# Review: Best Friend Comfort Plus Bareback Pad



## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Item: Best Friend Comfort Plus Bareback Pad - Horse.com

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I was skeptical at first, but I love it!
From the way the image looked, and the description read, I was expecting a suede seat on maybe microsuede knee roll/flap. I don't know a ton about English-style saddles, so forgive me if I mis-name any parts of the pad.
The seat is actually very poofy and feels a lot like a teddy bear. (Not the best for velcro-ing your butt to the seat, but I'll explain why I like that in a bit.) The microsuede is everywhere else. Beneath that, is a no-slip, waffle-type material. Looks easy to clean, and is very soft. I love the way it feels and my horse had no complaints that I could tell.
Bareback pad is securing, around the knee area, with the microsuede. The seat can be somewhat slick but I like this. I have a hard time getting off bareback pads that are solid suede/microsuede. I feel like I get stuck to them and can't get offf. Liked the girth/cinch! Easy to adjust. 
This pad fit my semi-high-withered horse very well. It did not slip, and distributes weight very evenly. Would recommend!!!

Pros:great price!, doesn't slip!, contours to horse's back, heavenly seat (so soft on the tushy!), non-slip suede where it counts!, great for high withers, d-rings!, comes with a non-slip girth!
Cons:limited colors, fuzzy-dice material on seat

Best Friend Comfort Plus Bareback Pad - Horse.com <~ Purchase link here.
I got mine on sale, so it was less than $50 after shipping. I would recommend to wait for a sale. horse.com often does 15% off + free shipping promos.


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## pineapplepastures (Nov 12, 2013)

Omg I want one!!!!!! Looks so much nicer than the ones at my tack store
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

A friend of mine with a high withered horse owns this pad and has tried the Best friend basic bareback pad which I own. She came to a conclusion that my pad fits high withers better than the Comfort Plus pad, as the latter one seems to be padded a little differently and to put more pressure on them. Both are very comfortable for the rider, though!


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Saranda said:


> A friend of mine with a high withered horse owns this pad and has tried the Best friend basic bareback pad which I own. She came to a conclusion that my pad fits high withers better than the Comfort Plus pad, as the latter one seems to be padded a little differently and to put more pressure on them. Both are very comfortable for the rider, though!


I love the seat. It's like clouds for my booty. ;D

I don't think I saw the BF Basic pad in the shop. I'll have to check it out.

Oh, the thing I did not care for regarding this product was that I wasn't 100% about the girth it comes with. (I'm 100% western rider. I don't even know what to do with an English saddle. lol. ) and I went to switch it out with my Weaver felt smart cinch. Sadly, the holes in the billets were too small for me to fasten my own cinch into. They'll need to be made a little bit bigger if I wanted to switch it out. X_X


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I have heard good things about this pad  Good review!


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I have the "western" basic version of this pad and really like it, too 

I wouldn't worry to much about it being "English"... there's really nothing English about the pad other than the outline. The girth/cinch is not compatible with standard English girths and looks to be more or less the same as the "western" model I have.


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## HoovesWithDaFur (Nov 22, 2013)

I really like the looks of this but I am wondering how well it would do for extreme trail riding, as far as going up hills and such. I see there are attachments for a breast collar but they look awful high for a western style breast collar?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A bareback pad isn't done up tight like a regular cinch or girth. My preference is a neoprene cinch.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I use the neoprene girth that came with it, suits well and doesn't slip. I also love how easy the pad is to clean!

I've ridden up and down small hills with the basic pad, also jumped a little, and it didn't slip, as long as the girth isn't too loose - although the girth doesn't need to be as tight as with a normal saddle. My boy has a very wide and round barrel, so it's a good sign that such a pad sticks well to him.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

verona1016 said:


> I have the "western" basic version of this pad and really like it, too
> 
> I wouldn't worry to much about it being "English"... there's really nothing English about the pad other than the outline. The girth/cinch is not compatible with standard English girths and looks to be more or less the same as the "western" model I have.


My initial worry was trying to explain parts of it that would be better suited to an English saddle. (Knee Roll, for instance.) The girth was a little weird for me, since there's no latigo to be tied or anything. You just pick the hole you want and it's exactly the same on both side. The only thing similar to the smart cinch is that it has a roller, so you can pull the billet up quickly to release the bareback pad in a hurry. 

(Though I would like to try English sometime. I just need to downsize my rear end a few sizes, first. )


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

HoovesWithDaFur said:


> I really like the looks of this but I am wondering how well it would do for extreme trail riding, as far as going up hills and such. I see there are attachments for a breast collar but they look awful high for a western style breast collar?


I think it would be better suited to something like this : http://horseandmulegear.com/products/fullsize/109-0916_IMG.jpg perhaps?

I will have to take note, but I don't remember there being any rings on the girth/cinch so you'd probably have to get the kind of breast collar that has a tug instead of a clip for a D-ring.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Saranda said:


> I use the neoprene girth that came with it, suits well and doesn't slip. I also love how easy the pad is to clean!
> 
> I've ridden up and down small hills with the basic pad, also jumped a little, and it didn't slip, as long as the girth isn't too loose - although the girth doesn't need to be as tight as with a normal saddle. My boy has a very wide and round barrel, so it's a good sign that such a pad sticks well to him.


I tried the Parelli bareback pad that my BO has, and it has some "Tacky" backing on it, but it doesn't stick like this one does, that's for sure! It feels like a cushioned version of the waffle no-slip lining you put under area rugs on wood/tile flooring. This pad doesn't seem to go anywhere. 

I was trotting about in the BO's bareback pad, and it slid back. (It was also really hard to get off of, since the entire thing was suede. ) I trotted about in this one and noticed no slipping. Even when I got off (which is so much easier, since the suede is mostly on the knee area. ) it didn't slide at all. I like it the more I use it. If I ever manage to kill it, I'll update on its durability. So far, so good though! (I figured it'd fall apart in the first few rides because of the price. )


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## garlicbunny (Apr 30, 2009)

I also have the western best friends and LOVE it! It is so comfortable, has a water bottle pocket on one side and another pocket on the other side (back of pad). I also attach a horn bag to the nylon strap on the front. It slips a little going up steep hills but nothing like my old one where the cinch would end up in the middle of my horses belly. Highly recommend it, I got mine for a decent price at the Equine Affair in Ohio from their booth (they are more at other vendors) and paid $69.00 I think, it's about 20 dollars more from other vendors.


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