Bareback pads - Any good?

laceyfreckle

laceyfreckle

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2007
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Essex/Suffolk
What are the general views on bareback pads?

Last year I rode Harvey bareback as in just on him, no pad and this year i have a bareback horsemanship assignment to complete which involves walk, trot and canter bareback riding with one rein on a rope halter.

End of last year Harvey had a sore back which resulted in him throwing me off when i got on him bareback. It has made me slightly nervous of riding him bareback and i don't want to make his back sore at all. He also has a really uncomfy back and even when at a good weight (could do with a bit extra weight at the mo) his backbone is quite prominent. I'm not the lightest person to be sat on him either although i am losing weight. He is 13.2hh and i am 10st 7lb.

So I'm thinking a bareback pad (i like the best friend one and it is within my price bracket.) might help a little bit more stickability, and also be a bit more comfy for us both?

Do they slip at all? How do other people find them compared to a)bareback and b) riding in a saddle with no stirrups
 
This is his back - you can see why I would rather not sit on him completely bareback, but not sure what difference a pad would make?

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and a couple of photo's just because!

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I really really liked the Christ Lammferle sheepskin pad my best friend gave me when I got Ziggy. It was so plush and comfortable. Unfortunately he's not safe to go in it yet for a rider of my standard :redface: so I have lent it to Bodshi to try on Rafi - I'm sure she'll tell you what she thinks of it.

A very handsome boy is yours by the way!
 
he is sooo cute!

i did buy a Best Friends Bareback pad for Rosie...within the first ride she bronked...then continuusly bronked until i jumped off....then continued until we took it off her....i bought it off ebay....after that i had a closer look and realised the pad smelt like it had been washing in quite a strong detergent, shes quite sensitive on the skin....anyhow that was our experience, which trust me isnt a good representative as my friend bought one at the same time for her cob and rode in it solely for about 18 months until buying a treeless saddle! she highly recommends it!!
 
Have the Christ Lammfelle pad, excellent, very comfy. Great as long as you are a quite well balanced rider. I have a lady that rides 1 of my ponies and she loves it too. Pony is quite naughty and has the odd buck and takes off!!!
she has always managed to stay put ( to date anyway) :smile:
 
Jane&Ziggy said:
I really really liked the Christ Lammferle sheepskin pad my best friend gave me when I got Ziggy. It was so plush and comfortable. Unfortunately he's not safe to go in it yet for a rider of my standard :redface: so I have lent it to Bodshi to try on Rafi - I'm sure she'll tell you what she thinks of it.

A very handsome boy is yours by the way!
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Aw what a lovely ponio.

Anyway - yes thanks very much Jane and Ziggy for lending me the pad - I really like the Christ Lammferle - it's so comfy you could go to sleep in it! I've only tried it once so far, was going to have another go tonight but Rafi's managed to cut his foot so spent my time washing and spraying purple spray instead!

Anyway, I rode in the pad on Tuesday, just in the school and a little walk down the lane with no traffic. I found it really comfortable, it's really thick sheepskin, so I couldn't feel Rafi's backbone at all and it even has knee rolls. Rafi also seemed very comfortable, he walked out really nicely, in fact it was the best walk we've ever done in the school. The one time I'd sat on him properly bareback he seemed a bit anxious but he was fine with the pad. I felt quite confident trotting too - there was no slip either between the pad and Rafi, or me and the pad.

I do think it's cheating to call it bareback though!

Will try to take some pics at the weekend. I love it, if I was a good enough rider I'd be happy to use it instead of a saddle.
 
I have a bareback pad I got from the US and LOVE it. Gives 'enough' stickability and definitely pads out a bony back, stops you getting covered in hair too! It's called a 'Cool Back' which when googled looks v similar to the Best Friend ones!
 
Another vote for the Best Friend - my mare has a similar shaped back, and it suits us both perfectly. In fact, her back has muscled up since using the pad, now that the saddle isn't restricting her. She can be a bit sharp at times, but I actually feel safer using the pad rather than the saddle. As for similarity to riding in a saddle without stirrups - doesn't come close - the bareback pad wins hands down.:dance:
Oh, and I am a complete wuss, so this is a major big deal for me - so it must be good :wink:
 
have tried the best friend on angel, whose back is similar to your pony's at the moment, and (despite the fact I also had to pad it up with another numnah as the girth didn't go short enough), it was not comfy and not much different to being bareback. angel wasnt too hot on it either. in terms of pads i prefer the cashel soft saddle one as it gives more padding. although the best friend one is probly quite comfy on a horse with no withers or raised spine.
 
I have the best friend one - the western style and I like it - it's purely to stop me getting a white bum as May is pretty comfortable anyway but it doesn't move and I liked it because I had the option to get girth extensions with it that I thought I might need for the fatty :smug:
 
I have the best friend pad.

There is also a newer pad on the market that horse and harmony sells, have a look at that, it's a bit more on the padded side.

I would get his back checked to make sure it's ok, then you could do some ridden and groundwork exercises to strenghten the back muscles and get him using his back.

Then try a pad and stay in walk and see how you get along. If you are worried and tense on a senstive chap like harvey he'll feel it all the more in a pad.

Do you have to ride bareback, i had the option of a pad or saddle for my parelli level 3 ridden. I did that with the just the string, my choice but i also opted for a saddle. It was marked on balance and fluidity, i didn't really fancy flying off as being part of the audition.
 
newforest said:
I have the best friend pad.

There is also a newer pad on the market that horse and harmony sells, have a look at that, it's a bit more on the padded side.

I would get his back checked to make sure it's ok, then you could do some ridden and groundwork exercises to strenghten the back muscles and get him using his back.

Then try a pad and stay in walk and see how you get along. If you are worried and tense on a senstive chap like harvey he'll feel it all the more in a pad.

Do you have to ride bareback, i had the option of a pad or saddle for my parelli level 3 ridden. I did that with the just the string, my choice but i also opted for a saddle. It was marked on balance and fluidity, i didn't really fancy flying off as being part of the audition.
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Thanks everyone so far - will answer the others/more in depth later as short on time atm.

but NF - yep he has been given the all clear on his back now...had 4 months off work followed by another few weeks of groundwork and ridden exercises and then further work both groundwork and saddle so has had about 4-6 weeks back under saddle now.

Shape wise he tends to go the same shape each winter, just doesn't seem to hold weight over his back very well. It's not so much muscle wastage as just a bit too skinny (working on that!). His wither profile is 200% better then it was 2yrs ago when he did have extensive muscle wastage...maybe thats why he goes back to the same shape once he's lost weight?

Options are - to ride true bareback or with a bareback pad - no saddle option. It is the only assignment in this level (level 2) where i can't use a saddle though.

oh, will look at that other pad too on horse and harmony, thats where i saw the BF pad too.

Will start off in walk of course until we've both had a bit more practise although pretty sure if he's alright with me getting on he will be ok - it's just he is SO uncomfy! the downside to that is if he's not ok then he will probably explode the second my leg goes over :redface:

I have asked if i can defer the bareback bits until i've done a few other assignments that are further ahead but haven't had a answer back yet.
 
Or borrow my daughters table top pony, very comfy so I'm told.

Click on the pic.[/QUOTE]

FAB video!

Funnily enough the first time i rode Harvey bareback he did just that and aimed over the jump i had left up, which would have been great if i had wanted him to!

My 4yr old daughter has just seen that clip btw and is now in awe of your daughter and already asking lots of questions.....(i don't let her go fast and she is a born speed junky!)
 
Jane&Ziggy said:
I really really liked the Christ Lammferle sheepskin pad my best friend gave me when I got Ziggy. It was so plush and comfortable.
A very handsome boy is yours by the way!
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Thanks, will have a look at the christ lammferle as well but have a inkling it might be a bit too much over budget. The trouble with him being handsome is that he knows it lol. His sense of humour is rather similar to Ziggy's!

happyhacker101 said:
No idea on the backpads LF - sorry! But just wanted to say how well Harvey is looking!:smile:
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Aah, thank you! He still looks a bit skinny but i think some of that is as soon as mares start to come in season he stresses himself out a little about 'always looking his best' lol. He has got calmer in a way as time has gone by though..a lot easier to get on with now. Has personality shall we say lol.

juliecwuk said:
he is sooo cute!

i did buy a Best Friends Bareback pad for Rosie...within the first ride she bronked...then continuusly bronked until i jumped off....then continued until we took it off her....i bought it off ebay....after that i had a closer look and realised the pad smelt like it had been washing in quite a strong detergent, shes quite sensitive on the skin....anyhow that was our experience, which trust me isnt a good representative as my friend bought one at the same time for her cob and rode in it solely for about 18 months until buying a treeless saddle! she highly recommends it!!
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hmm, see broncing is my worry lol. but then if it had been washed in a strong detergent then yeah that could have been the reason, Harvey has quite sensitive skin too.

shockblue said:
I have a nice stiff suede one. I tried a best friend after using it and couldn't get along with the best friend as I found to too like a cushion strapped to the horses back whereas the suede glued me on and moulded to my horse.
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thanks :-) I've seen the suede ones i think but I probably need something a bit more cushion like with Harvey as i can feel a 'bit too much of him' bareback atm.

notpoodle said:
have tried the best friend on angel, whose back is similar to your pony's at the moment, and (despite the fact I also had to pad it up with another numnah as the girth didn't go short enough), it was not comfy and not much different to being bareback. angel wasnt too hot on it either. in terms of pads i prefer the cashel soft saddle one as it gives more padding. although the best friend one is probly quite comfy on a horse with no withers or raised spine.
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Will have a look at the cashel soft saddle one too :-)
 
Ebay could be worth a look or if there are any sales on.

I have links to bareback pads on my site, there is a pic of a western one that i had, the hilason i think it was, also a photo of an austrian bareback pad, now that was lush. forget the name but there was a thread on here about it as i did a write up type thing.
 
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