What Is Saddle Right and What Does the Company Offer?
Updated
Saddle Right is a maker of custom orthopedic saddle pads, handcrafted in the United States and sold direct through saddleright.com. The company's core claim is that its pads do more than cushion — they are built to relieve pressure on the horse's wither, spine, and lumbar area rather than simply masking fit problems. If you are shopping for a saddle pad intended to address back sensitivity, saddle fit gaps, or heat and pressure buildup under the saddle, this brand is aimed at that need. If you just want an inexpensive everyday pad, the custom orthopedic positioning and lifetime warranty suggest a different price and buying process than a mass-market pad.
What the company makes
Saddle Right's catalog is organized around four product lines, each customized to the rider and discipline rather than sold as a one-size-fits-all item.
| Line | What the site states | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Pads come standard at 5/8 inch thickness | Western riders wanting a thicker orthopedic pad |
| English | Pads come standard for a 17–17.5 seat and a 190 lb rider | English riders, customized to saddle and rider specs |
| Racing | Fits the jockey's saddle and weighs just under 1 lb | Racing use where weight matters |
| Wool | Wool felt liners at 1/8 inch thickness, easy to care for | Riders wanting a thin natural-fiber liner |
Because English and Western pads are built to rider and saddle specifications, ordering is a customization step, not a straight add-to-cart for a stock size. The Racing pad's sub-1 lb weight and jockey-saddle fit are the two details the site highlights.
The design claims behind the pads
The site describes the pads as "science-backed" and "proven orthopedic protection since 1984." The specific mechanical claims are:
- A unique core material intended to dissipate heat and pressure
- A close contact design for less bulk under the leg
- Wither, spine, and lumbar relief built into the shape
- Handcrafted with natural materials
The company also draws a contrast with generic pads, stating that some pads "just mask the problems, and increase poor confirmation issues without offering any real protection to your horse." That framing matters if your goal is correcting or compensating for a fit issue rather than adding cushioning.
Warranty and guarantee terms
Two policies are stated on the homepage, and both carry the same exclusion:
- Lifetime Warranty against core compression
- 30-day unconditional satisfaction guarantee
- A "Trade Back Policy"
All three exclude custom embroidered and custom sized pads. In other words, the most personalized orders fall outside the return and warranty protections — worth confirming before you commit to embroidery or a non-standard size.
Brand background
Saddle Right traces its orthopedic work to Dr. Freeman's chiropractic and kinesiology practice, and the site states the pads have been made since 1984 — roughly 34 years of customer feedback referenced in the reviews section. The business was purchased by Sean Moriarty in 2016. The homepage also includes a memorial notice for Janette Freeman, who served as general manager and passed away on 7/31/2022.
How to decide whether to buy
Choose Saddle Right if you need a pad customized to your saddle, seat size, and rider weight, and you want an orthopedic design with a compression warranty. Be cautious if your order would involve custom embroidery or a custom size, since those are excluded from the guarantee and trade-back terms. The site does not publish prices or checkout requirements on the pages reviewed here, so confirm current cost, sizing process, and lead time directly with the company before ordering.