Saddle Blankets

We've always called them saddle blankets. Some guys call them saddle pads. Regardless, they are the cushion between your saddle and the horse. The correct combo is important. It is also important to maintain them. 

This is my main pad. 3/4" thick felt. Maybe I should call it a saddle pad.

And call this one a blanket. I run the pad down and the blanket up top, usually. Sometimes I won't use the blanket at all. I've seen other guys ride with a blanket down and the pad up top. Personal preference, I guess. 

The one on the down side, which is my pad, should be cleaned every now and again. 

The two main points that it gets a lot of pressure, and consequently a lot of hair and grime, is the front, next to the withers. 

And the back, where the saddle tree ends. 

I'm cleaning tool of choice is a wire brush. 

Just get aggressive. Back and forth, side to side. You don't have to follow the grain. In fact, it probably works better if you don't. 

Some of the heavy haired up spots, you might just have to pull apart. 

Giddy up.

Muy bien. 

Good stuff. I've owned this saddle pad for probably fours years and have only cleaned it once. I don't ride a lot, so that sounds reasonable. When thinking about tack maintenance, it's good to put yourself in the horse's hooves. An old, grimed up saddle blanket doesn't sound too comfortable. Therefore, your horse would probably appreciate a pad cleaning every once in a while. The longer you wait, the harder it is to tend to. I've seen guys take a pressure washer to a saddle pad. Probably works fine. Me, I'm a wire brush guy. Easy to use and easy on the pad. Now we're all cleaned up and ready to ride. Ranch on.