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Saddle pad vs. saddle blanket

54K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  equiniphile 
#1 ·
Please forgive the dumb question, but can you explain the difference. Oh, I know that a pad has padding and a blanket is just a blanket, but why the two different products? Why would you use a saddle pad instead of a saddle blanket?

Are blankets always used with a separate pad (like a felt pad) under them?

I hope I'm making sense and TIA.
 
#4 ·
#5 ·
The thicker saddle pads offer a bit more protection to the horse's back than just a blanket does. More often than not, the blankets are used over the top of a pad to dress them up a bit or give them some color, especially for shows because it is easier to haul 20 blankets of different colors than it is to haul 20 pads of different colors. Very few people use blankets under their western saddles without a pad simply because not many of us have a saddle with a tree designed to perfectly fit any specific horse. The thicker pads help to prevent pressure points from causing too much damage.
 
#10 ·
I have often thought too, that blankets go back to the days when saddle makers used REAL shearling fleece under the saddles, not the cheap synthetic stuff they use now days. If you have a nice underside of real fleece and the saddle fits well, you can get away with just a blanket.

If you have the synthetic fleece, which just about all production line saddles have nowadays, then it gets flat as a pancake right away and you need more padding, especially if it is a less than perfect fit.

I do have a saddle that fits so well (has never caused a white hair even with 5 hours trail rides several days a week) that I will sometimes use two single layer saddle blankets instead of a pad because I like the way they look. They are the nice, wool Maytexs, the thick ones. But still, I will almost always use a pad and a blanket together because I figure it gives the horse the most protection. :)
 
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