Pad (equestrian sport)

The pad is a thick, mostly with cotton wool or gel filled support for the saddle , which when riding is placed between horse's back and the saddle. Gel pads are also known as gel pillows .

Pads are mostly rectangular or rounded at the back. Compared with a saddle pad , the pad is considerably thicker and thus cushions the pressure of the saddle on the horse better. However , it is difficult to distinguish it from a saddlecloth or saddle pad , as there are thickly padded versions of these today.

In western riding , the western pad is used as a saddle pad. It's bigger and mostly made of coarser material.

A pad is also used for vaulting . It serves to protect the horse's back and is placed at the bottom of the horse's back when strapping (corresponds to saddling when riding). The pads used here are thicker than the normal saddle pads, as they have to protect the horse's back from the sometimes quite sharp bones of the gymnasts even without an additional saddle.

Instead of such a pad, special sheepskins are often used over or under a saddlecloth.

See also: Woilach