# Recommend western trail saddle pad?



## mildot

I would hit some of the websites that sell tack for endurance racers and shop for saddle pads there.


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## Joe4d

endurance riders pretty much use fleece pads, is yours real fleece ? The sourceof the rubbing is more likely a poor fitting saddle, probably also why your horse acts up.


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## Celeste

It is probably fake fleece. It is not rubbing. I just don't want to change to something that will rub her or she will go psycho. Maybe mine is ok. It is really kinda cheap and doesn't look all that good.


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## Joe4d

tucker southwest top, or coolbacks, and rensman canvas top fleece pads are good pads for the money, in the 70-80 dollar range. You can pay alot more but really wont have a pad that does much else.


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## mildot

I've heard good things about Toklat Woollback pads. They come in enough shapes to fit jumping, dressage, and western saddles.


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## Saddlebag

Wool on the top side of a pad is basically pointless, but can be beneficial next to the horse because of it's hygroscopic properties. So-called air pads are hot because it is just closed cell foam, like the neoprene used in diving suits.


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## Wallaby

I have a Diamond Wool brand pad (one of the ones you can shim if you need to) and I adore it. I haven't been able to ride in it a ton because my mare is crazy wide and doesn't need a 2inch pad, but the times I have ridden in it have been great.
The only complaint I have with it is that it's an ugly brown color. Thankfully I'm a handy enough hand sewer that I was able to sew prettier cloth on to it, but yknow.
One day, when/if I get a narrower horse, I will be using this pad 24/7 because it's just that great.

I also have an Abetta Polar Fleece pad ( Saddles Tack Horse Supplies - ChickSaddlery.com Abetta Polar Fleece Reversible Pad ) that I got on Ebay for about $25, three or so years ago. Obviously, for that price, it's not the classiest pad ever but I have been using it on a near daily basis for 3 years and it's still going strong. I did cover it with pretty cloth about a week ago because the fleece was starting to pill and look gross, but otherwise it's doing well.
It's a thinner pad (about 1inch thick) but my mare is wide enough that anything thicker bothers her (since it makes the saddle fit "not right") and anything thinner is too thin (she's 27 and just a bit sensitive about these things, haha).

If you want to go all the way and really get something nice, you can't go wrong with 5 Star pads ( - 5star Equine Products ). I have never heard one bad thing about them and wool is always a great choice for a saddle pad.
They are pretty expensive but I've heard that they last for practically forever.


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## Celeste

I have googled all these suggestions and I am now more confused that I was............


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## Celeste

I think that the pad that I am using is too thick. It is at least 1 1/2 inches thick and it seems that it may be making the saddle fit funny.


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## Joe4d

Tucker Wool backs are wool fleece pads, not wool on the back. they are non canvased topped pads. The tucker soutwest back have a layer of southwest print denim type stuff with the fleece bottom, the coolback is just straight fleece. All are about 3/4" when mushed down. The cool backs are nice because they are machine washable, come in different colors and shapes. I use the souhwest topped one,
If I had a normal shaped saddle I would probably use the reinsman fleece trail pads. 
I think alot of people have ill fitting saddles, or try to use one saddle on multiple horses, and spend alot of money on pads with a bunch of bells and whistles. NO way I would fork over hundreds of dollars to do something a 80 dollar pad will do just as well.


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## Celeste

Joe, do you have a link to the exact pad that you are suggesting?


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## schnue

I recently a used saddle that fits well and bought a used Diamond wool pad with a cut-out for the withers that also has a strap I guess to keep it from slipping out from under the saddle. It fits well except that the strap seems tight over the withers. I'm tempted to cut the strap and try it without. Anyone with knowledge on this? The mare I ride needs a FQHB saddle so the thin pad works well.


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## trailhorserider

I like any quality wool felt pad. I currently have a Diamond Wool, 5-Star and several Impact Gels. 

The Diamond Wool is the cheapest priced of the three, but quit serviceable. I don't really use it anymore though because I bought the Impact Gels and the 5-Star second hand from a friend.

I guess I like the 5-Star best because is is lightweight and has super-duper nice cushy felt. The Impact Gels are very nice too, but heavier because of the gel. I don't know if the gel itself makes much difference. I like them because of their quality felt. I would not hesitate to get another one though. I think they are cheaper than the 5-Stars and basically just as nice or nicer quality-wise.

I tell you what I like to do, which may or may not work well for you. But I buy a nice single layer Mayatex wool blanket and use that on the bottom under my saddle pad. Then when when it gets sweaty and crusty it is much easier to clean and dry than the thicker pads. So it encourages me to clean my blankets more often. I hate washing the thick pads. So after a handful of rides I will pull it off the horse sweaty, soak and rinse it in a tub of water, and hang over the tie-rail to dry. So my felt pads stay clean. 

The reason I say it may or may not work for you is sometimes they will travel out from under the pad on long rides if you do a lot of hills. But it also depends on how your saddle fits. With one of my saddles it never moves at all. On my other saddle it will travel, but I normally can carry out a long ride without adjustments.


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## trailhorserider

schnue said:


> I recently a used saddle that fits well and bought a used Diamond wool pad with a cut-out for the withers that also has a strap I guess to keep it from slipping out from under the saddle. It fits well except that the strap seems tight over the withers. I'm tempted to cut the strap and try it without. Anyone with knowledge on this? The mare I ride needs a FQHB saddle so the thin pad works well.


I have the same one but I left the wither strap on. I don't know if cutting it off would ruin things or not. 

If you ever try a new pad, I would get something with a contoured shape. Then you get some wither relief but they don't seem to go tight (on my horses anyway).


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## franknbeans

5-star pads are WELL worth the $$. There is a huge difference in the quality of the wool felt between them and cheaper pads. 5 stars don't have rough stuff like small piece of sticks and stuff that can irritate your horse. I love love love mine. I have a 3/4 inch, since I like a pretty pad on top, but am saving for a 1 inch for everyday to just throw on and go. I also love that mine has the butterfly skirts for close contact for my reining.


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## Joe4d

Saddle Pads

go here and click on tucker, you have a couple different shapes, coolbak, wool, and cool back with the southwest print top. even a foam/wool. All are good pads. I wouldnt use the foam for hot weather long rides, but be ok otherwise,

these are the ones I use, the best I have found that fit my saddle http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/tucker-saddle-pad.html


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## bsms

I use wool felt. The Diamond one is 1" thick and works well by itself:

Ranch Tough Contoured Pad

With my Australian saddle, I use a cheap Navajo blanket like this:

Ranger 2000 Blanket

It doesn't absorb sweat the way a wool felt pad does, but it doesn't seem to bother my horses any & the Aussie saddles have padding built in. I can wash it in the machine every ride or two - just rinse it by itself without soap & hang it out to dry.


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## HeatherinCali

I have a 7/8 inch 5 Star Saddle pad and I LOVE it! Here is the link to the main site, 5 Star Saddle Pads, Saddle Blankets, Cinches 100% Wool . 

It was expensive, but totally worth it. I elected to spend the $200 on this pad because of the reviews I read about this particular company's pad. It was a choice of spending $160, or just pony up and getting the truly premium pad. I hate when I cheap out, then end up spending more because I didn't get what I really wanted in the first place.

Anyway, back to the subject! I had a fleece pad that was not contoured and it would move around on my horse. I always had to warm up, then re-cinch. 

When I got this pad, I didn't have to re-cinch and my horse was so much happier! My saddle stayed put the entire ride, even with several dismounts. Then after several hours of riding, I took the pad off and my horse was totally dry under my saddle! That never happend with other pads. 

I've had this pad for about 6 months and it has not compressed. I'm hoping it will hold up for several more years to come!

I'm now saving for a breast collar and cinch from 5 star, so I guess I'm hooked!


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