What is everyone's favorite go-to brand of saddle pad for barrel racing? I currently have been looking at Classic Equine, and Impact Gel. Can anyone offer any insight to these?

Notice a difference in improvement of back/wither soreness with a particular brand?

Preferred pad thickness?

I have 5 Stars and on the thickness it depends on my horses , I have 1/2, 3/4,7/8. I use the 3/4 the most.

CSI and SaddleRight are my go to pads.

I have a couple of Best Ever pads and you just cant beat the price point. Great pad.

CSI for my high withered boy and 5 star for the others.

The new Spinal relief pads by SKEquine are Amazing!!!   Let me know if you need more info I can get you in touch with the US rep. 

Same here !!! I actually love the best ever Kush pads way better than any 5 star or saddleright pad. I think best ever will be my go to forever. Lol 

My horse developed quarter sized hard bumps along his spine/back last year. Was using strictly 5 star pads. Someone told me it would be worth trying an impact gel pad. So I did, and within two weeks all the bumps were gone, and they have never come back. I am sold on the impact gel pads.

Agree with that, it was wise. But sometimes we can't recognize or predict cases like that

I use a CSI on my main head horse, but didn't like it on my barrel/head horse combo.  I have a Tod Slone that matches my saddle I use on another head horse, and I use 5 Star's on everything else, barrels and roping.

I've had Best Ever and liked them at the moment, but they compress considerably faster than my 5 Star pads.  They are cheaper on the front end, but not in the long run.  Slones are the next best to 5 Star, IMO.

My chiro would shoot me if I used an Impact Gel.  He said the gel will not allow the back to breathe like it should.  If you aren't riding hard or for a long time I figure they are okay.

As always, every horse is different.  This is just what seems to work best for my herd.

my new fav is the SK spine relief pad! course horse had kissing spine surgery but I would love it anyways! 

Tod Slone, I've used them for many years; 3/4" and 1" thickness.  They hold up great and they are the only pad that got the 'cut out' correct.  The saddles fit down perfectly with the Tod Slone's.  I have two Best Ever pads (3/4 thickness), and they're OK but the cut out over the withers doesn't work - it smashes down on the withers (on most every horse), and they are easier to compress than the Tod Slone 3/4".  

I like Classic Equine and Tod Slone. I won a Five Star and have never really liked it so it is at the bottom of my list. I noticed all the girls at the NFR were using the ClSic Equine pad with the blanket to and fleece bottom. That is what my trainer prefers. 

The BE is the next one I'm going to purchase. I designed one on their website and was pleasantly surprised when I got to the end and saw the price! Right now I have a classic equine and it's held up pretty good but it's getting time to retire it. 

Saddleright with a BOT liner.

Best ever!

CSI

I have 2 SPH pads and I love them. I have a 1/2" and a 3/4". The cut out allows for closer contact which is great for short legged riders. I also like that the pad seems to conform better to the horse than other pads that seem stiff. 

You can now order a Best Ever On TSC website and get free shipping.  They actually had the exact same one I designed.. so I may save myself $35 on shipping!