Do you ride your horse with a saddle pad, a saddle blanket, or a saddle pad and a blanket? As we dive into the difference between saddle pads and blankets, we can help you decide on the best saddle pad for you from NRS’ collection of saddle pads for sale. Depending on your horse, your discipline, and your preferences, it might be a single pad or a combination of a pad and a blanket. Understanding the difference between a saddle pad and a saddle blanket and their different functions is the first step when choosing the best saddle pad for you and your horse.

Saddle Pads: The Foundation of Equine Comfort

The pad under your saddle serves several functions and is an essential piece of equipment. A saddle pad is much more than just a shock absorber between the saddle and your horse’s back. A quality saddle pad is designed to provide optimal support by distributing pressure evenly, wicks moisture, and safeguards your horse's back whether you’re competing in the arena or spending hours in the saddle on the ranch or riding trails.

Saddle pads can be made from a wide variety of materials, ranging from high-tech gel, orthopedic foam, and neoprene saddle pads that offer superior shock absorption and fit, to classic wool pads that bring a great combination of breathability and durability. Each material serves a specific purpose, catering to the needs of the individual rider’s discipline and their horse. A saddle pad, in essence, acts as the foundation, making sure that the comfort of the horse is the top priority.

Since a saddle pad is used to add to the comfort of the horse, most would want to use a lot of pad to make sure their horse has the maximum amount of comfort, but this is actually not the case. Too much pad under your saddle will raise it too far off your horse’s back, causing the saddle to roll and create sore areas on the back. You want to ride with the least amount of pad possible, typically somewhere between 3/4” to 1 1/4”. Round-backed, or mutton-withered horses are going to use more of a straight-cut pad, whereas a horse with more wither is going to fit best in a contoured pad. Older horses or lean-built horses may have some hollowing behind the withers and horses that run downhill in conformation could be good candidates for a corrective saddle pad. Most of these pads will also have a cutout over the wither area for added comfort and closeness of the saddle. Although you can help a saddle fit better with correct padding, you will not be able to fix the issue of a completely ill-fitting saddle with a pad.

Saddle Blankets: Where Style Meets Function

Saddle blankets, are traditionally made of wool but can be made from modern synthetic blends. The most common types of saddle blankets are a Navajo or Casa Zia-style blanket. It is recommended that you use a quality saddle pad with a blanket and not just a single saddle blanket under your saddle. When using a blanket in combination with a saddle pad, you need to consider the combined thickness of your pad and blanket under the saddle, because you don’t want to overpad your saddle on your horse.

Depending on the placement of your saddle blanket, it can serve different functions. When placed under a saddle pad, it will serve as a liner, absorbing and wicking sweat and dander, essentially prolonging the life of your saddle pad. A saddle blanket over the top of a pad, as often seen in the horse showing world, can add just the right amount of thickness to a pad, but also enhances the look in the show pen. Saddle pads come in a wide variety of designs, allowing the rider to add their own personal touch to their look. Recognizing the need for a quality pad under an aesthetically pleasing saddle blanket, companies like Professional’s Choice and Classic Equine have an assortment of stylish blanket-top performance saddle pads for sale at NRS.

Choosing Wisely: Selecting the Correct Pad

It is always best to be mindful of your horse’s back and wither type, your saddle fit, and the type of riding you’ll be doing when you’re outfitting your horse. When trying to decide if you want to ride a single pad or a combination of a saddle pad and a blanket, it’s best to look at what type of riding you’ll be doing. If you’re spending a lot of time in the saddle on the same horse, it would be best to go with a classic wool saddle pad or maybe a combination of saddle blanket and wool pad. If you’re working a number of performance horses in the arena with turns, stops, and spins or roping, you will most likely prefer one of the saddle pads with gel, orthopedic foam, or other shock-absorbing material. If you are going to be using the same pad on multiple horses or need to easily clean the pad, due to skin conditions, a neoprene pad would be the best choice for you, and no matter which pad you choose, most of these performance saddle pads also have a blanket-top option available if you want to add a little style.

As outlined above, each type of saddle pad has a place and a purpose, and it will be up to you to pick the correct one to ensure your horse is most comfortable. Doing so will allow them to perform at their best, and make the ride enjoyable for you. You can shop our entire collection of saddle pads for sale at NRS by clicking here, and if you still have questions, feel free to give us a call. We’ll be glad to help.