SADDLE PADS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN

[Locked in with pace]

Watched  4 different tracks and at ALL THE TRACKS the were races where the saddle pads were close to falling off the horse. Are the pads not fixable? Can't new ones be bought??

[Parked]

With all the advances in harness racing equipment in the past 20 years, the saddle pads remain the same.  Terrible things for pacers. The side hangers are always grabbing them. Just look at a close up of a pacer in full stride. Hopples all askew. Crooked in front and side straps at all angles.  Why not go with the numbers that hook to the bike shafts like they have in Europe   
Probably the USTA would fight that too. 

[Unclejerry]

What happen to the headpoles?

[Kirby's Ace]

I'm sure SCM is on it! Just way down the list on his must do items!

[GypsyDancer1]

I totally agree- I even saw one number come completely off of a horse that was first over in the last turn a few weeks ago- miraculously the rest of field went over it without incident. I’ve messaged my HHA- never heard a word.

[Parked]

Its the smoked up grooms not snapping them on right.  If one comes off and a horse jumps it or is otherwise affected by it, the horse the # came off is placed behind the one affected by the number.   How long would it take the judges to figure out what number it was…??.   

[Locked in with pace]

you would think with all the updated equipment now, that they would use something different

[London]

Used to get fined at the meadowlands for an unhooked pad.

[dinkadoo]

Monticello Race 6 , the green #4

watching replays, this was trying to fall before the start -- Sowers, one handed horse till it nearly fell off   

[Jazzman]

years ago when jason dillander got hurt at hoosier it was because of used saddle pads that hoosier bought off mohawk

[Mailbox Money]

It is time for a new visual look and replacing the old pad with the number design that is used oversees. WOULD this be enough to update the drivers whips too? I feel that the batons that the jockeys have will be sufficient if they were about a foot longer! If the whip remains as is,they will be cutting & and welting the horses because the hide above the last rib is not nearly as tuff as Stifle hide after years of being slashed and painted with blistering agents! The fairs would be the worst cases because they don't hide the horses in one place and young kids aren't afraid to point it out in public.