Subscribing. I'm trying to find a decent one at a decent price too. I would lovee to have a Reinsman one to match my pad, but oh well. I don't have $70 lying around.
^^Exactly my point!! I found a great bareback pad, but by the time shipping was included it was nearly $100!!! I dont want to be spending that kind of money on a bareback pad, I want a good, decent pad for a good, reasonable price!!
There are a lot of them out there. But, you definitely DON'T want one with stirrups. Because there is no tree in a bareback pad like there is in the saddle there is nothing keeping the bareback pad from tipping to the side.
Personally I don't like the cinch system that comes with most bareback pads, so for my bareback pad I just used the D rings and attached 2 tie-straps and use a regular cinch. I also use a saddle pad underneath for extra padding and to help keep it in place better.
I honestly bought a really cheap bareback pad off of horse.com for 20 bucks. It works, but it's nothing fancy. It's not exactly the most friction inducing surface though, and it isn't very contoured.
I can't exactly tell you which one is good for the money, but things I would look for are D rings to attach your own tie strap and cinch system, no stirrups or removable stirrups, a frictiony surface like suede leather, a strap to hold onto, and more of a contoured shape.
So based on that, my recommendation is to just look on tack sites and ebay and see what you find. Obviously the better ones will be more pricey. If you want to post links to some I can tell you what I think if you want.
I have the 'Best Friends Bareback Pad' I love it, it's really comfy for you and the horse, but still lets you feel lovely and close. It doesn't slip, as long as you don't leave the girth too loose (although, you don't have to tighten it as much as an average saddle) And it is stirrup-free! It also has a strap on the pommel (well, where the pommel would be on a normal saddle) to grab on if your horse suddenly gets fizzy / spooky and you start losing you seat!
I don't know what it's like in comparison to any other bareback pad, as I haven't tried any others, because this one has lasted me years, and I'm very happy with it, and not looking to change it any time soon ;-)
I've been looking at that Mustang one. It was on sale like a month ago too for $30. gah. I would get that one if I were you. Microsuede is going to provide you with a lot of grip, but the fleece on the other one will be slippery.
^ Thats what I was thinking too Poseidon! There is a suede bareback pad at Dover that I am in love with, but I really dont want to pay $75 for it Guess Im just too cheap! LOL
^^^ They're all over if you google it, but they're very expensive. From what I've heard, they're fantastic, but I don't want to spend roughly $90 on a bareback pad.
Personally I'm fond of the Best Friends one too, but yet again it's pretty expensive and I haven't brought myself up to pay that much for a bareback pad either!
I definitely prefer the Cowboy Microsuede one. Not a fan of the fleece ones from my experience with them.
It'll definitely get the job done for you, but I'm still a bit wary of the cinch get up. Although, it shouldn't be that big of a problem if you aren't doing a whole lot yet with it. I think it's a good value for it's dollar, but if someday you'll be doing a lot of serious riding with a bareback pad then maybe it'll be time to shovel out some of the big bucks
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