Professionals choice products?

[Michigancowgirl]

Anyone have or have had a Professionals Choice Charmayne James Barrel air ride Pad? I am really eying the purple because that is my color scheme but they aren't cheap! hahah So I want some feedback! I have had the sports medicine boots and a girth by the company and they are real good quality....... Let me know if anyone out there has experiences:)

[amandaandtuff]

I love that saddle pad. I have one, black. I suggest not getting the round skirt style, they're too small for a round skirt saddle.

I'd definately get more if I had the money

[Michigancowgirl]

Thanks! I have a Hilason Treeless barrel saddle and I have the matching saddle pad but it is open down the center and it rubs on my mare withers (only the saddle pad does) so I want to replace it with a nice saddle pad that wont rub on her........

[amandaandtuff]

This should be a great saddle pad then! I use it in combination with my nathan lamb saddles and i can fit any horse with those two saddles and that pad.

[stormie]

You have to watch the saddle pads on treeless saddles. They have to have enough of a gap over the spine. Most treeless saddles don't have a gullet so you need a saddle pad that does or you end up with pressure over the spine and withers.

What is the currect pad you are using? The Hilson doesn't have the best of reps. Maybe the saddle or pad is just not right in how it's made or how it fits. Not all horses can use treeless saddles and sometimes a type of treeless would work better for a certin type of horse.

Is the saddle putting any pressure in that area?

Do you tent the pad up over the withers when you saddle up? If you do and after awhile of riding it is putting pressure on the horse but the saddle it's the pad is slipping. That could be a sign of pad problems or saddle problems. Does the saddle feel like it's wiggling around at all?

The pad might not be thick enough to be clearing her withers.

I have had the Prof, choice pads but not this modle you are asking about. None of them seem to be thick enough to give good enough clearance for the spine when using a treeless saddle. Of course that depends on the horse and saddle in question but on a horse that is alreadying having issues it might be a problem. You can do the string test with some hay twine. Tie a knot in the string, place it down the horse's spine and then saddle up making sure the string stays centered. Ride in the saddle for 10-15 minutes and then try to pull the string through when you are still mounted. If the knot doesn't pass through without catching the pad and/or saddle is not giving enough clearance over the spine. Do not try to force the knot through either, that can hurt the horse.

How thick are the panels on the pad?

You maybe able to make the pad work by having a strap attached to it that you can hook up on the front of the saddle to hold it up in place.

I do think the Prof choice pads are good, they break down after awhile like any other saddle pad. I have been told that with heavy riding it should be replaced every 6-8 months but I have seen some still in good shape with med/heavy work after 12-18 months. With light riding after 2-3 years still in good shape. How soon any pad breaks down is dependant on how much you use them and how well you care for them.

[lilysladyluck]

I am not fond of them. For the price, they break down pretty quick.

I am a big fan of the saddleright pads. they are guaranteed, you can get a brand new one in a new color for $80 if your suede fades or you change colors. They also work very well with the treeless saddles. My galpal has bob marshall treeless saddles and used the saddleright pads. She bought the ones set up for aussie saddles and they fit great under the saddle.

[Michigancowgirl]

Thanks SO much for your input everyone.......a saddle pad to me is something that you dont want to lack in quality or workmanship on your horse........decisions desicions!

[amandaandtuff]

I still havent had issues with my air ride pad, I've used it almost every day for over a year now on multiple horses a day. There is a gap for the spine to relieve pressure and there's a little extra 'lift' in the withers.

I use this combination on narrow to medium wide horses and it has made a comfortable fit for any horse I've thrown it on for the past year.
(I realize the saddle is forward in the picture, I longe her out before I ride with a loose-ish cinch so it slides into place.)


I use the same pad, wider saddle for medium to wide horses, same fit for rounder horses.

[lilysladyluck]

The air ride's may be better now than they once were, but the constant creaking/popping noise/crackling bothered me, and when I had my horse evaluated, the scan showed that the pad was breaking down internally even though it seemed fine on the outside. Way too many pressure points.

If you like them, that is fine. I wouldn't tell you to not like something. But just keep in mind that PC recommends buying a new pad every year for a reason, and it isn't just because they want to keep sales rolling.

These pads have multi chambered air cells in them. (Picture heavy duty bubble wrap) They are intended to act like the gel pads do in redispersing the pressure and "fill in" gaps between the saddle and the horse. What they don't do is keep the air or gel where it is needed most, which is where the pressure is greatest. And over time, the pressure of the saddle on the same spot will have the pad be non effective.

I recommend very few pads. Top on my list is the saddleright. Followed by Tod Sloane and 5 Star. And the Sloane and 5 Star have a much shorter lifespan than the SR. Impact gel is trying hard to work out the problems with a typical gel pad, but they are still working that out.

If you go to a big show and really look at what people are using, you will see that those who are at the top of their game are very picky about what they use. And the first three pads I mentioned are at the top of that list. those that love the air rides will tell you they replace them every season.

Meleta Brown (Freedom saddles by Crates) recommends 5Stars. Caldwell doesn't recommend a brand but do recommend an all wool pad (such as a sloane or 5 star), Circle Y recommends their own vresion of a 5 Star.

Even Charmayne who heavily endorses the air ride doesn't use them all the time, and recommends a new one every season, and having two or more per horse for those that actually run in the south where there is a race everyday of the week.

They are not the worst pad you can buy, but if you are going to spend that much on a pad, you need to be smart enough to know the lifespan of the product and the length of warranty, etc.

I love prof choice other products, such as the smb elites, and their girths are not bad if your horse can handle neoprene.

[LLStar117]

A simple way to check your current saddle pad to see if it needs replaced is to lay it out horse side up on a solid level floor. push down on the pad all over and if you feel any hard spots, then it needs to be replaced. The hard spots are where there was the most pressure.

[stormie]

None of the Air Ride pads I have seen would give enough of a gullet down the spine for a treeless unless the horse is heavily muscled on both sides of the spine leaving the spine down farther then the back. Treeless is different then a treed saddle which has a gullet and if fitted correctly would not have the problem of pressure on the spine unless the pad itself it putting it on there....which is why pads that have a space down the gullet are good for even treed saddles. The thing is that a pad for a treed saddle doesn't need the same amount as one that has no tree and would otherwise put pressure on the spine.