Saddle Pad

Black Saddle Pad

Saddle Pad Types

• All Purpose Saddle Pad
• Black Saddle Pad
• Dressage Saddle Pad
• Endurance Saddle Pad
• English Saddle Pad
• Equestrian Saddle Pad
• Felt Saddle Pad

• Fleece Saddle Pad
• Gel Saddle Pad
• Horse Saddle Pad
• Saddle Pad Carrier
• Saddle Pad Covers
• Saddle Pad Liners
• Saddle Pad Shims

• Saddle Pad Size
• Sheepskin Saddle Pad
• SMx Saddle Pad
• Supracor Saddle Pad
• Toklat Saddle Pad
• Western Saddle Pad
• Wool Saddle Pad

A black saddle pad can not only make you look good, it can also be a highly functional and long-lasting piece of riding equipment that will help you achieve your equestrian goals. Before you purchase one, though, it's important to make sure that black is a good choice for you. Consider the benefits and drawbacks of the color before you buy your saddle padding to ensure that you make the best choice for your riding experience.

Depending on when, where, and how you ride, the below comments on buying a black saddle pad may or may not be relevant to your situation. Read through them and judge each one for yourself before you make your final decision. That way, you'll know that the pad you choose is the right one for you.

Benefits of a Black Saddle Pad

One major benefit of a black saddle pad is that it will tend to look cleaner than some lighter colored pads. While it will still show light colored dust and dirt, black does not get as dingy over time as white or tan pads do. The color might fade a little, but your padding should remain dark and, therefore, look crisp, for longer than white padding will. This can be particularly useful if you want to use the same padding for both training and showing, because you won't have to replace this dark piece of equipment as often as you would a lighter colored one.

A black saddle pad will also help you achieve a particular look. Sometimes, darker padding will look better than light on a light colored horse. Other times, it might highlight the leather of your saddle more than a lighter pad would. Some people simply prefer how a dark pad makes them look and feel while riding. Though this is an acceptable reason for choosing this color for your padding, make sure that there are not any traditional looks that your padding needs to uphold. Equestrian pads have traditionally either been white (for English riders) or Indian blankets (for Western riders).

If you're looking to stand out in a crowd, a black saddle pad will help you do that. While black is becoming more and more common among riders, it is still not one of the most popular colors for saddle pads. Thus, it will help you get noticed if you have one. This can be a good thing if you're trying to find someone in a crowd of riders or if you're creating a particular costume or look and want to get noticed. Just make sure you aren't standing out in a bad way, by violating the traditional looks mentioned above at an inappropriate time.

In addition to helping you stand out, a black saddle pad goes well with all horse, rider, and saddle combinations. This means that you do not risk clashing with your black pad no matter the color of your riding gear, horse, or other equipment. When you're trying to put together a clean, polished look, not clashing is important and matching can help quite a bit.

A black saddle pad may also be cheaper than the more commonly seen alternatives. Though it is fairly popular to have a black pad under your saddle, the color is still not as common as white. If you choose to purchase any color other than white, you will quite possibly pay less for your pad. Since black is also a neutral color, it will work well with your other equipment and cost you less.

Finally, a black saddle pad can come in many different styles and types. You can get almost any kind of padding that you want in this color, if that's what you choose. This includes natural fiber padding, like cotton and wool, which is most popular in the forms of felt and fleece. It also includes neoprene pads, and covers for gel pads and closed-cell foam. If you have your heart set on dark pads, you should be able to find them even if you and/or your horse have special padding needs. While a few companies may choose not to produce their pad in black, you should always be able to find something similar someplace else.

Drawbacks of a Black Saddle Pad

Though there are good reasons to purchase a black saddle pad, some riders complain that they have their drawbacks. While these might not matter to you, it's important to know what they are so you aren't surprised if they affect you after you make your purchase.

Many riders complain that both they and their horses end up hotter when they use a black saddle pad. Because dark colors are the most heat absorbent colors there are, your padding will hold heat instead of releasing it or reflecting it. Thus, it can make your horse hotter rather than cooler, even if it has other heat control properties, and it can even radiate heat through the saddle, making you warmer, too.

It's also easy to forget to clean a black saddle pad. Because the dark color hides some dust and dirt well, some riders find that their pads have to get extremely dirty before they notice and have them washed. This can irritate a horse's back, cause corrosive damage to a saddle and other equipment, and can provide a place for fungi and bacteria to grow and multiply. If you are someone who cleans your equipment religiously, this probably won't be a problem for you. If you aren't, though, you should consider whether you would remember to clean a dark saddle pad.

Many riders complain that black is not a traditional color for a saddle pad. While this is not a problem in and of itself, it can be a problem if you are wanting to show your horse successfully or if you compete on some sort of other circuit. Sometimes, judges look particularly to see if you are following the traditions and how well you're doing so, and include this as a consideration in the final score they give you. If your padding is the wrong color, this can keep you from winning.

Finally, some riders have found that it is harder to find a black saddle pad or that they have to pay more for it because the color is less popular. While some tack stores both online and in-person tend to discount off-color pads to get rid of them, many simply don't stock them in the first place because they sell relatively few of them. In addition, some companies simply don't make their pads in black, because they aren't popular enough to make production worthwhile. For someone who particularly wants dark colored padding, this can be frustrating and annoying.

At this point, you should be able to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of purchasing a black saddle pad and decide for yourself which would be best in your situation. Not every rider will come to the same conclusions, so evaluate carefully how the different pieces will affect you before you make your decision. If you decide to purchase this piece of equipment, know that you made a good decision and bought what was best for you.