Cheap place for saddle pads

[Steph_D]

My daughter's birthday is in 2 weeks and the only thing that she wanted was a saddle for Faith, our pony mare. We're saving to get our car fixed, so we really couldn't afford one but by a huge twist of fate (or blessing from God

: ) we got an awesome deal on a nice used child's saddle. I have just about everything else rounded up that I need. The only thing that I'm lacking is a decent saddle pad. I'm wondering if y'all can recommend a good but inexpensive place to get one.

Thanks in advance!

I forgot to mention our plans for Faith, if anyone's wondering. She was abused under saddle, so we're taking it very slowly. After Courtney's birthday, we'll be working with a friend to slowly get her used to being under saddle again, the gentle way. We don't have the room to really "ride" so we're just going to do "pony rides" with the kids. That means no bridle or bit, which I'm sure Faith will really like. Us adults will not be riding her at all, only the kids, and she'll be on halter and lead at all times with 2 adults present at all times

: I've always said that I don't care if she's ever ridden again, and I don't. At least, if this doesn't work out for her, we won't have spent a fortune on tack.

 

[disneyhorse]

Is there a used tack place around? Saddle pads are NOT an area I'd skimp on and get a cheaper quality one, because they really add comfort to the horse. Bits and pads... areas for big spending (for quality at least). We have a couple consignment stores around here and a big classified ad newspaper for horses.

Andrea

 

[Steph_D]

Disney, that's what I'm looking for, maybe an online used tack shop or something like that. I don't really know what I'm looking for on ebay, and there's a TON of them on there. I guess I sound like a "newbie", but I am when it comes to buying riding equipment. I've ridden horses a lot, used to work at a trail riding place close by, but I've never really bought my own tack except for halters and leads so I'm pretty much lost. My local feed store/tack shop doesn't carry much of this stuff at all.

I'm heading north later this week so maybe I'll find something while I'm up that way. What do you look for in a good saddle pad, anyway? In other words, how do I tell an inexpensive but good pad from a cheaply made one?

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

If you don't mind white, here is a good one for the price. I wouldn't go any thinner than the 1" but it's about $33 including shipping. I love felt pads and used them for many years on all types of horses.

 

[whitney]

I make mine. You can use the sheet foam rubber, I used memory foam, and polar fleece. Its simple sewing just make a pillow case. The one I made last year for my dressage saddle I even monogramed with my initials using pretty punch. If you would like me too I can take a picture and post it tommorrow.

 

[jacks'thunder]

YES WHITNEY!!!

Pretty Please post a pic!!! I'd love to see!!!

:

Leya

 

[Steph_D]

Thanks for all of the advice, everyone!

Whitney, I'd love to see your homemade pads

:

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Ok Steph, considering these "pony rides" will be brief and supervised I took a look:

http://cgi.ebay.com/EPONA-Square-Quilted-S...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Classic-Square-Saddle-...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fleece-Print-All-Purpo...1QQcmdZViewItem

If you don't have a paypal acct let me know and I can help. These will work for now.

 

[Steph_D]

Thanks Debs!! I wasn't sure if those would work or not, but I saw them.

Yep, they'll be brief for sure, especially at first since Faith's not used to it. By the time there's any real length of time to these rides, I'll probably have so much tack I don't know what to do with it all. We've sat the girls on her back (one at a time, of course), but it was only long enough to get a picture and see how she'd react. Any time we have the kids out with the horses, there's always 2 adults present. It's not that I don't trust the kids OR the horses, but it's the "unknown" things like horse flies or a car back firing

:

 

[Sterling]

I've gotten a few items from the Country Supply and a few saddle pads from the before. I like their quality for the price. Check out the gazelle here on this page for only $16.99.

Edited....I just read the ad closer...if you order 2 they're $16.99...but still $23.00 is not bad for the price of one.

http://www.horse.com/depts/dept-16.html

 

[Suzie]

Not sure if you have any big horse tack sales around your area, we have a lot around here. I bought the nice foam ones for big horses and cut them down to size for our minis. Very nice padding. Usually they have 1-2 regular padded pony pads for sale as well. Around here they run about $10-12 each. Usually no one bids on smaller pads around here and I clean up. Same with pony saddles, etc. It is the reverse theory, no one who has a big horse wants a small saddle and at a mini horse sale, no one wants a big horse saddle. So I shop at the "reverse sales" in our area.

Good luck on your shopping.

 

[dangerranger]

If you decide to make your own, I make ours out of foam insulation. if you know an air conditioning tech or referigeration repair guy they normaly have scraps big enough to make pads from.I use 1" or 3/4". call around and have a pattern in hand and they will probably give you more than you can use. especially for a cute little kid and her pony! DR.

 

[whitney]

Sorry I didn't look at this yesterday. I will take pictures tonite and post tommorrow. I hope its CLEAN!

 

[palominogirl]

At tsc they always have saddle blankets for around 7.00 but they are really thin. i own a couple of them but if i use them i either use two at once or put a wool pad underneith them

-brittanie-