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Veteran
Posts: 138
 
| I went to a clinic yesterday, and at the end of the clinic they were nice enough to look at a couple of saddle options with me (they actually think that this saddle that I sold to my friend and now friend has up for sale is a fairly good fit for her: https://goo.gl/photos/HyDCQQTAeXyaG1539). It was so nice to have somebody else look at my horse's back and immediately say "I bet this horse is hard to fit!" Makes me feel a bit less crazy about the amount of saddles I have tried without success. They also said that they didn't think there would ever be a perfect fit for my mare unless I spent $$$$ on going totally custom. I don't have $$$$ to go totally custom, so she suggested that I may just have to get creative with what pads I use. She was a huge lover of CSI saddle pads, and since one of my friends at the clinic has one I got to feel the difference between having my hand squished between a fence post as a CSI pad and my hand squished between a fence post and my 5 Star pad. The 5 Star hurt! While the CSI pad I didn't feel anything.
Does anybody have any experience with these pads? Even with feeling the difference between the two, I am still hesitant about spending close to $400 on a saddle pad. Can a saddle pad really make that much difference for a horse that is fairly close on fit with a saddle?
Edited by draftmare 2016-10-23 7:05 AM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| If the saddle is a little big in the gullet it works well for, or if there is bridging in the bars. If the saddle is a little too narrow, it doesn't help.
I love the csi pads, I think I own 4 maybe 5. The one I bought used, it still had the neoprene bottom, I bought a felt insert and it is still holding up well.
Also it takes time to break in, you will find them stiff a lot of people don't like this, if this will bother you buy used. |
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| I've found they work well for a saddle that doesn't fit your horse, or a growing colt. But when I had my saddle fitted for my gelding the CSI didn't work well. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Barrelhorsehelp1 - 2016-10-23 1:38 PM
I've found they work well for a saddle that doesn't fit your horse, or a growing colt. But when I had my saddle fitted for my gelding the CSI didn't work well.
Agreed, I hang onto mine for colts and outside horses. I've found my well fitted saddles tend to roll.
We have started using it with our rope saddles though and it seems to work pretty good there. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | I bought a CSI pad at Vegas last year, after I, too, felt no pain when my hand was smashed. I've used it on everything from nearly mutton-withered horses to high-withered horses...works great for me. I have a flex-tree (not tree-less) saddle, and feel it fits my horses well...can't imagine that it "doesn't fit",on a good fitting saddle... But my husband uses my pad, too, on a treed saddle...it's working well for him, too. I think they are dynamite! I'm not rich, and I would not have paid $425 for a pad unless I was convinced it was worth every cent. I have 40 years of racing experience...best pad I've ever seen. Good luck. |
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Veteran
Posts: 138
| cheryl makofka - 2016-10-23 7:59 AM
If the saddle is a little big in the gullet it works well for, or if there is bridging in the bars. If the saddle is a little too narrow, it doesn't help.
I love the csi pads, I think I own 4 maybe 5. The one I bought used, it still had the neoprene bottom, I bought a felt insert and it is still holding up well.
Also it takes time to break in, you will find them stiff a lot of people don't like this, if this will bother you buy used.
Not looking to fix too narrow. More looking to fix "really darn close" on the side of too wide.
Friend of mine is letting me try hers tonight. My first impression is that they are very bulky! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 585
Location: Texas | They have different thicknesses. Your friends might be 3/4". |
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