I am riding a Stubben hunt seat type saddle. While it suits me in many ways, including my finicky knees, it could use some help in the padding department for long rides. I borrowed a friends full wool cover for the South Carolina endurance ride in November. It was very comfortable padding and wonderfully warm for such a cold day. I did not like the additional fabric at the knee area as it felt too remote from my horse. In addition, the wool seems as though it would be far too hot for warm weather riding. My friend confirms the heat factor. I also wonder what it would be like if riding in a good rain. Seems like the wool would soak up the rain like a sponge in between squishing it out at every post. That is a strange concept to say the least. I am looking for another alternative.
Does anyone have experience with any of the synthetic saddle seat pads like the gels, open-cell pads, or supracor saddle pads? My budget is not unlimited to keep buying until I get it right and some of those options are very pricey.
