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Veteran
Posts: 138
 
| I have a little bit of a conundrum with my saddle pad situation, and could use some feedback.
I finally got the Martin I picked up from a garage sale back from the saddle repairer after getting a new seat put on. It appears to be a fairly good fit for my horse, and she is moving well in it. Now...I need to figure out my saddle pads. My CSI appears to be too thick, which is a huge bummer. I love the flex plates in my CSI and it's pretty much all that is used at the barn I board at. With the CSI the saddle is super unstable, especially at the canter, to the point where I feel like I could slide off the side of my horse at any moment. I recently just bought the new Total Saddle Fit pad, and I like it okay. The material isn't quite the high quality I was hoping for for the price. 5 Star makes a much nicer material for around the same. However, dumb me ordered the 32 inch. I have no idea why I thought I needed such a long saddle pad. The skirt on my Martin is only 28 inches long.  It reaches just to the point of my horse's hip. It also looks kind of silly with the saddle. It doesn't seem to irritate my horse...yet at least.
If you were in my shoes, and were on a tight budget....would you get a thinner CSI since I know that I love the brand and how it works for my horse. I would probably have to find one used. Just make the TSF pad work for now since it doesn't seem to be hurting my horse, but is also way too long for the saddle and borderline too long for her back...or a third option would be to get a properly fitting 5 Star which is a fraction of the price of a CSI, and is another brand that I know that I like. My horse doesn't have any special needs, though I may end up shimming her left shoulder as it is smaller than her right until it can develop properly. All of the above brands have shimming options, so that's isn't an issue. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | draftmare - 2018-05-23 9:01 AM I have a little bit of a conundrum with my saddle pad situation, and could use some feedback. I finally got the Martin I picked up from a garage sale back from the saddle repairer after getting a new seat put on. It appears to be a fairly good fit for my horse, and she is moving well in it. Now...I need to figure out my saddle pads. My CSI appears to be too thick, which is a huge bummer. I love the flex plates in my CSI and it's pretty much all that is used at the barn I board at. With the CSI the saddle is super unstable, especially at the canter, to the point where I feel like I could slide off the side of my horse at any moment. I recently just bought the new Total Saddle Fit pad, and I like it okay. The material isn't quite the high quality I was hoping for for the price. 5 Star makes a much nicer material for around the same. However, dumb me ordered the 32 inch. I have no idea why I thought I needed such a long saddle pad. The skirt on my Martin is only 28 inches long. It reaches just to the point of my horse's hip. It also looks kind of silly with the saddle. It doesn't seem to irritate my horse...yet at least. If you were in my shoes, and were on a tight budget....would you get a thinner CSI since I know that I love the brand and how it works for my horse. I would probably have to find one used. Just make the TSF pad work for now since it doesn't seem to be hurting my horse, but is also way too long for the saddle and borderline too long for her back...or a third option would be to get a properly fitting 5 Star which is a fraction of the price of a CSI, and is another brand that I know that I like. My horse doesn't have any special needs, though I may end up shimming her left shoulder as it is smaller than her right until it can develop properly. All of the above brands have shimming options, so that's isn't an issue.
Sounds like you dont like the Total saddle fit pad as much as you thought you would like it and the CSI sounds like your saddle rolls with the one you have now, sooo I would go back to the 5 Star since you dont have any problems with them or find a thinner used CSI, but if it were me I would go with a 5 Star, all my saddles have a great fit with a 5 Star without ever having a issue..
My Martins with the right thickness 5 Star have always fit like a glove.. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 324
| You could just get a thinner liner for the CSI pad rather than having to buy a whole new pad.
Personally, if you're needing something on the thinner side, I would look into a Saddleright pad. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | I use Thinline. Really has helped my horse. You get your money back if you don't like it. (Win-Win!) |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| If you have the 3/4” CSI liner I would try to find a reasonably priced 1/2”, since you like the pad already. Although I have a 1/2” liner on mine and I’ve found it to be rolly with some saddles on some horses - including Martins I use to have, which is probably just coincidence.
I would look at SPH. Same wool provider as 5 Star and lower prices. |
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Location: in the ozone | OhMax - 2018-05-23 2:32 PM
If you have the 3/4” CSI liner I would try to find a reasonably priced 1/2”, since you like the pad already. Although I have a 1/2” liner on mine and I’ve found it to be rolly with some saddles on some horses - including Martins I use to have, which is probably just coincidence.
I would look at SPH. Same wool provider as 5 Star and lower prices.
SPH does get their felted wool blend from the same company as 5 Star and many other pad companies but it is not the same composition. When I questioned them on it, they finally admitted it - so they use that "wording" as a selling push. They originally stated it was the same wool, then got called out on that so now say that.
They really do not have anything different than Slone pads other than the way they cut them. I like Slones better
Edited by slipperyslope 2018-05-23 10:15 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 138
| slipperyslope - 2018-05-23 10:14 PM
OhMax - 2018-05-23 2:32 PM
If you have the 3/4” CSI liner I would try to find a reasonably priced 1/2”, since you like the pad already. Although I have a 1/2” liner on mine and I’ve found it to be rolly with some saddles on some horses - including Martins I use to have, which is probably just coincidence.
I would look at SPH. Same wool provider as 5 Star and lower prices.
SPH does get their felted wool blend from the same company as 5 Star and many other pad companies but it is not the same com position. When I questioned them on it, they finally admitted it - so they use that "wording" as a selling push. They originally stated it was the same wool, then got called out on that so now say that.
They really do not have anything different than Slone pads other than the way they cut them. I like Slones better
The SPH pads have always seemed weird to me, like they sit really stiffly in all the pictures that I see of them, and many times the cut out is too extreme for the saddles they are pictured with. |
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Veteran
Posts: 138
| OhMax - 2018-05-23 3:32 PM
If you have the 3/4” CSI liner I would try to find a reasonably priced 1/2”, since you like the pad already. Although I have a 1/2” liner on mine and I’ve found it to be rolly with some saddles on some horses - including Martins I use to have, which is probably just coincidence.
I would look at SPH. Same wool provider as 5 Star and lower prices.
I really hope that a thinner liner will roll less. I have been pouring over FB looking for a used one, and I am finding a lot of complaints on the pads rolling. Hopefully those people just had too thick of a liner. I know I for sure didn't even register on the fact that the top and plates do add another 1/4 inch to the overall thickness.
Hopefully it isn't a Martin problem! |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| draftmare - 2018-05-24 8:25 AM
slipperyslope - 2018-05-23 10:14 PM
OhMax - 2018-05-23 2:32 PM
If you have the 3/4” CSI liner I would try to find a reasonably priced 1/2”, since you like the pad already. Although I have a 1/2” liner on mine and I’ve found it to be rolly with some saddles on some horses - including Martins I use to have, which is probably just coincidence.
I would look at SPH. Same wool provider as 5 Star and lower prices.
SPH does get their felted wool blend from the same company as 5 Star and many other pad companies but it is not the same com position. When I questioned them on it, they finally admitted it - so they use that "wording" as a selling push. They originally stated it was the same wool, then got called out on that so now say that.
They really do not have anything different than Slone pads other than the way they cut them. I like Slones better
The SPH pads have always seemed weird to me, like they sit really stiffly in all the pictures that I see of them, and many times the cut out is too extreme for the saddles they are pictured with.
Gotcha, didn’t know that! I have seen the SPH’s in person and felt the wool was better quality than a lot of pads though, but Slone isn’t one of the ones gathering dust in the tack room because we love our 5 Stars so I can’t make that comparison. |
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Expert
Posts: 2122
Location: The Great Northwest | If your horse needs to be shimmed due to a shoulder, you should look to find a pad that holds a shim.
Too thick of a pad for a fitting saddle sure could cause them to roll and so uncomfortable for the horse. |
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Veteran
Posts: 138
| Well, I am now looking at the Toklat Matrix T3 pads. I had one before and loved that it was machine washable and drier safe. I sold it because it didn't have enough drop for my last saddle, but this saddle has a much smaller skirt. http://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Toklat_T3_Matrix_WoolBack_Shim_Weste...
CSI does offer a shim. Still very torn on what to do. Right now the Toklat is looking much more desirable due to being about half the price during the memorial day sales. |
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Saddle pad shuffle