Figure out the answer to these simple questions.
- What size is your saddle?
- Does my horse have a short or long back?
- What is my preference on the look of my tack on my horse?
Size of Saddle:
What is the size of your saddle in length. Is it a barrel, roping, cutting, etc saddle? If you have a larger saddle such as a roping or cutting saddle then you will probably not want a saddle pad that is 28" or 30" in length. The pad will probably be too short for the saddle to fit on. If you have a barrel or youth saddle then you will want to stay away from the long 34" saddle pads.
Does my horse have a long or short back?
A lot of people don't think of this when choosing a saddle pad. The long saddle pads (34") may be too long for short backed horses. It will probably end somewhere in the middle of the horse's rear. However things could be reversed as well. Using a short saddle pad on a long backed horse will allow part of his/her back to be exposed. You may think it looks weird. That is where this next section comes into play.
What is my opinion of how my horse looks when saddled?
Ultimately the decision comes down to your personal preference. What do you think looks good? Do you think that your saddle pad should cover the whole back of the horse and come right before his hindquarters start?
A lot of people like for their saddle pad, saddle, and horse to look a specific way. A shorter (28" or 30") saddle pad normaly works for a short backed horse with a barrel or youth saddle. They may use a larger saddle pad (33") if a roping saddle is used on the same horse. On a long backed horse if a roping saddle is used they may use a long (34") pad. However if the same long backed horse is used and a barrel saddle they may use a long (32" or 33") pad to cover the horses back.
What it really comes down to is what is your personal opinion, your type and size of saddle, and your horse all as a combination. There is no absolute correct answer. There are many opinions.