Saddle Pad Materials Compared: Cotton, Fleece, Wool, Gel and Silicone

Saddle pad material is mostly a sweat-and-care decision. Wool and sheepskin absorb up to three times their weight in water; cotton absorbs about its own weight. Synthetic fleece is the durable, washable middle ground. Gel and silicone are not absorbency materials at all they solve shock and grip, which are separate problems.

By the riders at Farris · Updated August 2026

Key takeaways

• Absorbency is the main axis: sheepskin and wool absorb up to three times their weight in water, cotton about its own weight.
• Cost and care track absorbency the materials that absorb most need the gentlest handling.
• Synthetic fleece is economical and machine washable, at the cost of some cushioning versus real wool.
• Gel absorbs shock and distributes weight; it does not manage sweat.
• Silicone and rubberised undersides solve slipping, not absorbency. They are a separate layer, not a competing material.

The two questions material answers

Riders often treat "what is it made of" as one decision. It is really two, and separating them makes the choice much simpler.

What is the top layer for? Absorbing sweat, staying comfortable against the horse, and surviving washing. That is where cotton, fleece and wool compete.

What is the underside for? Staying put, and sometimes absorbing shock. That is silicone, rubberised coatings and gel, and none of them are alternatives to the first group they sit alongside it.

A pad can be quilted cotton on top and silicone underneath. Those are not competing choices; they are two different jobs.

Cotton and quilted cotton

Best for: everyday schooling, moderate sweat, riders who wash often and want it easy.

Cotton is lightweight, breathable, cheap and washes without ceremony. Its limit is capacity. Stable Management puts the figure plainly: cotton will only absorb its initial weight, where sheepskin and wool manage up to three times theirs.

For a forty-minute schooling session on a cool evening that is entirely sufficient. For two hours in July it is not, and you will feel the pad wet through to the top.

Care: machine wash cold, gentle cycle. The most forgiving material there is.

Synthetic fleece

Best for: a hard-working pad used most days, where durability matters more than maximum absorbency.

Dover Saddlery describes synthetic fleece as economical and machine washable, and that is a fair summary of why it is so common. It is more durable than natural wool fleece, resists matting and compacting better, and costs meaningfully less.

The trade is cushioning. Synthetic fleece is not as cushioning as full wool, and it does not wick the same way. It is the sensible default rather than the best-performing option.

Care: cold wash, no fabric softener softener coats the fibres and reduces both absorbency and grip.

Wool and sheepskin

Best for: long rides, heavy sweaters, horses with sensitive backs, and riders willing to do the maintenance.

This is the highest-performing top layer and the most demanding. Sheepskin and wool absorb up to three times their weight in water. Dover notes that genuine sheepskin moulds to the horse's back, wicks moisture and increases air circulation.

Against that: cost, specialised care, and compaction. Wool mats and compresses over time, and a compacted wool pad has lost the loft it was bought for.

Care: sheepskin-safe soap only, cold water, reshape damp, air dry. Ordinary detergent strips the lanolin.

Gel and foam

Best for: shock absorption over fences, or a diagnosed pressure issue usually in a half pad rather than a full saddle pad.

Dover describes gel pads as dense, thin, shock-absorbing and weight-distributing, at a higher price than foam.

The important thing to understand is that these do nothing for sweat. They are a fit and impact material. If you buy a gel pad expecting it to manage moisture, you will be disappointed and if you add one on top of a saddle that already fits, you are adding thickness where thickness causes problems.

Silicone and rubberised grip

Best for: a pad that will not stay put.

Grip materials go on the underside and work purely by friction against the coat. They have no absorbency role and are not an alternative to cotton or fleece a well-made grippy pad has an absorbent top layer and a grip layer underneath.

This is the right answer to a specific problem, and the wrong answer to most others. If your complaint is that the pad slides backwards every ride, this is what you are shopping for. If your complaint is that the pad soaks through, it is not.

How to stop a saddle pad slipping covers when grip is genuinely the fix and when something else is going on.

One care note that applies only to this category: heat destroys grip surfaces permanently. Never tumble-dry a pad with a silicone underside.

At a glance

Material	Absorbency	Care	Cost	Buy it for
Cotton / quilted	About its own weight	Easy cold machine wash	Low	Everyday schooling
Synthetic fleece	Moderate	Easy no softener	Low–mid	Durable daily pad
Wool / sheepskin	Up to 3× its weight	Demanding special soap	High	Long rides, heavy sweaters
Gel / foam	None	Wipe, no soap on inserts	Mid–high	Shock absorption, diagnosed fit issues
Silicone / rubberised	None (underside layer)	Cold only, never tumble-dry	Mid	Pads that slip

How to actually choose

Answer three questions honestly.

How wet is the pad after a normal ride? Damp is fine with cotton. Soaked through means you need more capacity fleece at minimum, wool if you can maintain it.

How much washing will you really do? A sheepskin pad you never wash properly performs worse than a cotton pad you wash weekly. Choose the material that matches your actual habits, not your intended ones.

Does the pad stay where you put it? If not, you need a grip underside regardless of what the top layer is made of.

Whatever you land on, check whether a half pad is also in play the two interact, and adding a thick half pad on top of a wool saddle pad is a lot of material under a fixed tree.

A note on pads with pockets

If you are considering a pad with a built-in pocket, material matters more than usual rather than less. A pocket adds seams and a second layer of fabric, and whatever is in it sits against the pad's own padding so you want a top layer that handles the extra bulk without bunching, and enough cushioning that a hard object is not pressing on the horse.

What to look for in a saddle pad with a phone pocket covers the construction details that separate a usable pocket from a sewn-on afterthought.

What material does not decide

Material has no bearing on whether the pad fits. That is shape and size, and the best sheepskin in the world cut for a dressage saddle will still sit wrong under a jump saddle.

Browse saddle pads, or start at the English saddle pad buying guide.

Sources

• How to Pick the Best Saddle Pad for Your Horse's Needs Stable Management
• Choosing a Saddle Pad Dover Saddlery