Idea's Needed for Bareback Pad

So I have been riding bareback a LOT lately. I'm trying to get better balance and I have found that my current bareback pad is just NOT cutting it and I havent really been able to find any online that are what I want. I'm not the greatest seamstriss but I'm going to give it a go at making one.

Question is if you could have the perfect bareback pad for YOU what what it have?

The first thing I'm going to do it make it so you can use a normal cinch! I'll also add D rings. Any other ideas?

I made one for myself and I am very happy with it. I had one of those cheapo felt saddle pads that was really too small to use with my big western saddles. I just punched holes in it with a knife and weaved a leather saddle string through it and through an old latigo in very large stitches to create an 'overgirth'. I used chicago screws to attach a couple of old D ring type things on the ends and used another latigo to make the cinch straps. Other than not having a place to keep the extra latigo after I buckle the cinch, I've been pretty happy with it.

I got my ideal bareback pad at an expo several years ago. I had ridden in several and didn't like any of them, they all were either too thin, or unstable. I ended up getting this one,El Companero, because it was on sale super affordably. I adore it. You can get it to work with a western or english girth. I got western because I felt like I could get it a little more snug. It has a mounting strap, but I don't trust it enough to have ever tried it out, I just climb up from something else. Hubby got one to, so we have a teal and a purple, and we've ridden them in all weather, rain, gone swimming with them, they have held up to everything, with no color bleeding or fading, and are super comfy. But the best part, because of the texture of the suede and the cushion of the seat, your rear end is as good as velcroed to the horse - it doesn't move AT ALL!

But the only down side is the cost. We got our two for less than you could buy one now. And I did have the back strings tickle one very sensitive pony.

I just got lucky. Lacey is so wide that I really have no need for a bareback pad, her body is my bareback pad!

However, on other horses, I have a bareback pad that was made by a member on here last year. I can't seem to find any pictures of it, but basically it's like a shaped pad with tons of padding in the middle and fleece on the top/wool on the bottom. The only thing I dislike about it is that it has a tendency to slide when one gets on, but once you're on, you're stuck. It's just cushy enough that you feel really secure but not so cushy that you don't have freedom.

Why use a bareback pad? The only time I ever used one was to train a horse that had never had a saddle on.

How could a different barebak pad change/improve your balance? Your seat is your seat on a pad, no? What if you ditch the pad and see how stable you are like that?

II Best Friend Comfort Plus Eng Bareback and Bareback Pads and Alternative Saddles | EQUESTRIAN COLLECTIONS.COM

I have this one, only in black no hideous purple. It's pretty comfortable on my shark fin TB and it doesn't slip. That being said, I've hardly ever ridden in it and then only at the walk.

I like trail riding bareback its a lot of fun, we ride out on the trails for hours so the added pad helps my butt a LOT. The pad itself isn't what I need for balance, just being up there is what my balance needs. The only reason I want a pad is to keep my butt clean and to add a bit more comfort. I only have one horse I could ride bareback without a pad as she is perfectly round but she has a foal with her so I can't ride her bareback out on the trails.


Thanks everyone for the ideas so far. I'm getting a pretty good idea of what I would want mine to look like.

Oh. Makes sense. I think I misread your OP. Please post of picture of the finished product and what you would differently next time.

I'm with myboypuck, I have the bestfriends bareback pad, the english shaped version. It has a girth, doesn't slip, and I've ridden in it for long periods-walk, trot, canter, gallop, and on trail with no issue. It's got a suede texture so it gives you really good traction that you might not usually get bareback, and has a no-slip bottom to traction it to the horse. It doesn't have any Drings, but I think it'd be fairly easy to attach them?

Well,
We have this Mustang Microsuede Bareback Pad - Horse.com
It's nice pad