ORDER INFORMATION
If you are an International or Canadian customer, check out our International Orders section on our Shipping Page or call us at 660.638.4CSI (4274).
Order online right now by visiting our Online Store, call us at 1-660-638-4CSI (4274), visit us at a show or expo or speak with one of our dealers.
We now make all saddle pads and liners with 3 vent holes. The liner with 3 holes fits exactly the same way into pads with 5 holes so there is nothing to worry about! Always make sure you put your liner in starting at the back – it is much easier to line it up this way.
Download our Return Form and fill it out. It has detailed instructions on how and where to return the pad. Just a tip: if you’re in the Continental US, UPS will be less expensive than the US Postal Service for return shipping. If you have any questions, feel free to call us 1-660-638-4 CSI (4274). Please allow 2 to 4 weeks for your refund to be processed.
ABOUT CSI SADDLE PADS
Our 100% all natural wool liners are just that — 100% all natural and the bits of vegetative matter in the material are what was on the sheep when it was sheared of it’s fleece. Since we used needled wool instead of pressed wool, the wool never goes through harsh cleaning processes, so the vegetative matter remains in the finished product. Simply pluck it out.
Please see our Find Your Perfect Saddle Pad, and scroll down to the “Discover Your Size” section, you can find our exact dimensions there.
CSI Saddle Pad proudly switched from PVC foam liners to 100% all-natural wool felt liners in 2009. Why the change? Over the years we had many of our customers request an all natural product. We actually began researching all-natural wool felt substitutes to our foam from the beginning. Then when our foam supplier informed us they were no longer able to produce the PVC foam (used in our foam inserts) to our specifications. Unfortunately, there is only one manufacturer for the foam we used and because of the economy (they have changed formulation to cut costs) they were unwilling to comply to our formulation requirements. This news, combined with customer requests, meant it only made good sense for CSI Saddle Pads to discontinue all foam liners and move to using a 100% wool liners. We are very pleased with the performance of the wool we’ve chosen. In our testing, the wool has performed amazingly well. It offers very similar shock absorption and pressure distribution as the foam, but is a 100% natural material which makes it very safe even for sensitive horses. It has also demonstrated excellent longevity in our tests. The CSI Flex-Plate®, which is the true heartbeat of our saddle pad and the thing that sets us apart from the competition, still provides the same protection it always has — that will never change.
GUARANTEES
Yes, CSI Flex-Plate® Saddle Pads come with a 30 day money back guarantee. And, yes, we’ll take back saddle pads that are dirty or have been used.
The CSI Flex-Plate® and workmanship are guaranteed for three years. During this time, we will repair or replace your saddle pad for free if you either break the CSI Flex-Plate® (during equine use!) or if the saddle pad comes unstitched due to manufacturer defect.
Just call our office and ask for an extension, 1-660-638-4CSI (4274). It’s not a problem.
CSI Saddle Pad’s 30-day money-back ride-it and try-it guarantee is a go get it dirty, ride it like you own and return it no matter what the reason within 30 day guarantee. We want you to actually USE the pad because that’s the only way you’re going to know if you like it or not. If you decide to return the pad, you will be refunded the price of the saddle pad (minus shipping and a $15 restocking fee if the return or exchange is for insert, color, or cut preferences). The 30-day Get it Dirty guarantee does not apply to saddle pads with additional customizations such as embroidery, laser engraving, inlays, sizes, or custom wear leather materials. The most common reason people are disappointed in the fit of their CSI Saddle Pad is because they saddle too far forward on the saddle pad for the CSI Flex-Plate® to work at its optimum. Before you send your saddle pad back, please check out the Usage Guidelines page and watch the videos in our Video Solutions page.
FITTING
85% of horses need and riders choose our 32″ western pad with a 3/4″ liner. If your horse is mutton withered (round backed) and you just do light riding, you should choose a 1/2″ liner. The CSI Saddle Pad with a 3/4″ liner creates a 1″ overall pad thickness, and a 1/2″ liner will create a 3/4″ overall pad thickness. To determine the length of saddle pad you’ll need to stand your saddle up on its horn or pommel end and then measure from the ground to the end of the skirt. A rule of thumb would be to buy the saddle pad that is at least 2″ longer than your skirt length. As far as the cut of the saddle pad (i.e., sport cut, show cut, square, round), choose the style you’d like under your saddle. The CSI Flex-Plate® and contour is the same in each of the styles. The only other consideration would be if you’re using a drop-rigging saddle as the show cut saddle pad is very narrow around the barrel and will not accommodate the drop rigging as the other styles.
Our standard Western Line saddle pads are available in 30″ inch and 32″ inch lengths. They will actually measure 29 1/2″ and 31 1/2″ inches respectively if you want to get technical. To determine which you have, measure along the wear leather or visit the CSI Saddle Pad Lineup Page to see sizes. (DON’T MEASURE DOWN THE BACKSTRAP, this is not an accurate measurement of saddle pad length because of the pad contour) You can also look inside the saddle pad for a written size. Saddle Pads manufactured after 2013 have the size written on them. All 30″ inch liners manufactured from June 2015 on will have white velcro on one side whereas 32″ inch liners will have black velcro only.
Yes, we can help with these conditions. Go to our Shim Guide and read up on these conditions and using shims there.
Long hair coat breakage is VERY COMMON with all wool saddle pads. The longer hair gets hung up in the wool fibers and breaks off. This does NOT mean your saddle pad is rubbing, it just means the hair shafts in this area are getting caught in the wool fibers and breaking off. Unless your horse palpates sore in this area, this condition is nothing to worry about. You can use baby powder over the area to help lubricate the hair shaft if you want to prevent as much further breakage as possible. Be sure to thoroughly brush you horse prior to riding.
Absolutely! We will happily help you access saddle fit and saddle pad fit both before and after buying a CSI Saddle Pad. We normally ask you start out by sending us some photos of your horse. Email the images to csisaddlepads@gmail.com We will happily provide a free phone consult with one of our saddle pad fitters to help you access saddle fit and saddle pad fit both before and after buying a CSI Saddle Pad. To give you the most effective advice, you should be prepared to take some digital photos and email them to us at csisaddlepads@gmail.com Go to Photo Guide for Assessment
Saddle Pad slipping usually occurs when there is an underlying saddle fit issue OR if you are saddling too far forward or too far back. Try saddling so the back edge of your CSI Saddle Pad and your saddle skirt are lined up. Review the videos on Video Solutions page as well. If you’re still having problems, call us at 1-660-638-4CSI (4274) and we can consult with you over the phone.
When it comes to choosing a length, your saddle pad should always be purchased to fit your saddle, not your horse’s back. We strongly recommend you ride a saddle with a back cinch to increase your horse’s comfort.
As long as you can position the saddle pad correctly on the saddle AND the saddle is not rubbing on the horse’s hide, it is not a concern if the saddle skirt extends to the edge of the saddle pad. As a matter of fact, most correctly saddled western saddles with a CSI Saddle Pad are in this position.
We can make a variety of custom sizes to fit sizing needs for both very small and very large saddles. Call us at 1-660-638-4CSI (4274) for more information.
CARE AND USE OF CSI SADDLE PADS
Breaking a CSI Flex-Plate® is truly a rare occurrence. Squeaking may occur as your CSI Flex-Plate® ages — this does not mean it’s broken. The saddle pad will also become more and more flexible as it becomes broken in — again this does not mean the plate is broken. Sometimes the carpet will also wrinkle in the middle of the CSI Flex-Plate®, this is not an indication that the plate is broken. If you still think your CSI Flex-Plate® is broken, call us at 1-660-638-4CSI (4274) and we’ll help you determine if it truly is broken and help you get it fixed. The CSI Flex-Plate® has a five year warranty.
An ideal sweat pattern will show even wetness on both sides of the horse with a dry strip down the spine. This, however, is an IDEAL sweat pattern and yours may or may not look like this depending on several factors including how long you were riding to produce the sweat pattern, the health of your horse, your horse’s conformation, saddle fit and environmental factors. Depending on the height of your horse’s withers, you may see more dryness toward the front of the sweat pattern due to increased air flow. Some horses who have had severe pressure point damage will never create an even sweat pattern because damage has been done to the hair follicle/dermis of the skin.
Your liner needs to be replaced when compression areas no longer “fluff” back up after cleaning. If you have one of our foam liners, you will know it needs to be replaced when the foam becomes cracked or hard or if the foam has lost its cushion (has become thin). Although we no longer manufacture foam liners, our wool replacement liners will work in your saddle pad. You can order a Replacement Liner Here
It is rare that the CSI Saddle Pad has issues with stitching or workmanship, but if it does happen, download our Repair Form and then arrange to ship your saddle pad back to us at: CSI Saddle Pads 340 NW MM Hwy Urich, MO 64788 Repairs are usually made with in a week of receipt and the saddle pad will be shipped back to you as soon as it is repaired. Download our Return Form and fill it out.
You will replace your liner every one to three years depending on how much you use the saddle pad and how well you care for it. You can extend the life of your liner by following the instructions on our Care Manual page. Remember, your liner is reversible — just be sure to clean it first!
Our wool liners will fit all previously manufactured saddle pads.
It is the nature of wool fiber to ball up due to friction and heat. If the saddle pad doesn’t move as much, there is less friction. If the saddle pad is looser, and the saddle pad moves more, there will be more friction. This is why we recommend you ride with your back cinch snug against the horse’s skin to reduce movement of the saddle over the horse’s loin area. Always hobble your front cinch and back cinch together.