Custom Saddle Pad

[Thor]

I'm currently working on a "new" design for a western saddle pad and am looking for some more input. New is very relatively speaking as there isn't all too much that would be new, but rather addressed differently for the comfort of the horse.

What are you guys using for your custom pads?

Like, how thick are your pads, materials used, do you prefer shaped ones or rectangular ones, do you have any special considerations in regards of venting, vertebra, withers, shoulders, lumbar area etc.

Do you use different or multiple layers?

And so on...

Just throw everything at me here please as I'm collecting all the information at this stage.

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Since I make saddles that are made to templates of the horses back, not much is required. I like to use and see used pads that are cut out at the withers. I personally used a Reinsman pad that is I am guessing about 1/2" compressed.

Here is a pic of what I use. Bear in mind that my saddles have 1" natural sheep's wool fleecing on them.

Bob

[rdl123]

Thor, I'm no expert but I like to use 3/4" thick wool pads from Reinsman or 5 Star Equine. Sometimes I'll run a Navajo over this if I need a little extra for a narrower horse.

This is the 3/4" 5 Start I currently use. It's shaped (or contoured) and I like that - Conforms to a horses back easier. It's also long, probably 33" which works good on ranch saddles with bigger skirts.

To some extent I believe multiple layers is a bad thing - Creates shifting - Also, thicker pads often seem like you end up cinching tighter to keep everything solid. Like Bob says if the saddle fits you don't need a pile of pad.

I guess I like all natural products - I haven't used neoprene cinches or pads - But the all natural products seem to work and last if you take care of them.

R

[Thor]

I guess I should explain what I mean by multiple layers. I'm thinking of various layers within that one pad. I know 5Star uses a single layer with 90% or greater wool felt. Considered to be F11 (American Industry Rating) or better. Some pads have like a 1/4" "therapeutic" pad followed by a 3/4" or less lower grade wool or whatever layer, stitched and glued together as a single pad.

I totally agree with both of you that, if the saddle fits not much of a thick pad is required and that more than one pad will just contribute to the issue and worsen but don't improve the situation.

My current finding is that 1/2" seems to be the thinnest and 1 1/2" the thickest pads while 1" should be more than sufficient.

What I'm currently thinking of is a 2 layer pad. Bottom layer being a 98% pure wool felt with about 10 mm thickness with a density of 0,20 g/cm² and another layer of 10 to 15 mm thickness and a density of 0,44 g/cm². So the outer layer towards the saddle would be considerably strong and the layer on the horse would be soft. What I believe to achieve by this is fast removing of sweat and therefore resulting in adequate cooling plus less breakdown of the pad itself since most of the forces of saddle movement etc. will be absorbed in the outer and stronger layer. My layers would only be glued on the edges and about 2 inches in as I don't want to create a vapor barrier.

I was also thinking of a stronger pad for cutting and roping and a thinner, 1/2" pad for reiners and such.

My other considerations are towards muscles, vertebrates (including withers) and air flow. I'm also thinking of T14 issues in some horses and very long saddles, but that's a different story.

So that's part of the thought process to this point.

Bob, do you find your 1" shearling breaking down a lot or is this fairly good? I'm taking you're using bark tanned shearling. I'm only having 3/4" available to me here.

[Josh Ashman]

I really like the contoured, split back wool pads. I've purchased a bunch and my favorites are some I got from Diamond Wool Pads that have a canvas cover in addition to wear leathers. It seems to me like the canvas really helps them to hold up to busting brush as well as just general use. For starting colts I generally use 2 doubled Navajo blankets, so 4 total layers of blanket. This seems to "slip" less then a 1 piece wool pad on a young horse and has worked well for me.

Good luck with your pad design!

[ChrisMajoue]

Thor, I haven't made a saddle pad, and actually just thought of doing so the other day. I currently use the Full Monty: https://www.cavallo-inc.com/product/full-monty-western-saddle-pad/

I also agree with BondoBob from the thought that if the saddle fits correctly, not much need for anything fancy with a pad. But, that's to say your saddle fits the bunch of horses you ride perfectly. If you have your saddle to go on 10 horses, you need a good pad or pads to "help" with the other horses.

I prefer the contour (so there's no bunching of material). My wife had a non-contoured pad for a while and there'd always be wrinkles (none that we could tell affected her horse). But, why cause that problem. My horse prefers the closed-cell foam bottom. I bought a wool bottom one and he kept biting back at my legs like when the mosquito season is here. Switched out to the closed-cell, and poof, happy as could be. So, my choice in pad is limited.

Another reason I use this pad is because the entire thing isn't 1" thick. I have had prior experiences with the latigos and leg leathers coming down over about the same point and causing pressure points. Having the thickness grade of this pad has alleviated some of the stacking thickness around the side.

I think that the only thing I'd change on this pad would be to have the cutouts moved about 2-3 inches forward.

Enjoy and good luck!

[Thor]

Thanks for your input Chris. I know the full Monty. Have one here and it's an okay pad, but not my preferred choice of pad. With some of the wool pads it's the same as with any other pad. There are good ones and there are bad ones. Most of the bad ones will use needle felt which isn't what I'd be putting on anything that is sensitive. I know exactly what you mean by that.

I had used a closed-cell/memory foam pad on an Arab-Cross for years as he was such a horse that was too sensitive for the cheaper grade wool felt and I was happy with it. The only thing I never liked about it was the heat that built up under it. Back then with 24 horses one doesn't have custom fitted saddles for all of them.

I'm at the point where I'll be making a first prototype and test it on my own horse for while. The wool I found is top notch and feels excellent on bare skin. You can rub it for quite a while before heat builds up and even then it's just slightly warm and not hot. The design I chose will make it more self-contouring, rather than me contouring it for them. Further what I found out with some testing there's a direction within the wool felt that will determine the placement on the horse.

By saying that the cutouts should be moved forward by 2 to 3 inches, are you referring to the stirrup cutouts?

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Thor, I use 3/4" to 1" shearling. Usually It will vary between the two, somewhere. After some serious use, it will compress down to about 1/2". Like I said in the beginning, between the wool shearling and a good quality pad of about 1/2" to 3/4" on a good fitting saddle, you should be good to go. It has been my experience, up here in MI., that usually when I make a saddle for someone, the horses they have usually are very much the same conformation, (their preference as to what they like is pretty consistent) and one saddle fits most of what they ride. The only exception to that is a couple that owns a riding stable, with about 80 or 90 horses on hand and any one time. In their case, their "private" riding horses all fall under the saddle I have built. As for the other horses that they use at the stable for customers they use cordova saddles with good five star pads. That seems to work for them.

Bob

[ChrisMajoue]

By saying that the cutouts should be moved forward by 2 to 3 inches, are you referring to the stirrup cutouts?

Yes, the stirrup cutouts forward a slight bit.

What's your favorite pad? I was just thinking this morning that I may get another pad.

And, what's the general lifespan of a pad. I seem to get 2 years or less out of them.

I've also used this Prof Choice one too: http://profchoice.com/i-8128925-professionals-choice-roper-elite-pad.html

Thanks!

Chris

[wendlynne]

I'm a textile nerd with a background there, so i'll throw in a few items for consideration here.

1) Myself and many others are sticklers for natural fibers. The moment you throw a non-wicking, thermal retainer fiber in there with no air permeability, I absolutely will not put it on my horse's back. Very few fibers actually wick moisture, most just retain it. This is not good for the saddle, the horse, or the heat buildup under the saddle.

2) the quality of wool matters. Five star quality has tanked in recent years, due to using shorter fibers in their wool to save money. This means the felt breaks down faster, and lasts a shorter amount of time. Don't skimp on the wool, it absolutely makes a difference in heavy use applications like pads.

3) A canvas cover like duck cotton (diamond uses these) is absolutely fine with me, and as it's a natural fiber it breathes and doesn't build up heat. I wouldn't do much more than a cover in cotton as it retains moisture. However, it greatly increases the longevity of the surface of the pad, and I believe it helps the pads hold up longer. I'm a fan of diamond pads for that reason.

4) If it isn't contoured with a cutout for withers, I'm not interested. There's just too much growing research for equine pain management and although it will add to your cost, it's necessary.

It seems that wool/acrylic blends and synthetic fibers have become ubiquitous in the equine industry, and people notice. They notice in particular when the pad breaks down. Also, I highly recommend Johan Schleiss' youtube videos on saddle fit, no matter the discipline. Understanding the objectives of proper saddle fit will assist in developing pads that further those goals.

Edited July 17, 2015 by wendlynne

[wendlynne]

Oh, and P.S.

Invest in a USB microscope (about 70-90 dollars on amazon) and learn how to do a burn test on your wool. There are testing facilities in textile labs for a reason, manufacturers lie about fiber content more than you'd like to imagine. What you're THINKING is 90% wool might be closer to 70%. What are supposed to be carded fibers may be infinitely shorter. The only way to know is to get in there, pull the fibers apart, and evaluate it yourself. That's the only way you'll get a sense of what is really going on with that fabric. A loop with 15x magnification just won't cut it.

[Thor]

wendlynne, thank you so much for your input. You brought up some things I haven't thought of yet. Microscope isn't an issue as I have a very good relationship with my vet and her input is invaluable to me. Further the felt will be custom made to my specs, once the series rolls. I found a great manufacturer after some thorough market research. Till then there's still a lot of research to be done.

Regarding a wither cutout one has to know that this can cause pressure points if it's not matching the horse (wither area) and saddle. So a general one-fits-all cutout doesn't really work. Due to various breeds and body shapes the contoured pad is a bit tricky for me, but I'm working on it and may have to come up with a pad suitable for that and that breed...

Anyhow I'm getting there. Thanks again for your input.

[wendlynne]

My pleasure!

That's the fun of the equine industry, right? So so many opinions, nearly all of them subjective and qualitative. Based upon our experiences with the animals and observation, but very difficult to test and put numbers to. Personally, I think that most clinicians and vets I trust say that there should be as little pressure as possible in the whither area, weight is only ideally distributed along the bars. Specifically this is an issue with length in western saddles, I've had a lot of issues with two geldings in particular who have had pelvic issues exactly like schleiss describes from the bar length. For me, if I have pressure in the whither area or shoulder at all? You're doing it wrong. Therefore a cutout only serves to alleviate pressure potential from shifts and the horses movement, and is nowhere near the bar area where pressure should be distributed. But again, without a sensor under the saddle pad (those ARE pretty cool, but 300 a day to rent) it's just qualitative data. Three horse people in a room, not a single opinion will align perfectly.

All the best, you're headed into a hotly contested area in equine development. I do highly encourage you to learn a bit about fibers and length/quality and do your own examination under a microscope, as your vet will have no experience visually identifying them. Burn testing as well. Sadly, even the best of textile converters have to work with their own suppliers, I would be asking a LOT of questions about their lab, QA process, whether they use independent external labs to test their suppliers or whether they test at ALL. I have walked the floor of a few labs, and I can assure you that most companies rely on trust and aren't testing their fibers. Most apparel companies have been forced to set up their own internal labs to QA, as the converters simply don't and the fibers change from lot to lot, and consequently the quality. If Patagonia and Nike can't trust their suppliers and/or find any that test to their satisfaction, well in my opinion neither should you.

Good luck out there!