How To: 1.25″ Wool Saddle Pad Fitting

By Sonja Eschenburg

With customers from all over the country, many who order pads online as opposed to buying them in person, it is the job of Best Ever employees to help these horse owners design and order a saddle pad that correctly fits their horse’s back. Obviously every horse is a little different and requires a different fit, but with their guidance and 30 years of experience as horsemen, Best Ever employees are able to tell their customers what works best for them and the company.

Every horse is built different, but no matter their structure, it is important to always make sure your saddle and pad fit their backs correctly. Ryan White, one of the owners of Best Ever Saddle Pads, is here today to give a few need-to-know pointers when it comes to finding the right pad.

Today Ryan is saddling up one of his personal heel horses, Cash. Cash is a 20 year old chestnut Ryan has had for about eight years now. He has definitely ran his fair share of steers and because of those year’s worth of wear and tear, Ryan saddles him with one of Best Ever’s more supportive pads.

Although Ryan uses the 1.25 inch, the Kush pad comes in three different thicknesses (¾, 1, and 1.25 inch). He prefers the 1.25 inch however, because no other pad is needed meaning he can use a one pad set up. This thicker pad is stronger and abides well when pulling roping steers. The 32 inch length of this Kush pad is good with square skirts that hang down longer because it really prevents any poking or pinching in the hip, or if you have a real short back heel horse a 30 inch length would work well too.

After throwing on a correctly fitting saddle, tighten the cinch just enough to see that the pad also doesn’t push down on the withers of the horse, allows plenty of space in between the gullet to run your hand, or at least three fingers, through, and is big enough to still have extra inches of room both in front of and behind the saddle.

All of this saddle pad’s extra support stops any rolling. Although it is really thick, the Kush saddle pad is very soft, too. This allows it to form to the horse’s back even more so, but maintains enough density to still absorb all of the shock and moisture.

All around this pad’s fit allows a saddle to do its job, while maintaining its history of being strong and comfortable at the same time.

To shop the Kush collection, click here.