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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1032
 
Location: IL | So I've been saving up some money for a new saddle pad. I'm considering taking the plunge and buying a CSI pad for my OTTB mare to use with my Tammy Fischer saddle. I like the idea that should you need to, you can just replace the liner rather than the whole pad if it gets gross, worn down, etc. However, the liners are pricey too! So for those of you who use CSI pads, how often have you had to replace your liner???
Also, any pros and cons you've found with the CSI pads? Do they hold up with lots of use or do they wear down easily? Are they easy to clean? What is your experience with using them with a treeless saddle? I'm interested in any and all info you have on your personal experience with them. Thanks!
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 Expert
Posts: 1525
| I replace the felt pad underneath once a year if I am riding several....with this liner I have only ridden one at a time and my horses stay really clean and dont break much sweat even in the summer. I wont have to replace this year...and maybe mid-summer next year. This is my second pad. The girl that bought my first one from me two years ago still hasn't replaced hers. Its good felt and if you keep your horses clean and they dont sweat just a ton then you dont have to worry about it unless like I said you are riding several. Mom is now getting one. They are worth every penny. I have a horse that won me about 10k and then would try and buck me off every ten runs...so I tried to sell him for about 2500 with no takers (he can really buck) and so I bought another CSI and he hasn't bucked since...and people are kicking themselves in the butt for not buying him for that cheap haha. I was running him in it before...but got in a financial bind (lovely ex husband) and sold his pad. Started riding him in another and two months later he was trying to buck me off....I turned out of the BBR finals because of it. Really frustrating...had I known this pad make that big of a difference to him I would have replaced it sooner. My saddle runs a little big on him from time to time because his weight fluxuates really bad between breaks....and he has an old shoulder injury. This pad helps him a million times over. My saddle fits my "good" horse perfectly and as a single mom I cant afford to go get one custom fit for Holly right now...but I will tell you that this pad makes all the difference in the world to him. And replacing the felt lining once every two years (for my riding habits) is a really nice option. If you dont like it there are people lining up to buy used ones and they hold their value. Angie sells them for 325 and I have seen her buy them back and sell them used for 300, just replacing the felt. If you are buying one for a sports saddle I would buy the half inch. I can see it rolling if too thick. I ride in the 1 inch for a treed saddle and it never rolled with me...neither of them...even when brand new and they broke in really easy. I will say that if you have a really free runner that you need to "feel you sit down" in your saddle you might have to adjust your timing a bit because there isnt as much "feel" in the back to a horse. The pressure is distributed wonderfully. I can say that it has made my push-style horse free up enough that he is running .5 faster than before with a perfect saddle fit because he doesnt anticipiate my "seat" so much.
Edited by MOTIVATED 2015-10-16 9:57 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1032
Location: IL | MOTIVATED - 2015-10-16 9:52 AM I replace the felt pad underneath once a year if I am riding several....with this liner I have only ridden one at a time and my horses stay really clean and dont break much sweat even in the summer. I wont have to replace this year...and maybe mid-summer next year. This is my second pad. The girl that bought my first one from me two years ago still hasn't replaced hers. Its good felt and if you keep your horses clean and they dont sweat just a ton then you dont have to worry about it unless like I said you are riding several. Mom is now getting one. They are worth every penny. I have a horse that won me about 10k and then would try and buck me off every ten runs...so I tried to sell him for about 2500 with no takers (he can really buck) and so I bought another CSI and he hasn't bucked since...and people are kicking themselves in the butt for not buying him for that cheap haha. I was running him in it before...but got in a finacial bind (lovely ex husband) and sold his pad. Started riding him in another and two months later he was trying to buck me off....I turned out of the BBR finals because of it. Really frustrating...had I known this pad make that big of a difference to him I would have replaced it sooner. My saddle runs a little big on him from time to time because his weight fluxuates really bad between breaks....and he has an old shoulder injury. This pad helps him a million times over. My saddle fits my "good" horse perfectly and as a single mom I cant afford to go get one custom fit for Holly right now...but I will tell you that this pad makes all the difference in the world to him. And replacing the felt lining once every two years (for my riding habits) is a really nice option.
Thanks so much for the info! :) Glad to hear you love yours and it's made such a big difference for your horse. If I bought one, it would be used exclusively on my OTTB mare. And unless we put in a real hard ride, she doesn't sweat much. My other mare has a 5 Star that works great with her Deb Sibley saddle. I loved my 5 Star for my OTTB mare, but that shark fin wither just isn't cooperating with the pad anymore. I considered just getting the 5 Star treeless pad as it has the open spine but it's $300 for a black one and I figured, well a CSI is only $50 more lol. Thanks so much for the info, sure appreciate it!  |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
 
Location: NE Texas | MOTIVATED - 2015-10-16 9:52 AM I replace the felt pad underneath once a year if I am riding several....with this liner I have only ridden one at a time and my horses stay really clean and dont break much sweat even in the summer. I wont have to replace this year...and maybe mid-summer next year. This is my second pad. The girl that bought my first one from me two years ago still hasn't replaced hers. Its good felt and if you keep your horses clean and they dont sweat just a ton then you dont have to worry about it unless like I said you are riding several. Mom is now getting one. They are worth every penny. I have a horse that won me about 10k and then would try and buck me off every ten runs...so I tried to sell him for about 2500 with no takers (he can really buck) and so I bought another CSI and he hasn't bucked since...and people are kicking themselves in the butt for not buying him for that cheap haha. I was running him in it before...but got in a financial bind (lovely ex husband) and sold his pad. Started riding him in another and two months later he was trying to buck me off....I turned out of the BBR finals because of it. Really frustrating...had I known this pad make that big of a difference to him I would have replaced it sooner. My saddle runs a little big on him from time to time because his weight fluxuates really bad between breaks....and he has an old shoulder injury. This pad helps him a million times over. My saddle fits my "good" horse perfectly and as a single mom I cant afford to go get one custom fit for Holly right now...but I will tell you that this pad makes all the difference in the world to him. And replacing the felt lining once every two years (for my riding habits) is a really nice option. If you dont like it there are people lining up to buy used ones and they hold their value. Angie sells them for 325 and I have seen her buy them back and sell them used for 300, just replacing the felt. If you are buying one for a sports saddle I would buy the half inch. I can see it rolling if too thick. I ride in the 1 inch for a treed saddle and it never rolled with me...neither of them...even when brand new and they broke in really easy. I will say that if you have a really free runner that you need to "feel you sit down" in your saddle you might have to adjust your timing a bit because there isnt as much "feel" in the back to a horse. The pressure is distributed wonderfully. I can say that it has made my push-style horse free up enough that he is running .5 faster than before with a perfect saddle fit because he doesnt anticipiate my "seat" so much.
Thanks alot, cupcake....now i'm on the lookout for a CSI and wanting to trade off my saddleright....sigh.... |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | ^^^ DO IT, DO IT
I love my CSI pads....BUT I really liked the saddleright I had too...when I had a saddle that fit really well.
The CSI is quite a bit more forgiving IMO it makes up for a saddle that isn't quite perfect....we have 4 of them. We haven't replaced any of the liners yet all are over 2 years old with one being at least 8 years old and it is not showing much wear either-I do try to clean them regularly though. I do not have any experience with a treeless saddle with them. The ONLY "fad" my husband has fallen for and truly will never live without. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1032
Location: IL | LMS - 2015-10-16 10:26 AM ^^^ DO IT, DO IT
I love my CSI pads....BUT I really liked the saddleright I had too...when I had a saddle that fit really well.
The CSI is quite a bit more forgiving IMO it makes up for a saddle that isn't quite perfect....we have 4 of them. We haven't replaced any of the liners yet all are over 2 years old with one being at least 8 years old and it is not showing much wear either-I do try to clean them regularly though. I do not have any experience with a treeless saddle with them. The ONLY "fad" my husband has fallen for and truly will never live without.
haha Wow! If one is 8 years old and is still going strong that makes me very optimistic about forking over that kind of money! lol I'm a neat freak so mine would definitely get cleaned on a regular basis :P I like hearing personal experiences rather than the companies advertising because I feel like you get real/true feedback. So happy yours is a positive one! :) |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 310
Location: North Dakota | I LOVE my CSI. I've been riding multiple horses several days a week in it for over a year now and it still looks brand new. But I do use a thin liner under ALL my pads. I invested the $25 and get the Professionals Choice contour liner. It absorbs all the sweat and gunk and hair. When that's gotten to the point I can no longer clean it, I toss it out and get another liner. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1032
Location: IL | It's amazing how things just fall into your lap and make your decision really quick for you. I just purchased a practically brand new CSI pad for $165 shipped. It does have the neoprene insert instead of wool/felt but I'll buy a cheap liner if I have to until I can buy a new liner from CSI. Woohoo! I'm now part of the CSI crowd! LOL |
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Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | TACKyPaints - 2015-10-16 10:55 AM It's amazing how things just fall into your lap and make your decision really quick for you. I just purchased a practically brand new CSI pad for $165 shipped. It does have the neoprene insert instead of wool/felt but I'll buy a cheap liner if I have to until I can buy a new liner from CSI. Woohoo! I'm now part of the CSI crowd! LOL
Good for you-my 8 year old pad I bought used with 2 liners....off of this site awhile back too-thought I hit the jackpot!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1032
Location: IL | LMS - 2015-10-16 11:05 AM TACKyPaints - 2015-10-16 10:55 AM It's amazing how things just fall into your lap and make your decision really quick for you. I just purchased a practically brand new CSI pad for $165 shipped. It does have the neoprene insert instead of wool/felt but I'll buy a cheap liner if I have to until I can buy a new liner from CSI. Woohoo! I'm now part of the CSI crowd! LOL
Wow! With two liners included too is a good deal! Jackpot indeed! I'm anxious to get it and try it out. And they seem to really hold their resale value so should it not work for some reason I'm sure I can sell it and get my money back. :) |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | The good thing about a CSI is you can send it back for a refund if you don't like it within 30 days.
I have been borrowing an older one (with neoprene) to help me fit my too wide saddle until I can find a saddle that fits my horse. I ordered the new ones but sent it back because it didn't do the same job as the older one did. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Again it depends how much you use them.
I have 5 csi pads, some I bought used for cheap, and replaced the neoprene with the felt liner. The first one I bought it have had for 6 years, I haven't replaced the liner. I also have different thicknesses, so when the horses weight changes, I can change my pad.
I do wash mine and clean the hair off twice a year.
I do know some ropers will flip their pads, the insert has velcro on both sides so you can reverse it/flip it whatever you want to call it, this way you get more time out of the insert.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1032
Location: IL | cheryl makofka - 2015-10-16 11:28 AM Again it depends how much you use them. I have 5 csi pads, some I bought used for cheap, and replaced the neoprene with the felt liner. The first one I bought it have had for 6 years, I haven't replaced the liner. I also have different thicknesses, so when the horses weight changes, I can change my pad. I do wash mine and clean the hair off twice a year. I do know some ropers will flip their pads, the insert has velcro on both sides so you can reverse it/flip it whatever you want to call it, this way you get more time out of the insert.
Glad to hear that they last a long time. Mine will be used for daily riding as well as competing but I do clean my pads fairly often. Not necessarily wash them but I'll take a rubber curry to them an remove some of the hair and dried sweat.
That's good to know about being able to flip the liner, I'll have to remember that! |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Herbie, since your saddle fits so well I really think you will find the CSI pads too thick. I would try to find a friend that has one and try it before buying. JMHO |
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Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Nevertooold - 2015-10-16 2:04 PM Herbie, since your saddle fits so well I really think you will find the CSI pads too thick. I would try to find a friend that has one and try it before buying. JMHO
Thank you, NTO, I really appreciate that advice. I definitely don't want to be way up off of my horse. Only problem I have is my horse is still hip high so i'm riding a shim pad from Classic equine to try and even things out a bit. |
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Expert
Posts: 1525
| Herbie - 2015-10-16 2:16 PM Nevertooold - 2015-10-16 2:04 PM Herbie, since your saddle fits so well I really think you will find the CSI pads too thick. I would try to find a friend that has one and try it before buying. JMHO Thank you, NTO, I really appreciate that advice. I definitely don't want to be way up off of my horse. Only problem I have is my horse is still hip high so i'm riding a shim pad from Classic equine to try and even things out a bit.
My saddle fits my open horse perfectly and I still love the CSI, its not for saddles that dont fit...it just helps if they dont. Obviously the best thing is a proper fit to a saddle....but you could always buy the 1/2 inch...just a thought. And wanted to add that mine is a bit hip-high also...and the way the CSI fits and raises off the withers a big plus to its design! (no, i dont sell them lol)
Edited by MOTIVATED 2015-10-16 2:28 PM
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Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | MOTIVATED - 2015-10-16 2:27 PM Herbie - 2015-10-16 2:16 PM Nevertooold - 2015-10-16 2:04 PM Herbie, since your saddle fits so well I really think you will find the CSI pads too thick. I would try to find a friend that has one and try it before buying. JMHO Thank you, NTO, I really appreciate that advice. I definitely don't want to be way up off of my horse. Only problem I have is my horse is still hip high so i'm riding a shim pad from Classic equine to try and even things out a bit.
Can I borrow yours???? LOL  |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Nevertooold - 2015-10-16 2:04 PM
Herbie, since your saddle fits so well I really think you will find the CSI pads too thick. I would try to find a friend that has one and try it before buying. JMHO
My horses have been fitted and have saddles fit perfect, the csi pad doesn't interfere with the saddle fit.
On my colts where they are too narrow for my saddles, the csi pad's support allows me to use a little too big of saddle without causing problems.
Also if you are worried about thickness, you can special order the merino wool insert last time I checked into it the insert is 250. The merino wool insert is thin, and the wool is just like the shearling pro choice cinches.
I have one pad that I have been meaning to measure so I can order the merino insert |
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Expert
Posts: 1525
| Herbie - 2015-10-16 4:04 PM MOTIVATED - 2015-10-16 2:27 PM Herbie - 2015-10-16 2:16 PM Nevertooold - 2015-10-16 2:04 PM Herbie, since your saddle fits so well I really think you will find the CSI pads too thick. I would try to find a friend that has one and try it before buying. JMHO Thank you, NTO, I really appreciate that advice. I definitely don't want to be way up off of my horse. Only problem I have is my horse is still hip high so i'm riding a shim pad from Classic equine to try and even things out a bit.
If you were close enough you could definitely try it, I pmd you some info ;) |
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