that my pad is beat. But y’all are right. I definitely want to get things fixed before I try a 50.
HAF pad…tried many and think i finally found the one. Have done several endurance rides in them…and love them!!!
5 Star all wool pad. Comes in several thicknesses. I use it with a Dixie Midnight underneath and it never gets wet or heavy. You don’t want to carry 10 extra pounds of a wet wool pad on an LD.
I like the Tacky Too pads by Reinsman. They’re lightweight and can be hosed off easily. They have pads designed to distribute weight more evenly, and most are under $100.
They are made of non-slip anti-bacterial material that is ventilated and have a lot of different types to choose from.
Saddle Pad for endurance
I have used a CSI pad, and tacky too pads. The CSI worked ok for LD’s but retained too much heat for 50’s. The Tacky too was ok for one 50 but when I tried back to back 50’s it didn’t work as well.
So I have been using a pad made by Stablegear Tack that is made of the material used in nursing homes for bed ridden patients. It has enough padding to give a little cushion, but is flexible and thin enough to not distort saddle shape. It is amazing in how well it wicks off moisture and heat. Even on hot summer rides, it doesn’t weigh any more at the end of the day than at the begining. It doesn’t slide around and is reversable. On sandy or muddy rides, I have flipped it over at the half way point to keep a cleaner surface on the horses back.
To clean, I have hosed it off, and once a year or so sneak it into the house and use the washing machine.
I have completed several 100’s with this pad, and did the OD and Tevis with no breast collar or crupper. It stays put.In 2008,my friend Ron Chapman was at the AERC 100 mile National Championship ride, and his other $150.00 pad kept slipping out from under the saddle. He actually had to get off and pick it off the ground at one point. It was really bothering his horses back (duh), and a completion looked very unlikely. . I had an extra pad with me, and let him borrow it. He finished and got the Reserve 1/2 Arabian National Championship.
The pads sell for $50-$55.00. plus shipping. One thing some people do not seem to like about them is that they seem oversize compared to other pads. They are afraid it will cover too much and retain heat. It doesn’t. They are not cut rectangularly. I love the oversized part as it keeps water bottles or cantle bags from bouncing on the horses exposed back.
Hope this helps,
Paul N. Sidio
Spokane MO
Paul,
I looked on the website, which pad do you have , specifically? It was hard to tell from the pics.
Saddle pad
She calls them “Set Right” They are only $45.00. She makes them herself. They are on her page under saddle pads. They come standard in that rounded at the back shape, but she will make them any shape and size you want.
Paul N. Sidio
Spokane MO
I love that something that affordable comes so highly recommended! I only found one pic on her website. Do you by chance have any pics of your own? How thick are the pads?And thanks for the review on the CSI pad. That saved be a lot of trial and error, not to mention cash.
Slightly off subject, I met Ron Chapman at my very first ride, the Pyramid Challenge, last summer. He was so nice and gave me a lot of good advice that has served me well. I doubt he’d remember me, but if you see him, tell him the girl with the tall QH says thanks.
After that one ride, I was hooked, partly due to all the great people I met.
