About ThinLine Horse Tack

Our Mission: Create and deliver a simple, honest connection between horse & rider.

This grassroots company is the result of a chance encounter with an engineer who was developing a thin, specially designed, shock-absorbing material to protect athletes. Equestrian and entrepreneur Elaine Lockhead Castelao recognized the potential of this foam to enhance performance and reduce discomfort for horses and riders.

Elaine had been competing in Dressage.  While riding Lipizzaners she discovered the joy of ThinLine. “I was riding these wonderful baroque horses but was having a horrible time with saddle slippage and keeping my horse comfortable. I came across this foam and Voila! No more saddle slippage, but that was just the beginning of the story.”

As I continued to use the simple sheet of foam I noticed not only how much better my show horse was going, but also how much easier it was to sit the gaits. I also had a retired racehorse in my care, and while the horse was [easily] rattled, I found he was much quieter with the ThinLine. Witnessing first hand how ThinLine impacted these two horses, it became my personal mission to ensure that every horse owner knew about this amazing saddle pad.” It has been a magical adventure making every horse and rider happier and more comfortable.

What are the effects of ThinLine tack?

“The manner in which this product absorbs motion encourages horses to move through the back,” Elaine explains. “We receive stories daily of how ThinLine saddle pads have improved a horse’s movement or a rider’s ability to sit their horse’s gaits. These riders tell us they have little or no back strain and that their horses are working better and happier. It’s a two-way street of comfort, preventing problems, resolving challenges, and just having better communication.”

What is ThinLine?

It’s a unique, open-cell technology that distributes shock, weight, and heat laterally along the pad without compressing. The result is 95% shock absorption. But don’t let all the testing and technology get in the way of the ultimate benefit — happier horses and more comfortable riders.

What are some additional features?

  • The trademark open-cell technology makes ThinLine horse tack 100% breathable, meaning heat and moisture are not trapped between the horse and tack.
  • An anti-microbial agent is infused into ThinLine girths and horse boots.
  • ThinLine doesn’t compress or slip which reduces pressure points associated with movement in the saddle.
  • ThinLine Longevity! Many people get more than a decade of use from a basic ThinLine pad.

The ThinLine ride: ThinLine 

ThinLine is designed to protect horse and rider backs by eliciting a soft, quiet, elastic connection. Seasoned riders greatly appreciate ThinLine because it reduces the extraneous ‘background noise’ of your movement allowing your horse to balance and focus better, and makes your seat aides clearer and more effective.

 ThinLine is effective for horses with sore backs and those exposed to frequent and sudden impacts. It’s also a great choice for beginner riders and young horses in training.

ThinLine has been proven to drastically improve the health of a rider’s spine which can become compromised over time. If you ride every day and are spending many hours in the saddle you will benefit from a shock-absorbing ThinLine saddle pad, and your horse will benefit from a quieter rider.

 ThinLine panels are added onto our base saddle pads, but it is also sold on its own as a Basic Pad (just the foam).  ThinLine full shims may be purchased and added to any shimmable pad for the best in saddle fitting.

Who am I buying from? ThinLine is a small company that offers great customer service.  We are all riders. ThinLine is pleased to have many professionals’ unpaid endorsements of our products.  We look like we have a huge footprint, but really we are just a small manufacturer. We invest our money in our products, testing, and design instead of big ads to create the most amazing horse tack on the market. We stay true to what brought us into this industry, word of mouth, grassroots growth, and the development of the best products for riders and horses. We stand behind every product we create.

ThinLine EU Plain Logo wide

Feel free to call our friendly staff with any questions.

(919) 680-6803

ThinLine material is made in the USA and we support USA manufacturers for the assembly of most of our product lines.