How do you clean your saddle pads?

[Hanta Yo]

One time, a long time ago, before our Marine became a Marine, he put his saddle pad in my washing machine. Now I don't have too much of a problem with that, but all that hair had the capabilities of plugging up the sump pump......which it did.......water all over the basement floor I had to take the pump out and unplug it YUK


I would rather clean pens with a pitchfork than clean out the sump pump

[RoperAB]

If you have access to one, a pressure washer is the best deal.
I use Najaho wool blankets. What I do is soak them in a tub of water with dish detergent. The longer you let them soak the easier the job is but if its winter you only need to let them soak for 5 minutes.
Then I lay them on the dog kennel and put more dish soap on them and brush them with a stiff brush. I use a gunsmithing extra soft wire brush that is so soft you could brush your skin with it but a regular brush like you would use for scrubbing floors would work just as well. I used to use an old fashioned scrub board but I find brushes work faster. Then I hang them on a fence and hose them off with a regular garden hose to get all the soap out of them.

[cowpuncher21]

I to use a pressure washer. I wash all my pads I've used every weekend afterall Iprefer to wear clean cloths and I make a liveing off my horses so they deserve clean pads. A For those of you who have a hard time getting them to dry. I have and old panel that is atached to a cable to the cieling of the barn after I wash them Ihang them on a rung upside down and hiost it up to the cieling of the barn wearthey are out of the way.

[Silver]

I use Soapweeds method, if I do anything at all. I also often use a Warmpad, which has a neoprene bottom that doesnt collect hair. I think I change latigos more often than blankets though.

[redneckcowgirlmn]

If you use the fleece type pads, (Which I have to on one of my horses, she's allergic to neoprene. All the hair falls off and she gets nasty puss filled blisters everywhere the neoprene touches. So much for SMX cinches!)
AFTER you pressure wash, or hose them, or whatever you do, and you've hung them up to dry, you can use either a sheep carding brush, or a large dog slicker brush(Heavy duty one, don't get the "Soft touch" one) to fluff and smoothe out the fleece. Eliminates all those little bumpy matted areas, helps remove stubborn imbedded horse hair also. Good job for a naughty kid that needs some manual labor for humbling bad attitudes, lol!

[milkmaid]

Two words... car wash.