# Thoughts on Western Saddle pads??



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Best for Western Riding....

I can't say enough good things about my 5 Star pad, I have a 3/4" contour fit, love that thing. It's now 5 years old, maybe older, my horse tried to kill it, ridden several horses in it, never had one go sore, never had a saddle slip. Never had a really hot and clammy back, they get hot and sweat but the pad absorbs some, doesn't go cold and rigid in our Arctic style winters. I brush it off every now again, and lightly power hose with clean water once in the summer, well not every summer, done it 3 times I think. It is still soft and bouncy.

Well worth the price tag in my opinion, I used to buy cheap pads, but never again, one quality one is the way to go, it is the thing that actually sits on the horses back and makes contact, it's important to choose wisely.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I've been very happy with my Diamond pads. One is 6 years old, the other maybe 3-4. Work fine with my horses.










Jeffers Equine : Contoured Wool Saddle Pad for Horses, 32" x 32" | Jeffers Pet

Diamond makes a lot of variations:

Diamond Wool Pads - Products - Endurance Round Contoured Felt Pads


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

I have heard very good things about Thinline but I haven't had any personal experience with them. 

My favorite western pad is a *5 Star* pad. I won't use anything else! They hold up to hard work and last a long time, and always clean up well.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Subbing~


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Mine is natural wool felt, 100%. They are about 1/2" thick so can either be doubled or used under a thinner pad or thick wool blanket. Wool is best next to the horse. The natural wool pads are beige in color. The darker ones contain a lot of synthetics. Some have to much stitching they are more like mattresses and don't fit the contours very well. When a horse sweats under a wool felt pad, it takes on it's shape.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I love my wool felt pad (mine's from Circle Y, 3/4" thick) for trail riding in my western saddle. 

I'm also primarily an English rider and have the Thinline sheepskin half pad (though I don't currently use it). I rode with a plain Ultra Thinline before I had that; both were on the recommendation of my saddle fitter. I love the sheepskin pad, but can't really say that I notice a specific benefit from the Thinline material.



Saddlebag said:


> The natural wool pads are beige in color. The darker ones contain a lot of synthetics.


Not always- sheep come in a lot of different colors so it's very possible to get natural, undyed wool pads in darker colors as well. It's also possible to get 100% wool that has been dyed other colors, doesn't mean it's part sythetic.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I second the Diamond Wool pad. I have a 1/2" contoured cowboy pad. Paid $80 for it, shipped, because it was in sale on NRSWorld.com. LOVE that pad! Like the feel more than some of the more expensive pads I've had hands on, TBH.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## evilamc (Sep 22, 2011)

Another vote for 5 stars  I absolutely love mine and I was able to customize it a little to make it more fun. I bought a 3/4" thickness and it seems just right.


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## sonib82 (Jul 24, 2015)

Another vote for Diamond Wool Pads. I have a 1/2" one that I bought 10+ years ago - lightly used but has held up great. I just throw a colored wool pad over it when I show.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Another 5 star fan here…….no other felt is as soft. The others feel like they never comber the wook before felting it…..almost like there is hay and stuff in it.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

franknbeans said:


> Another 5 star fan here…….no other felt is as soft. The others feel like they never comber the wook before felting it…..almost like there is hay and stuff in it.


Hmmmmm...not entirely sure I agree with that. My Diamond Wool pad is plenty soft. I've felt a 5-Star at the local tack shop that was brand new and my Diamond Wool pad was close to as soft. Maybe I got lucky?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

^^ Maybe we both were.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Diamond Wool is decent, the 5 Star is softer and more durable. The Diamond Wool does pill a bit on the wear spots. I went to buy a 5 Star, the gal who owned the tackstore redirected me (she is a high powered reiner herself) to the Reinsman wool pads, she said they were just as good as the 5 Star but about $50 cheaper. I have had it for about 2 or 3 years, still looks like new.


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## 3rdTimestheCharm (Jan 18, 2015)

I love my 5 Star! I think that they are definitely worth the money.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

We all have our favorites.
Mine happens to be Professional choice Smx Air Ride pads

Professional's Choice SMX Air Ride Saddle Pad @ Horse Tack Review


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

100% pressed wool is the way to go. One of my favorite pads is a Saddleright pad, don't see them mentioned here on HF much.

I had an Appaloosa gelding with very low withers, the split front really helped the saddle stay in place. I don't care much for pads with simply a cutout wither area due to their creeping and stretching downwards.

Got mine used from eBay for under $100, was really lucky as it was not listed with a liner but the seller put a note in the box saying she found it and just sent it along.

I now have another gelding, this one has a very long mane and I love the way I can keep his mane out from under the split front and getting pulled. This one has black wear leathers, Most of them are fully suede covered I think.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I have a Saddleright pad that my best friend gave me. It's a shaped pad and was almost $300 new. I like it, but I like my Diamond Wool pad better. We used the Saddleright under my Aussie saddle and it worked alright. Probably doesn't help that I have a mutton-withered horse. :lol:
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Eh, when I was training and spent 8+ hours a day on horses, I found out that expensive pads wear out just as fast as mid-range pads under that type of workload and it was much easier to stomach paying $80-$100 every few months than it was to pay $250+.

So, I'm happy with my Diamonds as well. They hold up well to heavy work and are firm but maintain enough cushion to keep a horse comfy even when you're doing high impact stuff like roping.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

franknbeans said:


> Another 5 star fan here…….no other felt is as soft. The others feel like they never comber the wook before felting it…..almost like there is hay and stuff in it.


This was my experience as well. I originally got a Diamond Wool pad but there were all kinds of small pokey things in it. Too many to pick them all out and I didn't feel comfortable asking my horse to put up with it. Their customer service said this was normal but was still very good about taking it back and paid the return shipping even though that's not their normal return policy. 

Also, it was ostensibly 1/2" thick, but the 3/4" Circle Y pad I ended up getting instead is definitely at least twice as thick.


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## ThunderingHooves (Aug 10, 2013)

Another 5 star fan here. I love them. Soft, hold up well, and wick away moisture. The only downfall is the price. If you're looking for something a little easier on the wallet I would recommend the diamond wool pads. I have a couple of them as well and am happy with them.


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## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

I have a Reinsman wool pad and an Impact Gel pad. Both are great quality IMO. My Reinsman wool pad has been trampled, ran over by the truck, left out in the rain and it is still as good as new. My Impact Gel pad has really nice wool and the gel doesn't seem to harden or bunch up in a particular spot. For the money though, I would go with the Reinsman over the Impact Gel any day.


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## Horsegirl2015 (Oct 9, 2015)

Thank you all - I like the additional impact protection that ThinLine offers over other pads... not sure which direction I will go at this point.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

If you aren't doing hard riding that has a lot of pounding on the horse's back, Diamond Wool is really the way to go. They are economical and hold up well. They run around $80 new. Tack sale season is coming up, and I have found them for under $50 that route. I have a Toklat Matrix saddle pad that I really like, but my mare is a bit downhill so I wanted some lift to the front. They run around $200, but I can't say enough good things about my pad. Plus it is machine washable.


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## MrsKD14 (Dec 11, 2015)

I have two go to saddle pads. One is a Professional Choice plain old black wool pad. Good pad. I got if for about $50 on sale. Looks neat and clean in shows. 

My other is sadly a no name pad (nothing on there showing anything) that I was given some 9 years back. It is amazing and still looks and feels like the day it was given to me. I only use it on one horse and it has molded to him without breaking down. I wish I could tell you what it was. [emoji53]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Another 5 Star fan.


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## Nalilll97 (Jan 20, 2016)

I personally love my Relentless gel pad. They're kinda pricy, but they're worth it.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Nalilll97 said:


> I personally love my Relentless gel pad. They're kinda pricy, but they're worth it.


I've never tried the Relentless brand so I can't speak for that, but I used to have an Impact Gel pad. The only thing I did not like about it, is that the gel would get HARD when I used the pad in the winter.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Everybody always says good things about 5 star. I'm going to have to try them next time I buy one. I like my Circle Y and Diamond wool pads, but my impact gel has a lot more give and its softer?


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## 6gun Kid (Feb 26, 2013)

5 star, diamond, Tod Sloane are excellent choices. Have used each several times. I am all about natural fibers in may pads. No neoprene or gel for me. Which would you rather wear all day, a sweater or a wet suit?


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

I am quite happy with the Mustang Square wool pad from Stateline tack.

They are really cheap ($20+), conform well to the horses back and they stay put.


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## EliRose (Aug 12, 2012)

Love my Diamond Wool, with a colored blanket on top and a BOT pad beneath in the winter or on sticky days.


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## Cowgirlupyup (Jan 31, 2016)

If I was to choose one it would be this one https://www.thinlineglobal.com/shop...thinline-shenandoah-square-western-saddle-pad. But I have this one Reinsman Tacky Too Navajo M2 Lite Square Pad - Horse.com.


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## ridesapaintedpony (Apr 14, 2009)

I have a question, if you all don't mind. Can you put a thin wool saddle blanket over one like the Diamond pad? A saddle blanket like this? Or are the pads supposed to be used as is?

Tough-1 Sierra Navajo Acrylic Saddle Blanket - Horse.com


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

ridesapaintedpony said:


> I have a question, if you all don't mind. Can you put a thin wool saddle blanket over one like the Diamond pad? A saddle blanket like this? Or are the pads supposed to be used as is?
> 
> Tough-1 Sierra Navajo Acrylic Saddle Blanket - Horse.com


You can absolutely put a thin saddle blanket on top of a pad. 

That's what I do when I show. 

I have my 5 Star saddle pad underneath the white show blanket.


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## ridesapaintedpony (Apr 14, 2009)

Thank you Brittany.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

I like the AirRides. They don't get hard, even in our freezing temps.
Great shock absorption,and they last


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

SMx H.D. Air Ride Western Saddle Pad: Shilloh


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## jessierose (Jan 4, 2015)

There are many reasons I would never buy a 5 Star or similar. This covers many of them and more. Thought? Anyone else follow The Truth Tack Review?


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

jessierose said:


> There are many reasons I would never buy a 5 Star or similar. This covers many of them and more. Thought? Anyone else follow The Truth Tack Review?



No I don't follow her, I do not like the fact that she is not transparent about the fact she manufacturers her own line of pads. I know it does not bother some people, but I find it somewhat disingenuous that she is reviewing the industry, when she is in fact a competitor within it.

I also do not agree with some of her tests, and her conclusions, so no I prefer not to take her advice....but others I know value her, each to their own.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

jessierose said:


> There are many reasons I would never buy a 5 Star or similar. This covers many of them and more. Thought? Anyone else follow The Truth Tack Review?


While I find some of her videos interesting (yikes to what is inside the PC pads), take her words with a grain of salt. She has her own brand of pads that she sells, to the tune of about $400.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Pads that claim to be air ride or something similar is a fancy term for foam, either closed cell or open cell. and they are hot.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

jessierose said:


> There are many reasons I would never buy a 5 Star or similar. This covers many of them and more. Thought? Anyone else follow The Truth Tack Review?


I've seen her page. 

Personally, I think she's full of hot air and just trying to sell her own products. 
:icon_rolleyes:

IMO.


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## jessierose (Jan 4, 2015)

She almost never mentions her own products AND talked me out of buying hers in favor of ones she thought better suited me.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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