Top Shots

Saddle Pad Choices

 

Between the Saddle and Your Horse

 

If you’re like many mounted shooters, you’ve probably got some sort of checklist when it comes to your equipment.

 

Guns?  Check.
Holsters?  Check.
Saddle and tack?  Check.
And so forth.

 

But a lot of new riders forget to include a real basic, or they think it’s not very important—the saddle pad. And that’s a mistake.  Lady’s 5 Shifarrah Carr puts it plain: “If you don’t have a good saddle pad, it can make the horse’s back sore. If you get a cheap saddle pad and don’t pad your horse up good, it can really hurt your horse. “

 

And that hurts your ability to compete.

 

There are a lot of saddle pad choices out there.  A number of top riders are sponsored by saddle pad manufacturers (such as Tammy Sronce and Mayatex).  Some even have their own lines (like Andra Olson of AJ Horses).  But they choose saddle pads that help them win.

 

Here’s what some of the best put on their horses, and why.

 

Dan Byrd, Level 6
“I use the 5 Star, 100% wool.  It dries faster than any other wool pad out there.  It fits the horse’s body better.  It conforms yet let’s the horse cool quicker.  I also use the Classic Equine pads for daily use. 

 

I prefer thinner than thick.  Whenever you over-pad a horse, it tends to make it roll—and that makes the withers sore.  Between me and my horse, there’s maybe and inch or an inch and a half total. So I can feel the animal under me. It makes the horse more responsive.

 

Each time I finish I use a sponge provided by 5 Star to clean it.

 

5 Star says their pad should last 1000 hours.  When the pad starts to fray and is full of hair and wear marks, get another one.” 

 

Shifarrah Carr, Lady’s 5
“I use the Classic Equine ESP Wool Top Pad and the ESP Contoured [which she carries through her Shootinhorse.com website].  They have memory foam in them that help them contour to the horse’s back. I’ve been using these pads for over a year now and I really like them. 

 

We have many different colors and sizes.  And we have pads with different thickness, but generally it’s around one inch. 

 

I don’t do much to take care of them.  Before I put it on the horse, I make sure there’s no debris or anything that’s stuck up under there.  We do put ours up on a saddle rack each time, so they hardly get dirty at all.  And hair doesn’t really get caught in the memory foam.  But if it does, I’ll just take a brush and clean it off.”

 

Mike Duck, Level 6
“I use a 5 Star.  It’s a good wool felt pad, contoured to the back of your horse.  I like the way it fits and works.  It does a really good job of protecting the horse’s back.  They last extremely well.  To maintain it, I just wash the bottom off with soap and water, and brush it, and let it dry.  They’re pretty easy to maintain.”

 

Andra Olson, Lady’s 5
“We use the AJ Horses all in one blanketing system.

 

The layering system prevents the horse’s back from being sore by absorbing the friction of the saddle.  It helps the saddle fit the horse’s back better.

 

And the layering system has a Velcro pocket where you can change the inside out.  So there’s different depths you can build up. 

 

We use natural fibers.  No synthetics.  The natural fibers breathe and absorb the moisture, where the synthetics don’t. We prefer the wear leather because it lasts longer.

 

Our pads come in multiple sizes and multiple designs.  The lower blanket is removable, it is velcroed, so you can wash that and clean it.”

 

Joel Paulk, Level 5
“I prefer a very good wool felt pad—high quality [no specific brand].  It’s got the contour to fit right.  And I cover that with a heavy, 100% wool blanket to put color to it.  And that means that the friction from the saddle is rubbing on that top rug and on the middle rug, not on my horse’s back.

 

It absorbs sweat.  It retains shape.  When you set it up overnight, it doesn’t flatten out.  You put it back on the horse and it’s sitting up there really nice. 

 

I’ve got one that is five-six years old and it still looks good.  Every so often I take the hair scraper to it and scrape the old hair off.  And I’ll use the hose to wash it off, then let it dry and it’s as good as new.

 

It’s not a high dollar solution, it’s not a high tech solution.  It’s old style, and that’s me. But it works.”

 

Diane Purcelli, Lady’s 5
“I’m using the White Eagle saddle pads.  They have reinforced sides and really fit the horse’s back.  There are no dry spots when you take it off.  And they’re very durable.

 

I also like the fact that they’re handmade and classic.  They’re retro and look just like the saddle pads of old.  Mine is my trademark color of red, but you can get other colors, too.”

 

Jim Rodgers, Level 6
I’ve used Wyngz saddle pads for a couple of years. It’s a synthetic material but still gives you close contact with the horse. 

 

They’re simple.  They’ve got good pads where the bars are, and the bars on the saddle hit the horse’s withers.  It gives proper support and makes the horse more comfortable—and me too.

 

You’ve got to wash them and take care of them if they’re going to last—and if they’re going to stay comfortable for you and the horse.

 

Tammy Sronce, Lady’s 6
“I’m sponsored by Mayatex Saddle Blankets. It’s got to be felt or it’s got to be sheepskin.  I don’t like any synthetic materials; it doesn’t let their skin breathe and it gives them sore backs.

 

The Mayatex are really durable.  I can put 200 rides a month on pads; I’m working 10 horses a day, so I’m always on the lookout for equipment that lasts.  And they’re easy to take care of. I just hose them off.  I’ll use a curry comb to get the hair out.

 

I like to color coordinate my outfits and the saddle blanket.  So a felt pad and changing the wool top gives me huge variety.  I don’t have to buy a new pad every time I want a new color.”

 

Tammy Townsend, Lady’s 5
“I like a saddle pad that’s contoured to the horse’s back.  I like a cut-out for a horse with high withers.  I prefer Pro-Equine. They have good wool pads, and they have a neoprene pad that is real easy to clean up for people who are training a lot of horses.  You can use it on one horse, clean it, and then put it on another horse.  That way you’re not spreading fungus or anything like that. 

 

I like a pad that doesn’t slip.  And the Pro Pad, either the wool or the neoprene, doesn’t slip because it’s all one pad. 

 

The very first Pro pad I got two years ago and we’re still using it.  And we ride anywhere from 10 to 15 horses a day.  So we want something that will really hold up.  So far, the wool has—and the neoprene has, too.  And Pro guarantees their pads, too.“

 

So there’s the choices of some of the top shooters.  How did they decide what to use?  And what other suggestions do they have?

 

Here are a few tips.
Joel Paulk says that you should choose a pad based on use—not on looks.  “I’ve seen a fair number of new riders that want a blanket or pad for its color, not knowing what it should do for the horse.  And often they buy something that is very wrong.”

 

Tammy Sronce says that choosing a saddle pad goes hand in hand with selecting a saddle.  “You cannot pad a bad saddle.  If the saddle doesn’t fit the horse, putting more pads in is only going to compound your problems.  So get a saddle that fits.”

 

Jim Rodgers says that you’ve got to get a pad that contours to the horse’s back.  Fit is vital.  And put it on right: “You can’t adjust the pad after the saddle is on.  That turns the hair wrong and makes the horse uncomfortable.”

 

Dan Byrd advises: Don’t scrimp.  “Even for the casual rider, I think they should use the best pad possible.  You get what you pay for.  You can either have quality and success—or you can hope for the best and never be the best.”

 

Tammy Townsend recommends that you take care of your pad.  “Dirty wool pads can cause rash, with the dust and sweat.  And that can cause sores; the horse can get a sore back and get cranky, and you can get white spots and saddle tracks on them.”

 

So go back to that checklist.  If it doesn’t include any mention of saddle pads, well, it’s not complete.  And the top mounted shooters will tell you that any equipment problem—including a bad pad—can cost you when you and your horse head into the arena.
 

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