As a rider who spends what I believe to be an above average amount of time riding bareback (at least once a week), I wanted to review the two different bareback pads I’ve owned and used.
Coolback Bareback Pad
Since I wasn’t sure how often I would ride bareback and I had already had one of these pads when I was younger I first purchased the Coolback Bareback pad to use. Smartpak has it listed for $75, I’m pretty sure I paid $65 when I got it several years ago.
The pad is made completely of dense polyester which provides a nice cushion for riding. Since the pad is so flexible, it really fits any shape of wither. Due to the lack of grip to the fabric, you do need to make sure your girth is quite tight. My pad usually shifts a bit just from getting on, and my horse isn’t that round so I can imagine issues with a flat withered horse.
After several years of use this pad still looks great except for the chestnut hairs that are permanently part of the fabric now. This pad cleans up easily in the washer. I enjoyed riding in this pad and have done walk, trot, canter, and jumped with it. Really the only negatives I have to say about it are that everything sticks to it – hair, shavings, etc – and that it is anything but cool on my horse’s back. Be prepared for lots of sweat under this paid after even just a short ride in slightly warm weather.
Thinline Comfort Plus Bareback Pad
Hillary from Equestrian at Hart and I both bought one of these pads for a deal at Rolex in April. I had read lots about the pad in the past, but had always been too cheap to buy it. The best deal I have found while searching online was from a site I haven’t used, Horsetackco.com, for $120 with free shipping and they have a promo code for 10% off.
Looks cozy
The construction is great, and the seat is nice and grippy without losing the feel that you are riding without a saddle. The arch for the wither could be a little higher, but it fits Phoenix well since he has only a slightly above average wither. The underside of both the pad and the girth is a rubbery waffle material that really holds the pad in place nicely. The materials also mean that you can clean this pad just by squirting it with the hose!
At this point, I have done everything but jump in this pad, and I’m sure it wouldn’t be an issue. The pad has lots of grip, and it doesn’t move at all on my horse. It does not have the cushy feeling of the Coolback pad, but it is very comfortable and I enjoy the close contact feel of it. The only negative I have found with this pad is that the girth likes to twist sometimes. The girth itself is wider than the strap you buckle it onto, so for some reason the girth itself likes slide out the back a little. As I said the pad itself doesn’t move, so it’s just an annoyance when I see it more than anything else and it could just be my horse’s conformation.
P in his bareback pad after our Monday ride
Monday night P and I had a nice bareback ride in the field. Wednesday it had been raining so P and I were forced into one of the sand rings for a ride. He was really good, we worked on doing perfectly shaped circles and lots of transitions. P was in show pony mode since the tents were up for this weekend so we had a lot of fun.
P and I had a big ring all to ourselves
Getting ready for the show!
Walking between rings with P
Tuesday Stampede was 90% horrible, as in he spooked/gawked/fought through the flat work then proceeded to give me a good course over fences. Last night was schooling for the show and he stuck to just gawking on the flat, which I could deal with given all of the activity. Jumping he was completely lazy and unimpressed. Hopefully he will be a good boy again this weekend!
Brothers grazing together. Love them!
I haven’t ever used a bareback pad before. Do they really make riding bareback a much better experience overall?
Much better! Cushions you against their spine and wither and keeps you clean.