Your successful ride relies on a few key components, but one of the most important is your horse’s back and its ability to carry you and your saddle under intense, rigorous movements and varying riding conditions.
When shopping for a new saddle pad, look for these elements to get the most out of your ride while keeping your horse’s comfort, health, and safety all in mind.
Heavyweight Construction
The last thing you need to add to your horse’s riding load is more weight to carry. Some technologically advanced pads are heavy. The Shock Guard® is made with technologically advanced materials providing a heavy-duty performance without the added weight.
The Classic Equine Shock Guard® line of pads are made with innovative XPF energy-absorbing technology that is incredibly dense yet breathable. The breathability that the pad offers allows heat to dissipate from your horse’s back, and the dense materials provide protection under the toughest circumstances, whether you are turning a cow down the fence, sliding to a powerful stop, or going left with a scrappy steer.
Your saddle pad is an investment, so longevity is key. Keeping your pad clean helps the materials hold up under continuous use and helps to prevent skin irritation or sores. The XPF foam bottom resists dirt and grime and is easy to clean with a dry, soft-bristle brush after every ride or hose it off and give it a deep clean with the same shampoo you use on your horse.
Back-Conforming Capabilities
Even if you have done everything possible in making sure your saddle fits “just right,” your pad still plays a significant role in overall fit and comfort. A pad that conforms to your horse’s back and to the contours your saddle makes all the difference in your horse’s ability to maneuver and stay comfortable doing it.
The Shock Guard® pads adapt to your horse’s shape and contours, filling all the spaces and gaps for complete protection and coverage. The open-cell technology means the pad can bounce back, one maneuver after another, providing reliable, adaptable protection.
The unique contour of a Classic Equine Shock Guard® pad gives your horse’s withers breathing room and never pulls down too tight.
Shock-Absorbing Technology
It’s your saddle pad’s job to dissipate the torque and impact from snappy turns, sudden speed changes, quick rollbacks, and powerful stops. A broken down or low-quality pad can actually make these movements more stressful for your horse in addition to not providing necessary relief.
XPF foam creates the perfect shock-absorption situation for your horse, making protection, prevention, and performance a top priority each and every ride. The same qualities that allow the Shock Guard® pads to conform to your horse’s back also provide shock-absorbing relief, preventing soreness and even injuries that can keep you out of the saddle or cause your horse to resent his job.
The foam material has originally been used in various applications such as protective sports and military equipment and orthotic-prosthetic medical devices, proving ultimate impact protection. It provides over 6 times better protection compared to any other conventional foam material on the market and is exclusively used in Classic Equine Saddle Pads. The XPF material is not only makes up the Shock Guard® pad, but it is used in the Classic Equine ESP Contour Pad as well.
About the Shock Guard Pads
Classic Equine’s Shock Guard® saddle pads come in a plain felt top or colorful blanket-top style options. The blanket-top pads are ¾-inch thick and come in 32×34-inch or 34×38-inch sizes. The plain-top pads are available in ¾-inch or 1-inch thickness and 28-x30, 30×30-, 30×32, and 31×32-inch sizes.
Both lines feature leather wear pieces at the front bottom of the pad to prevent rubbing from your legs and the saddle’s rigging. Pricing begins at $329.99 up to $379.99 for the fancy blanket-top styles.
To find your Classic Equine Shock Guard® saddle pads visit ClassicEquine.com today.
