Why this product
The saddle pad market splits into three price tiers. At $20 to $30 are foam pads with a Cordura cover that look fine on the rack but compress under a horse within months. At $40 to $60 are wool felt or wool plus synthetic blend pads that hold their shape and wick sweat. At $150 plus are premium pads with shock absorbing foam cores and impregnated fibers for specialty disciplines. The Toklat Coolback sits at the entry of the middle tier and is the pad most lesson barns and budget conscious show riders use as their daily workhorse. The Coolback synthetic backing is the design feature that pulls the pad above the lower tier without pushing the price up, the wool top is what owners look for in a daily use pad, and Toklat’s quality control has held over the brand’s long history.
For this review, the analysis draws on Toklat’s published product specifications, recent Amazon owner long form reviews, Western and English riding forum threads on saddle pad selection, and direct comparison with three other saddle pads across the price tiers. Toklat did not provide a sample. Where we cite a measurement, the source is the manufacturer or aggregate owner reports.
How we evaluated saddle pads
Four things matter for a daily ride saddle pad. First, sweat wicking, the pad has to move sweat off the horse’s back rather than trap it against the skin. Second, fit support, the pad has to maintain saddle position without bunching or shifting. Third, durability under daily use, a pad that compresses or pills within a season is a false economy. Fourth, washability, a pad that develops a permanent crust of dried sweat at three months is a horse welfare problem. For our broader horse care evaluation approach, see our methodology page.
Who should buy
Buy the Toklat Coolback if you ride 4 to 6 days a week and need a workhorse pad that holds up to daily use and washes cleanly. Buy it if you have a Western saddle in the standard 32 inch size class or an English saddle that wants a contour cut wool pad. Buy it if you are a lesson barn buying pads in volume, the price tier and durability balance is exactly what a busy program needs.
Skip the Coolback if you have a horse with diagnosed back soreness or a barrel racer doing high impact work, the Coolback is not a shock absorbing pad and a Professional’s Choice Air Ride or similar foam pad is the better call. Skip it if you only ride a couple of times a month and want a budget pad, the cheaper Weaver synthetic felt is enough at low ride volume. Skip it if your saddle has fit issues that need a thick correction pad, the Coolback is a 3/4 inch single layer and may need a shim or a thicker pad for serious correction work.
For an alternative that is in the same price class but uses different materials, the Weaver saddle pad review covers a closer to budget option in the same general use case.
What the Coolback backing actually does
The Coolback backing is the part of the design that earns its price tier. A plain wool felt pad sits against the horse and absorbs sweat into the felt, which is fine for a 30 minute ride but starts to load up on a long working session. Once the felt is saturated, additional sweat has nowhere to go and pools against the horse’s back. The Coolback synthetic backing changes the dynamic. The synthetic weave does not absorb sweat the way wool felt does, instead it wicks the sweat sideways and outward where it evaporates. The wool top sits on the saddle side of the layered pad and provides the grip surface that keeps the saddle from sliding.
In practice, a horse worked hard for 60 to 90 minutes under a Coolback comes out of the pad with the back area wet but not pooling. A horse worked the same session under a plain wool felt pad of similar thickness comes out with a deeper saturation pattern that takes longer to dry between rides. The wicking benefit is real and is the reason Toklat carved out a category.
Saddle fit and the shim question
The Coolback is a 3/4 inch thick pad which puts it in the middle of the saddle pad thickness range. For a saddle that fits the horse correctly, the Coolback is the right thickness as a single layer pad. For a saddle that is slightly too wide, a Coolback can be paired with a wedge shim under the pommel area to lift the front of the saddle. Toklat sells shim packs that fit between the saddle and the pad cleanly. For a saddle that is too narrow, no pad fixes that, the saddle has to be re fitted.
The most common fit error new riders make is doubling up two saddle pads to substitute for proper fit. That stack creates pressure points and slips during work. A correctly fitted saddle plus one Coolback is the right setup, and a poorly fitted saddle plus any pad combination is the wrong setup.
Wash and dry care
The Coolback is hand wash only. A hot machine wash mats the wool top fibers and can cause the synthetic backing to pucker. Most owners hose the pad off after each ride to remove sweat and dirt, then deep wash by hand once a month with a mild detergent and line dry. A pad that develops a hard packed sweat crust at the wither area has been under washed and is past its useful life by the time the crust hardens.
For a barn that prefers to send pads through a commercial wash, look at synthetic pads that are machine washable rated. The Coolback’s wool top trades washability for grip and warmth.
Toklat Coolback Western Saddle Pad vs. the competition
| Product | Our rating | Top | Backing | Wicking | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toklat Coolback Saddle Pad | ★★★★★ 4.5 | Wool felt | Coolback synthetic | High | $49 | Top Pick |
| Professional's Choice SMx Air Ride | ★★★★★ 4.6 | Wool blend | Air Ride foam | High | $169 | Best Premium |
| Weaver Synthetic Felt Pad | ★★★★☆ 4.2 | Synthetic felt | Synthetic | Medium | $39 | Best Budget |
| Generic Foam Pad | ★★★☆☆ 3.4 | Cordura | Closed cell foam | Low | $25 | Skip |
Full specifications
| Sizes | 32 x 32 in standard, 30 x 30 in pony, English contour cut |
| Top material | Wool felt, dyed colors available |
| Backing material | Toklat Coolback synthetic wicking weave |
| Thickness | Approximately 3/4 inch |
| Weight | Approximately 4 to 5 lb 32 inch square |
| Shim compatible | Yes, accepts wedge or front shim packs |
| Wash | Hand wash, line dry, do not machine wash hot |
| Cinch reinforcement | Wear leathers at standard cinch positions |
| Color options | 8 colors including black, navy, brown, and turquoise |
| Made in | USA, Toklat is a Vermont brand |
Should you buy the Toklat Coolback Western Saddle Pad?
The Toklat Coolback is the saddle pad most barn lesson programs and budget conscious show riders run as their workhorse pad. The synthetic Coolback backing wicks sweat away from the horse's back better than a plain wool felt pad of the same price, the wool top accepts blanket pads and shims for fit adjustment, and a 32 by 32 inch standard size covers most Western saddles cleanly. The trade is that the synthetic backing is not as durable as a 100 percent wool felt pad over years of daily use, expect to replace at the 3 to 5 year mark.
Frequently asked questions
What is Coolback and is it different from wool?+
Coolback is Toklat's synthetic woven backing layer engineered to channel sweat away from the horse's back rather than soaking it like a wool felt pad would. The wool top sits above the Coolback layer, which means the side touching the horse is the synthetic and the side touching the saddle is the wool. The horse benefits from cooler sweat dispersion, the saddle benefits from a wool surface to grip rather than slide on.
Will the Coolback work with English tack?+
Yes, Toklat sells the pad in an English contour cut for dressage and all purpose saddles. The Western square is 32 by 32 inches and the English contour is shaped to clear the saddle billets. The wicking benefit is the same in both cuts.
How does it compare to a Professional's Choice SMx Air Ride?+
The SMx Air Ride is a premium pad at three to four times the price. The Air Ride uses a foam shock layer that the Coolback does not have, which is the right call for a horse with mild back soreness or for a barrel racer doing high impact work. For a general lesson horse, a trail riding horse, or a low impact discipline rider, the Coolback delivers most of the wicking benefit at a third of the price.
Will it pill or shed dye on a white horse?+
The wool top can shed a small amount of fiber in the first few rides which clings to a sweaty horse coat and brushes off. Color transfer is not common with the Toklat dye process, but a dark colored pad pressed against a wet white horse for a long ride can leave a faint shadow that washes out at the next rinse. For halter classes, use a white or natural colored pad.
How long should I expect it to last?+
Three to five years of daily use under a 1000 to 1200 pound horse with a saddle that fits correctly. The first wear point is typically the synthetic backing at the cinch contact area, which thins before the wool top shows wear. A pad that develops a hard packed sweat ring at the withers area after years of use is past its useful life and should be replaced.
📅 Update log
- May 10, 2026Initial review published. Comparison set covers Professional's Choice SMx Air Ride, Weaver synthetic felt, and a generic foam pad.
Morgan Davis
Morgan Davis writes for The Tested Hub.