More on the CSI Saddle Pad

The more I use my CSI Pad, the more I like it and doubt I'll be using anything else.

 

The CSI Pad is actually a two piece saddle pad. The bottom piece, either 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick, is wool felt and combines with a thinner top pad, which is the CSI flex plate sandwiched between two layers of automotive carpet, to make the complete pad.  

 

The flex plate is a flat plate of polycarbonate that the bars of the saddle rest over, dissipating the pressure, often the uneven pressure of a saddles bars and rider's weight.

The pressure displacing plate, sandwiched or sewn between two sections of automotive carpet has a narrow strip of Velcro which mates to the felt pad.

 

Both have pads have holes in the spine to vent heat off the horse's back. I admit that if you separate these two pieces, it takes a little patience aligning the holes, but the concept of a replaceable wool felt pad is a really a great idea and allows you to separate the pads for cleaning. I have two CSI pads, one with a 1/2 inch felt liner and the other is a 3/4 inch felt liner, which are natural felt. I haven't had the need to replace a liner yet and will likely being buying another CSI pad this year.

These are high dollar saddle pads. If you are like me, you'll be eating bologna sandwiches for a month in order to afford one, but you won't be disappointed. In the picture above you can see from the wet spots on the horse's back how the CSI Flex Plate disperses pressure from the bars of the saddle and the rider's weight, keeping pressure off the spine. The CSI Pads are contoured for the withers which make it easy to position and comfortable for the horse.

CSI also offers a Western round skirt and English cut Saddle Pads as well. CSI also has shims available for horse's with anatomical issues. CSI counsels that most horse's do not need the shims and you should consult with one of their saddle fit experts before buying.

 

While I clean my CSI felt liners using a metal curry brush being careful not to tear up the felt in the process, CSI does offer a rubber cleaning brush which, to be truthful, doesn't work very well for me, hence the metal curry brush for scraping away the built up of hair and dirt before I wash the pad.

 

Again, if you end up buying one of the CSI pads, you won 't be disappointed......more importantly, I don't your horse will either.      

Review of CSI Saddle Pad

Having worn out a couple Impact Gel saddle pads, I was looking to buy another good saddle pad. I have used about every type of saddle pad,...sheepskin lined, felt, and even neoprene saddle pads, which I used under a blanket and mostly for arena roping. I never liked the neoprene pads and how they build up heat under the saddle no matter how many air holes they had.

I did work with SaddleSkin, in developing a saddle pad from a non-natural material that is the same Cooling and Trauma Attenuation material and design that is used between body armor and the user's clothing, to reduce trauma from bullet impact to body armor being absorbed by the body, as well as to provide a cooling effect to the skin surface. The SaddleSkin worked as advertised, protecting the horse's back and keeping the Horse's back cooler through air channels and holes. I also found that the SaddleSkin also kept the saddle from slipping.   However, I just really like felt pads, so I was looking to get a felt pad replacement.

I have known about CSI Saddle Pads for a couple years now, but the price kind of put me off, so after a couple of months of getting used to the idea of spending that much money, I finally ordered one directly from CSI.

Much like the Impact Gel Saddle Pads, which uses a gel pad in between layers of felt to absorb and reduce trauma to the horse's back, the CSI Saddle pads uses what they call a "flex plate" to dissipate trauma from pressure of the saddle's bars on the horse's back. The flex plate is visible in the photo at left.

The CSI Saddle Pad is actually a two piece pad. The bottom piece is a traditional felt pad, available in 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch thickness and a top piece that is automotive carpet sandwiched around the flex plate. There is a thin line of velcro sewn into the bottom spine of the top pad (flex plate) so that it can mate with the bottom felt pad and not slip. The photo at right shows the two layers and you can see that the bottom felt pad is relieved to reduce bulk for the front cinch.



Both pieces have air holes that line up and are designed to let heat escape the horses back.    The photo at left shows the air holes in the spine of the pad.  The bottom felt pad is reversible as well, extending the using life of this pad.  And as you can see from the two top photos, the CSI pad is formed for the withers.  It fit nicely on the three horses with varying wither heights that I tried it on.  I don't think anyone would be disappointed with a CSI Saddle Pad.


CSI hosts a series of videos    on saddle fit, horse balance, back and health issues. In the video below, Rhonda Martin discusses how saddle fit affects the function of the horse.

Used Saddle Buying

Harold L wrote and asked several questions regarding saddles. "I have an old hand me down saddle with the sewing all worn out on the side and am about ready to buy another one. What ideas can you give me when buying used saddles and do you know about some good mail order places that I can get a good deal on a saddle, new or used, and what type of saddle should I be looking at"?

There are a lot of good used saddles out there from people downsizing their saddle collection (my wife ain't one of them), ....people getting out of the horse business altogether, or upgrading to a newer saddle.

Not counting for the features you like, slick fork versus a medium swell, deep seat, high cantle, California or pencil roll, or what type of riding you are doing, you would do good to buy from a reputable company or person and check to make sure the tree ain't cracked and the fleece doesn't need to be replaced, at least not immediately,..and above all make sure the saddle fits your horse.  It's a good idea on a used saddle to run your hand all over the fleece or sheep skin liner to detect nails sticking out of the tree or any other abnormalities that could affect the fit and your horse's comfort.  

On a used saddle, I would also check to make sure the tree isn't cracked.  Placing your hands on the horn and cantle and twisting, and, doing the same on the skirt should let you know if there are any problems with the tree. 

Note:  The saddle pictured above left is a Santa Fe style saddle made by Sawtooth Saddle Company of Vernal, Utah. 

I am impressed with Cactus Saddlery.  They make a line of saddles for Craig Cameron.  One of the newest saddles in this line is the Ultra Lightweight Trail Saddle, coming in at 34 pounds.  As you can see by the picture at right, the skirt is cut away to reduce weight.  It looks to have a deep ground seat, is built on a wood rawhide covered tree and is advertised with a 10 year warranty.  Priced under $2,100 it looks to be a prety deal deal on a custom saddle.  

There are some good hands at saddle repair, depending on where you live, and you may have the option of taking some pictures sending it to a saddle repair shop for an estimate on what it would cost to make your old saddle serviceable again. I have been pretty lucky with good repair work in the past. In fact one of those fellas was Adan Saenz one of the last of the S.D. Myres saddle makers. Now in his 80's, Adan is not only gifted, but he was stuck in 1970's prices, so it was always a bargain to get him to repair something. Of course it depends on how much you'll willing to spend.  I have did some minor repairs to saddles such as re-stitching the skirt, re- riveting a flat plate rigging.  I won't be doing much of that in the future as I'm here to tell you it is worth it having a saddle professionally repaired.  


If you are really thinking about buying a new saddle, a very good semi-custom or custom saddle starts around $1,800.  I'm pretty sure you can buy a new factory saddles for under $1,400.  So you're pretty much going to have to decide what you are willing to spend to start building a list of saddle makers or sellers.   

Best case is that you can fit any potential saddle buy to your horse and try it out before you buy.  Tucker  Saddles has a Saddle Fit Guide which would be helpful to you.   
Some of the really good custom makers are listed on this website with links.  See the right hand column towards the bottom.  You may want to look at Teskeys to see both new and used saddles.  Good luck and safe journey.

Western Saddle Position Question

Myhorsegenie sent the following question: ” I am only new to western riding and I am learning so much from your videos. Don't laugh but I have a really basic question: What is the correct position to put a western saddle on a horse? I also have a Standardbred who will lunge at people and other horses when tethered she doesn't appear to trust anyone, she is also very protective over her food. What can I do?”

Hey Horsegenie. The correct position or saddle fit on a horse is a great question. There are many issues to consider with saddle fit, among them:

The height of the horse’s withers and clearance of the gullet of the saddle - the clearance between the horse's withers and gullet of the saddle cannot be too narrow or too much clearance. Three fingers clearance would be generally appropriate.

The fit of, and the contact of the bars of the saddle in relation to the horse’s back - the bars of the saddle should contact the horse's and not create any pressure points nor rock (move).

The saddle position (contact of the bars of the saddle) in relation to the horse’s scapula - the saddle bars should not be placed where they contact the horse's scapula as this will wear on the horse and inhibit movement. The skirt of the saddle may extend over the scapula without causing problems, but even this would concern me.

The type and length of the cinch or front girth - most traditionalist's use Mohair cinches or the cotton rope cinches. Some use neoprene intended to inhibit the saddle from rolling. I like to use canvas cinches with a sheepskin lining. The cinch on most saddles will be in the space between the horse's barrel and armpit. Use of a rear cinch should be with a connector to keep the rear cinch from sliding backward as this often causes a horse to go to bucking.

I have very seldom tacked up and ridden a center rigged saddle such an an endurance saddle. So I can't offer any help there, but your question concerns western riding so I assumed a typical western saddle. I hope this and the video helps - let me know. Safe Journey Horsegenie.

I wrote a previous post on Saddle Fit here, which you want to review.

There are forms available for the rider to cast or replicate the horse’s back and have a saddle either made or selected to fit. Most people can’t afford to have a saddle made for each horse they ride, but there are some things they can do to ensure the best fit possible, and, ways to check to see if the saddle is causing the horse problems.

Saddle Wear Spots on Horse

Received this question via e-mail from Arlo....”My brown horse is getting white spots, some are oblong, on his back and somebody told me I needed a better saddle pad. Does this generally solves this problem?”

Arlo, I would say that the most common cause of white spots or dead hair on a horses back are a poor fitting saddle. See picture at left. Really no such thing as a saddle that fits all horses. And the most common area on the horse's back is where the bars of the saddle make contact with the horse's back. Sometimes there is uneven contact or pressure from the bars because of poor fit and that puts additional pressure on the horse's back. The picture left is a good example of that on this old roping horses of mine who I bought with these obvious saddle wear marks. He was grossly underweight at the time which can add to the effects of a poor fit.

There is only very little you can do with different saddle pads to make that saddle fit better to eliminate the problem. Of course it is necessary to have a good pad and for it to be kept in good condition. I only use a felt pad and for the last five or six years been using the Impact Gel pads which have impact absorbing gel in place's where the saddle and rider's weight are mostly felt by the horse. I have seen some pretty sweated up and crusty pads, from which the accumulation of salt from sweat can cut the hair, kill it and turn it white. This is most common, from my experience, towards the rear of the saddle pad. I lay my pads, upside down, see photo right, and scrap them with a grooming brush to remove excess salt buildup (and hair buildup) so the pad is softer on the horse's back. In the hot summer months, like now, I do this before every ride. I have seen the beginning of white hair on some horses and if you act early enough you can keep from killing the hair and making it permanently white.

If I were you I would lay my bare saddle on my horses back and check for fit. Ensure that you have some room in the gullet where the saddle fits over the horse's withers. Check for consistent contact along the bars of the saddle with the horse's back. If this is where you are seeing the white hair, chances are it's from the saddle. Make sure your sheepskin lining is intact and not in need of replacing, and maybe a new felt saddle pad is in order. Good luck and safe journey.

Reader Question on Saddle Fit

Received this question: Is there a way to fit a saddle that has full quarter bars to a horse that needs a medium bar without buying a new saddle?

I think we can all agree that it is impossible for one saddle to fit all horses. This is because the difference in the widths of the saddle-tree bars, their angle, length and flare. I also think we all have saddled horses with saddles and bars too narrow for the best fit....that's probably because most of us have saddles older than our horses.

Quarter horse bars are going to narrower in width and have a steeper angle than say semi-quarter horse bars (medium bars) and full quarter horse bars. Horses today seem to have shorter withers, bigger shoulders and flatter backs, hence the move away from older quarter horse bars fitting higher withered horses, to semi and full quarter horse bars.

You really should have a saddle that fits your horse, but money wise, this is unrealistic for most people. You can do a little bit to fit the horse through using the appropriate saddle pad and/or blanket, but you can't make up a really poor fit this way. Imagine piling up a bunch of folded blankets on a chair then sitting on it,....doesn't feel balanced at all, does it?

I use an Impact Gel felt saddle pad and a blanket on top between the pad and the blanket. I think my saddle pad is half inch thick, certainly no thicker than three-quarters of an inch. I don't like the real thick one inch saddle pads, not do I use anything but felt. A few months ago, I went to a much thinner, all wool blanket which helps reduce the space between the saddle and the horses back. Previous to this I was using a blanket folded in half which produced more bulk and weight.

Saddle pads have came along way in the last twenty years. It's common to find a pad with a cut out to protect the withers and a tented center than protects contact from the horse's backbone. I always tent the pad and blanket at the withers when I saddle so when I cinch up it's reduces any discomfort at the withers.

The pictures show the saddle, pad and withers relationship before and after tenting. I think it also allows a better saddle bar to horse withers and shoulder fit.


You can try to fit a better fit for your saddle using different pads and blanket combinations. Look to ensure the flare of the forward saddle bars fit the shoulders below the withers and fit the back at the same time. Look for two inches (or two fingers) of clearance in the gullet from the top of the horse's withers.

Maybe a neoprene pad may not slip as much, although I would hate to use a rubber pad as I think it reduces the ability to breath and gets hot faster than a felt, wool or fleece pad and I am describing the pad that makes contact with the horse's back. I find it kinda odd that a lot of pads are described by the material the saddle sits on as opposed to what makes contact with the horse.