# advice on saddle seat pads?



## brandilion (Aug 23, 2010)

Hi 
I've been lurking around for a while & finally joined tonight. I love reading all the posts!

My dad loves trail riding with me but has a super bony butt & especially tailbone & gets so sore after a short time in the saddle. He has recently resorted to sitting on a towel in the saddle, but it's constantly slipping and falling onto the ground. His 75th birthday is next week & I'm thinking of buying him a saddle seat pad. Is that what they're called? It's a pad made of sheepskin, gel, foam, etc. to place between your hiney and the saddle to provide extra cushioning. Does anyone have any experience using one? I'm specifically thinking of a Cashel Tush Cushion. I know they make an extended version that goes higher up the cantle and I'm thinking that would be best, since his tailbone gets so sore. If you have experience with that or another type (good or bad), I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

I've heard most foam will eventually compress, not giving any support, gel holds in heat, and sheepskin only serves to keep the fanny cool in summer and warm in winter. 

Any thoughts, advice, websites for purchasing, etc. would be most appreciated!


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

First off, welcome to the forum .

I don't have much advice on pad choices (I have always heard them called seat-savers) but I do have some questions about the type of saddle that he is riding and his riding position. Does he put a lot of weight on his feet and push them out in front of him? That would push him back in the saddle and against the cantle causing tailbone pain. What type of saddle does he ride? Is it a hard seat or a padded seat? Do you know what kind of tree is in it (or even better, a picture of the seat of the saddle)?

Not trying to be nosy but I have some experience with being bony and not being comfortable in the saddle. I just put up with it for years when I was riding in saddles that had roping type trees (even with padded seats, they were horribly uncomfortable). Then my brother introduced me to a modified association tree and even with a hard seat, I fell in love. My butt bones are sore from sitting on hard wooden plank seats for the last 2 days and the only place I am comfortable sitting now is in my saddle.

Anyway, that type of information would really help us to throw out ideas on what might work for him.


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Welcome to the forum!

I never used one for Western saddle, but I use sheepskin seat-saver on my English saddle when I trail ride. It's AMAZINGLY comfortable! 

It's a little more expensive, but I'm sure it'll be a very good one too: Genuine Sheepskin Saddle Seat Comforter (Equine - Horse Tack Supplies - Saddle Accessories - Seats

Cashel (you mean this one, right?) Western Seat Cushion (Equine - Horse Tack Supplies - Saddle Accessories - Seats Cushions) should be fine as well. I personally just prefer it covers the whole saddle rather than just middle part.


----------



## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

As smrobs suggested, a little more information would be very helpful. I use a sheepskin pad at times but only for very hot or very cold days. I don't believe that type of pad will be helpful in your father's situation.

Two of my riding partners use gel pads and swear by them. I've never heard them complain about the pad being getting too hot but I suppose you can use a gel pad with a sheepskin on top.


----------



## brandilion (Aug 23, 2010)

Thanks for the insight.

He's a very occasional rider (maybe once every 4-6 weeks or more) so getting a new saddle isn't an option right now. I don't even have the saddle he rides in close by to take a look. I guess I'd call it a pleasure type saddle, very heavy & well made, with a not very padded seat. It's not a "hard seat" type though. Somewhere in between. He doesn't ride with his stirrups out in front, more just straight down in a semi natural position. (He's a tippy toe rider, not keeping his heels down at all.) He's a 75-year-old farm-raised sorta like pseudo cowboy so I don't think I'm going to get him to change his seat or posture.

I think the main problem is that his butt is very skinny and thin-skinned and he actually gets sores on his tailbone & pelvic bones when he rides. He has no muscle or meat to sit on to pad him. I'd just really like to give him a cloud to rest his fanny in while he rides!

iridehorses--Do you know what type or brand of gel seat your riding partners use?


----------



## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Sorry, brandilion, I have no idea. I do know that they each ride a different looking one so I don't think it matters very much.


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

This is the gel one Dover Saddlery | Equigel Seat Saver . (it's for english saddle though, sorry). It looks very cool, but very expensive.


----------

