If you've ever felt your saddle start to slide during a steep climb, you probably know why I'm obsessed with tacky too saddle pads. There's nothing quite as heart-dropping as feeling that slight shift under your seat when you're out on the trail or working a tight turn. I've spent years swapping between different brands, trying to find that "Goldilocks" balance of grip and comfort, and honestly, Reinsman's Tacky Too material is the one thing I keep coming back to.
It isn't just about keeping the saddle in place, though that's obviously a huge part of it. It's about how the horse feels. We talk a lot about saddle fit—which is vital, don't get me wrong—but the interface between the horse's back and the tree of the saddle is where the magic (or the misery) really happens. These pads have a specific way of grabbing onto the horse without being "sticky" in a way that pulls hair, and that's a hard balance to strike.
What makes the Tacky Too material different?
If you haven't touched one of these pads in person, it's a bit hard to describe. It's a ventilated, pebbled neoprene that feels soft but has a definite "grip" to it. Most people see the rubbery texture and immediately think it's going to be a sweatbox for the horse. I thought the same thing at first. I was worried that putting rubber against a horse's skin would just scald them or cause a massive amount of heat buildup.
But here's the thing: it's perforated. Those little holes actually allow for quite a bit of airflow. Unlike a solid piece of foam or a thick, felt-only pad that just soaks up sweat and holds onto it like a heavy sponge, the Tacky Too surface lets the skin breathe a bit while the moisture moves away. It's weirdly effective. When I pull the pad off after a long ride, the sweat pattern is usually very even, which is exactly what you want to see.
No more "saddle roll" on round-backed horses
We've all seen those horses that are shaped like a propane tank. You know the ones—no visible withers, just a big, round, barrel-shaped back. Trying to keep a saddle centered on a horse like that is a nightmare. You end up over-tightening the cinch, which makes the horse grumpy, or you just accept that you'll be leaning to the left for the rest of the day.
This is where tacky too saddle pads really earn their keep. Because the material has a natural friction against the hair, it prevents that side-to-side rolling. It's not a substitute for a well-fitting saddle, but it provides that extra bit of "insurance" that keeps everything stable. I've noticed that when the saddle stays put, the horse tends to relax their topline more because they aren't constantly trying to balance a shifting load on their back.
Comfort and pressure distribution
Aside from the grip, these pads usually have a decent amount of "smush" to them. They aren't just a thin layer of rubber; they're typically built into a pad with a felt or foam core. This provides shock absorption that's actually pretty impressive. If you're doing a lot of miles or doing something high-impact like barrel racing or roping, you need that pressure distribution.
The Tacky Too layer acts as a sort of buffer. It doesn't compress down to nothing the way some cheap fleece pads do. It holds its shape, which means the bars of your saddle aren't creating hot spots as easily. I've used these on long trail rides through some pretty rugged terrain, and my horse always comes back looking fresh and comfortable, which is the only real metric that matters at the end of the day.
The cleaning process is actually easy
Let's be real for a second: traditional felt pads are a pain to clean. You have to brush them, vacuum them, and even then, they eventually get "caked" with dried sweat and hair that becomes almost like concrete. It's gross, and it's bad for the horse's skin.
With tacky too saddle pads, maintenance is a total breeze. Since the bottom layer is non-porous neoprene, you can literally just hose it off. After a ride, I usually just give it a quick spray with the hose to get the salt and dirt off the bottom. It dries quickly, too. You don't have to wait three days for a 1-inch thick wool pad to air out in the sun. This is a huge win if you're riding every day or if you have multiple horses and don't want to deal with the logistics of drying a mountain of laundry.
Durability and how they hold up over time
I'm pretty hard on my gear. I don't purposely try to destroy things, but I'm out in the mud, the rain, and the brush. Some pads start to fray at the edges or the "tacky" part starts to peel off after a season of heavy use. I haven't really had that issue with the Reinsman versions. The way they bond the material to the rest of the pad is solid.
I have one pad that's going on four years old now. The top fabric is a little faded from the sun, but the Tacky Too bottom is still perfectly intact. It hasn't turned brittle, and it hasn't lost its grip. For the price point, that's a lot of value. I'd rather buy one good pad every five years than a "cheap" one every six months that ends up in the trash.
Styles for every discipline
One thing I appreciate is that they didn't just make one "universal" pad and call it a day. You can find these in all sorts of shapes. If you ride in a round-skirted saddle, they have a shape for that. If you're a trail rider who likes a bit of a "contour" to clear the withers, they've got you covered.
They even have different thicknesses. Sometimes you just need a thin liner to go under a show blanket, and they make a Tacky Too version for that. Other times you want a thick, work-ready pad for a long day in the hills. Having that consistency across different styles makes it easy to switch between horses without having to relearn what works.
Some things to keep in mind
Now, I'm not saying these are the only pads anyone should ever use. If your horse has incredibly sensitive skin or is prone to "fungal" issues, you need to make sure you're actually cleaning the pad. Because the material creates a close seal with the skin, you can't get lazy with hygiene. If you leave a dirty pad on a horse, that's on you, not the pad.
Also, if your saddle is way too wide for your horse, a non-slip pad isn't a magical fix. It'll help, sure, but it won't fix a fundamental fit issue. It's a tool to enhance stability and comfort, not a way to ignore a bad saddle.
Final thoughts on the ride
At the end of the day, I just want my horse to be comfortable and my saddle to stay where I put it. Tacky too saddle pads check both of those boxes for me without making things complicated. They're rugged, they're easy to keep clean, and they solve that annoying "sliding saddle" problem that can ruin a perfectly good afternoon.
If you're tired of your gear shifting around or you're sick of scrubbing hair out of wool pads, honestly, give one of these a try. It's one of those pieces of equipment that you don't realize you were missing until you actually use it. Plus, your horse will probably thank you for the extra stability and the lack of a slipping saddle rubbing them the wrong way all day. It's a win-win in my book.