The choices in saddle pads are seemingly endless for the western rider! There are fleece pads, neoprene pads, foam, wool felt and even a pad that looks like something you would scrub a pot with! Then there’s shape: saddle pads can be contoured, straight, round skirt, swayback, built up, orthopedic or even have gel inserts. The choices are really endless. Of all the horse equipment to buy, a saddle pad can be almost as difficult to choose as a saddle.
The goal with a saddle pad is that when you pull it off your horse after riding, the horse’s entire back is wet. No dry spots! Dry spots are an indication that the saddle is putting too much pressure on those spots. The pressure causes the sweat glands to not work there, and can eventually kill the tissue too, if you ride enough. This is not to mention that the horse will be sore, too!
You may think that adding padding over the dry spots will solve the problem, but it doesn’t. That is the equivalent of putting an extra pair of socks on so that your too-small shoes won’t pinch so much. It just increases the pressure. You need to either apply padding in an opposite spot, to relieve the pressure on the spot that’s dry, or use a much thinner pad altogether.
This is not to be confused with the channel down the middle of your horse’s back being dry. It’s fine if that is clean and dry, as it should mean no pressure is being applied to your horse’s spine from your saddle. When you put the pad on the horse, then the saddle on top of the pad, lift up the pad a bit into the pommel to allow air to flow under the saddle pad and to be sure there’s no pressure on her withers.
The best way to choose a saddle pad is to first use a simple wool felt blanket and see if you have any problems. If your horse’s back is uniformly wet with sweat and she performed well for you, then that saddle blanket is just fine. If you have any dry spots, then you need to try some of the orthopedic or built up pads to correct the problem, or you need to buy a new saddle that fits right.
Remember, the saddle pad is not actually supposed to make the saddle fit. That’s not its function. Its real function is to absorb sweat and keep it away from the saddle so your saddle will stay clean. It also can help keep the saddle from slipping, and can help distribute saddle pressure too, although that is secondary to keeping your saddle clean and dispersing heat.
