# Help me choose a bareback pad!



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Logistically, a bareback pad is a bareback pad. You're still not getting the better distribution of weight that a saddle provides, so really it's up to you how much padding and form you want. Provided you're not using one with stirrups (which none of these have), then it's the same.

The bareback saddles from your last link I really don't understand. Why in the world are they priced so high? o,o I don't get it.


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## camcam78910 (Jun 15, 2015)

Zexious said:


> Logistically, a bareback pad is a bareback pad. You're still not getting the better distribution of weight that a saddle provides, so really it's up to you how much padding and form you want. Provided you're not using one with stirrups (which none of these have), then it's the same.
> 
> The bareback saddles from your last link I really don't understand. Why in the world are they priced so high? o,o I don't get it.


Well I figured since he absolutely can't stand saddles, (I think it is because of past poor saddle fits as well as inexperienced riders) it would be better for us both. Of course eventually we will work on the saddle, but for now, a bareback pad would be better.

I agree! The prices are crazy!


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^Then I think your next step should be determining why he hates saddles.
Has he been seen by a vet and a chiropractor? 
I guess I'm just not understanding why you're skipping directly from "My horse doesn't like saddles" to "Bareback pad time!"


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## camcam78910 (Jun 15, 2015)

@Zexious - he tolerates saddles, this horse isn't fond of riding in general yet. We are working on it slowly. Some days I'll take the saddle out, some days we ride bareback. It's obvious how much better he performs bareback versus in a saddle! Chiropractors aren't a thing down here, and yes he has been to see a vet. I mentioned previously that he doesn't like saddles due to previous experience with bad saddle fit and inexperienced rider who bounced on him up and down constantly. 

We aren't exactly "skipping" we are working with the saddle on the side. However my balance is also not the best in a saddle and I risk falling much more than bareback. I sat a horse taking off down a steep hill completely unexpectedly, I was bareback. Saddles are just neither of our favorites.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^You did mention that, but I'm not sure I buy that's what the reason is. What I mean to say is I'm not sure a horse has the capacity to equate someone 'bouncing up and down' with the saddle in particular, 'ya know? If that were the case, a properly fitting saddle shouldn't cause behavior suggesting he "doesn't like it." 
Sounds like your horse is in pain, just my two cents.

In regards to the bareback pad, you say your balance is better without a saddle so I wouldn't worry about getting one with much form. Too, they really only keep your butt clean so I wouldn't waste my money on anything too fancy.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

How old is your horse? How much training has he had? Sounds like a green horse with green riders from what you have said.
This is personal but I am not a fan of bareback pads. His dislike of saddles sounds like it could be an issue of a bad fit. A properly fitting saddle should be comfortable and distribute the weight of the rider.
Have you investigated treeless saddles? My opinion is they are better than a bareback pad and you may be successful at finding a used one at a reasonable price. I would much prefer a well-fitting saddle with a tree but this might be an option for you.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I understand about having a horse that dislikes saddles as a general rule. I rode bareback all last summer because Fabio would get really tense and 'worried' the second I put the pad on his back. He'd tolerate being saddled, but he didn't feel comfortable with the process.

For my gelding, even a bareback pad was too much. It turned out that he was reacting to the weight of the saddle on his back AND cinch pressure. Since bareback pads still have that cinch pressure, he rode in a BB pad just like he rode in a saddle.


Anyway, long story shorter, it turned out that he has PSSM which [on a very basic level] makes his muscles extra sore and sensitive to the tiniest pressure points and, one of his symptoms of PSSM is that he is also coldbacked. 

Treating the PSSM and warming up his back [using a Back On Track Pad] for 15-20 minutes before saddling has made a HUGE difference in his acceptance of the saddle. We still have a ways to go because he has so many negative connotations attached to the saddle, but he's much much better. 

I also got him a Toklat T3 Matrix pad after it was highly recommended by other people with PSSM horses that were "weird" about their saddles. He was already better without the new pad, but the new pad has really 'finished the job'. Now he moves undersaddle like he he does when he's loose - no more tension, no more worry, the saddle is just a "thing."


All I'm mostly saying is that 1. a bareback pad might not help, at all, if you horse's problem is at all related to the cinch and 2. this may have a medical component. 

From what I've found in my life [I used to work as a lead wrangler on a trail string were we'd get 13 horses and 13 random saddles from the outfitter and be expected to make those saddles work for those horses], most broke/semi-trained horses are pretty chill about their saddles if the saddle sorta fits. 
I've put a lot of well-this-kinda-fits saddles on kinda-sorta broke horses, and then put riders on them, and none of those horses ever had an issue with their saddle. 
Some horses are more sensitive than others for sure, but, in my opinion, the average horse isn't likely to have a problem with his/her saddle unless the saddle is exacerbating an existing pain issue.


Also, I found my vintage Simco saddle, that fits my gelding and I perfectly, on Ebay for $200, shipped. Sometimes you can find a great deal on something perfect if you do some digging.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

I have the comfort plus bareback pad and really like it. But, it is what it is and is not a substitute for a saddle like you want. I'm thinking that if you were to spend as much as some of those other bareback pads cost, you would be better off saving a little more and finding a good saddle that fits.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

I bought a cheap, 10$ used fleece bareback pad at a tack sale because I needed one and wouldn't spend the 200$ for the one I liked. This one is better than the 200$ one!!


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## camcam78910 (Jun 15, 2015)

@Zexious - my initial question is: why is it such a big deal that we both prefer bareback? Maybe the issue is that I have never forced him to do something he does not like, but then again I would never do anything else. We are having the vet out again next week for a basic check up, but I am pretty sure there is no way for him to be in pain! Thank you for your concern 

About the pad, the reason I wanted one is because he has pretty high withers and not much topline. Another thing is that I have heard it is bad for their backs without padding? Not sure.

@Dustbunny - He is 14. He was in professional training to be broken to ride, but that was years ago! He hasn't been ridden in quite a while. His previous owners didn't do groundwork so his respect was nonexistent in any form. He is finally learning how to loose lead. He has improved so much, but whenever he is being ridden, it all flips over... The only thing I have noticed is that he does MUCH better bareback, so I figured it would be better to teach him the skills he needs to know bareback, and then transition to a saddle! 

Treeless saddles may potentially be an option, but for now I would rather stick to bareback!
@Wallaby - It is for sure not the cinch, that doesn't phase him one bit! I read a symptom of PSSM is acting lazy during work? He is never lazy in any way, always has plenty of energy (a little too much maybe)
@LoriF - That is the one I am leaning towards just because of the insane prices of some others! I would much rather save the money and buy a nice fitting saddle to both of us! Do you think the pad would be padded enough for rides that last around an hour? 
@WhattaTroublemaker - Any idea what brand your pad is?

Thanks guys


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Typically, the argument that riding bareback causes a horse pain (I haven't read the science on it, so I am honestly not sure whether it does or does not) has to do with weight distribution. A true saddle helps to distribute weight of the rider more evenly across a greater surface. A bareback pad won't do that. So really, you can ride without a pad if that's your concern.

My answer to your initial question: sounds like your horse is in pain and it should be checked out. Just because you can't think of a reason that he could be, doesn't mean he isn't. Glad to hear a vet is coming out. 
Again, just my opinion~ You get those when you post on a public forum xD!


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Wallaby...very informative reply!


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

camcam78910 said:


> @LoriF - That is the one I am leaning towards just because of the insane prices of some others! I would much rather save the money and buy a nice fitting saddle to both of us! Do you think the pad would be padded enough for rides that last around an hour?


I find it to be pretty cushy. Usually when I use mine is when we're going to take a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood and I'm too lazy to mess with a saddle. There are no dee's or anything on it, it's pretty basic but comfortable.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Zexious said:


> they really only keep your butt clean so I wouldn't waste my money on anything too fancy.


I agree with Zexious. My bareback pad was a complete waste of money. If I want to ride bareback I plop by blue jeans on his bare back. The extra inch of height of the stupid saddle pad is just enough that I can't get on my 16 hand horse even with a running start.

As far as riding bareback hurting his back, I understand the theory, but I think in reality we move around the horse a little more riding bareback so the pressure is not always in the same spot. In that respect I think a treeless saddle could be even worse than riding bareback.

Anyway, Xenophon rode all the way from Greece to Persia and back, and Alexander rode Bucephalus to Egypt, India, and everyplace in between and both of them rode before the saddle was invented. Xenophon said it was a good idea to find a "double-backed" horse, which I take to mean a horse with enough rib spring and muscle to provide a tiny trough down his spine rather than a ridge.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

amazon.com/PAD-BAREBACK-NON-SLIP-FLEECE-BLUE/dp/B008OAX4JW

this is what it looks like but I don't think mine has a foam interior. Mines also red.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

Also, I'm kind of in the same boat as you. My coming three year old doesn't yet fit into any of the saddles I own, and there's no point in buying one while he's still growing. So instead of using a poor fitting saddle that may do more harm than good, I bought a bareback pad. I wasn't investing a good chunk of cash into one because I use it for one reason: to give me a little bit more grip while riding bareback. I ripped both of my (only) pairs of jeans so I now ride in yoga pants.. And talk about slippery! I got my pad so I could feel more secure on his back while in slippery pants. It worked better than I thought it would and I'm now more comfortable bareback on the pad than I am in the saddle.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

camcam78910 said:


> How long is too long riding bareback? I read that over 2 hours is bad for the horse, but I also saw somebody ride an endurance race bareback.
> 
> Do you always need a pad under the bareback pad? I see some people do and some don't so I am not sure.


First I'll answer your questions and then throw in a little advice. 

I've ridden in lots of bareback pads and this one is my absolute favorite:
Barefoot Ride-On Bareback Pads
Yes, it's expensive. If you're going to be riding bareback a lot, I'd recommend it. First, it has V-girthing so it distributes the girth pressure over the pad versus over the horse's spine, which is a bad feature of many bareback pads. It has wither clearance in the front rather than pulling down on the withers. It is very cushy, which is necessary unless your horse has a flat, wide back. You don't need any type of pad underneath - it has sympanova no-slip on the bottom. I don't use a breast collar and it stays put very well on multiple different horses. But it has rings if you want to use one. Oh, and it's made of very grippy suede.
Something to keep in mind is you need a very short dressage girth for this type of pad. 








Something to keep in mind with endurance riders is that many of them are fairly masochistic. Those who do hundred mile rides are quite similar to people who do ultra marathons. It's about pushing through a challenge despite severe pain and mental anguish. Honestly. 

My point is, just because you saw someone at an endurance ride going bareback doesn't mean any normal human would find it bearable. Even with a comfortable saddle, riding at high speed, trotting and cantering for hours and hours becomes quite painful. I can walk fine the day after running a half marathon, but the day after even a 25 mile ride I usually can't walk without hobbling. Your sore muscles develop sore muscles.

So how long is it OK to ride bareback? I'd say however long you can support yourself rather than flopping and bouncing along on the horse's back. For me that's only about a half hour on my horses. On a very comfortable horse, about an hour. 

A friend told me she finds bareback much more comfortable than riding with a saddle. She bounced a little on her horse, but not bad since her horse has very smooth gaits. Her horse did develop some white hairs under where she sat from the pressure, though. Recently she began riding out on a much more spry and bouncy little Arab, and quickly changed her mind about riding bareback, suddenly finding a saddle much more secure and comfortable.


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## Surrealle (Feb 28, 2016)

For what it's worth, I bought a Parelli bareback pad years ago (back when I was into that method, I'm not anymore) and I love it. It's pretty pricey IMO but less than most of the ones you have listed. It's not too cushy and it really does help me grip better when I wear jeans, plus it has the oh-sh*t handle for when things get dicey. 

I haven't tried many other pads (well, any, really), but I'd be reluctant to get one that doesn't have a grippy surface for me to sit on. It really makes a difference in my confidence (and thus, the quality of my ride)! 

So, whichever pad you choose ultimately, I'd highly recommend making sure it's got a suede surface or something similar.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

surrealle said:


> for what it's worth, i bought a parelli bareback pad years ago (back when i was into that method, i'm not anymore) and i love it. It's pretty pricey imo but less than most of the ones you have listed. It's not too cushy and it really does help me grip better when i wear jeans, plus it has the oh-sh*t handle for when things get dicey.
> 
> I haven't tried many other pads (well, any, really), but i'd be reluctant to get one that doesn't have a grippy surface for me to sit on. It really makes a difference in my confidence!


i am not the only one who calls it the oh sh*t handle!!! :lol: :lol:


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

I was in the same boat as you just a little while ago... well, maybe a boat or two over but they looked very similar. lol.

My mare is high withered. She developed muscle atrophy in the shoulder area, but I caught it before it got super bad. Even the saddles that seemed to fit her 'great' still made her sore after a ride. It was excessively frustrating, especially since I already had a very expensive dressage saddle which I absolutely adore and was loathe to give up.
I was unwilling to play musical saddles (going through 20+ saddles for the 'perfect fit'), and was going to have my current saddle reflocked but kept putting it off. I stumbled across Len Brown's Protector pad (which was ridiculously expensive but ended up being worth every penny) and after much research and debate I decided to order it.
I've only had one ride in it so far, so I can't comment on it too much yet. However, I LOVED it and my mare loved it too! All of a sudden, it was easy to get those big strides out of her and she was taking both leads no problem. In fact, it was hard to get her to slow down, where previously it was a constant battle to keep her going (under saddle. she was always excellent and beautiful lunging tackless).
The Protector/Corrector alleviates pressure points and puts the saddle in the correct position. It has flexible panels inside that move with the horse, instead of the horse's shoulder coming up and hitting the tree/panel, which was my problem.

Before getting the Protector, I was going to do the bareback thing. I found I just couldn't hack it. It was tiring and painful and counter productive, at least for me. I couldn't go faster than a slow trot, because then I would run into her withers and my muscles would tense trying to protect my sensitive parts and then I bounced all over the place.
That was my experience attempting training and schooling bareback: painful and counter productive for my purposes.

I don't think saddles are the be all and end all for every horse/rider pair. It really depends on the pair. Saddles are not as great as everyone makes them out to be, they cause their own problems and don't always give proper weight distribution. They are great if they help the rider to balance better and ride better as ultimately that is what makes the most difference for the horse. A poor saddle rider is going to cause as much hurt as a poor bareback rider in the long term.

If you are hardcore about bareback riding, talk to @walkinthewalk
She did it for years, and I think she still does, just not as much. She rode all types and shapes of horses for hours and hours on all day rides bareback. However, from what she said she was extremely fit and did her own workouts outside of riding. Not for the faint of heart!

There is my 2 cents. or dollar. or pile of dog poo... :lol:


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## Back2Horseback (Mar 21, 2012)

This is an aside to your question, and for that I apologize, but I'm going to encourage you to view the video link in my post in -Horse Riding- entitled "Important video, equine biomechanics". It might be eye opening in regard to many issues you've described with your horse and his feelings about being saddled (especially at about 3/4 through, this is specifically addressed).

I cared for a smaller 14.2, very sensitive endurance pony for a woman I'd befriended at my barn in my early 20s for a summer. She had an expensive saddle which she didn't feel comfortable leaving in the tack room all summer for me to use at will when I went up 3d/week to groom and lightly exercise her pony. 

Thus, I rode in a bareback pad. At the time I was all of maybe 110#, & quite fit but not riding fit like I needed to be to actually RIDE for any any length of time using only a pad. If found that the same thing happened to me as to horseluvr, and I was stuck walk/trot/stop-readjust/rinse/repeat. Canter was out of the question, and many times I'd be basically sliiiiding offfff without intending to even at the trot. Not the fun, close-too-the-horse, saddle-free experience I'd planned in my head. 

But that's me and not at all your situation! I just wanted to share my bareback pad experience! 

Best of luck to you!


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## Katstica (Apr 22, 2016)

Definitely go with Comfort Plus. It's inexpensive and I have heard a lot of great things about it. The other options you listed seem like a waste of money, I can not imagine ever paying $300 for a bareback pad.


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