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The Solution Section (FAQ)
What does Mayatex™ make?
Mayatex™, Inc. weaves hand woven saddle blankets and saddle pads for horses, along with tapestries and floor coverings. Founded in 1944 by Joyce Dobkins, the company is known across the equine industry for the intricate design and quality of its woven saddle blankets.
Can I create a custom saddle blanket with Mayatex™?
Yes. Mayatex™ Custom Design Saddle Blankets let you create your own unique show blanket by selecting custom yarn colors and placing them into the design. You can build from 10 original saddle blanket designs to get a custom look on any blanket you choose.
What is a Mayatex™ Contour Pad and why choose one?
Mayatex™ Contour Pads offer great style plus increased contact with the horse thanks to their superior fit. Because the pad is contoured, there is less side-to-side and front-to-back movement on the horse's back, which has made them a particular favorite with trail riders who experience terrain changes during a ride.
Does Mayatex™ offer a pad for high-withered or performance horses?
Mayatex™ will be introducing a cut-back version of the Contour Pad designed for performance horses. It incorporates an original Mayatex™ design blanket with a pad shape that better fits high-withered horses, combining style, performance, and superior fit.
Are Mayatex™ saddle pads made of wool?
Mayatex™ offers wool contour pads, such as the Chaco Canyon Wool Contour Pad noted by customers in colorways like Blue/Brown. The blankets and pads are hand woven by quality craftsmen, with each design made to be pleasing to the eye while satisfying the needs of both horse and rider.
Where can I buy Mayatex™ saddle blankets and pads?
Many tack stores and most major equine catalogs carry Mayatex™, including Jeffers, ValleyVet, Smith Brothers, and State Line Tack. If ordering from a horse catalog or local tack store is inconvenient, you can also call Mayatex™ directly for help.
Who owns Mayatex™ today?
Mayatex™ was founded in 1944 by Joyce Dobkins, who actively worked in the business until age 83 and passed away in 2003. Today the company is owned and operated by James Drake and Pi Crowley, who continue to create new and innovative hand woven saddle blankets from quality craftsmen around the world.
How do I order from Mayatex™ or get help choosing a pad?
You can reach Mayatex™, Inc. at 5015 South IH-35, Georgetown, Texas 78626, or call 800-527-2358 and the friendly staff will help you. To view the complete Saddle Blanket Collection and Contour Pad line, visit https://www.mayatex.com/about_mayatex.
Who founded Mayatex and when?
Mayatex was founded in 1944 by Joyce Dobkins, who graduated as valedictorian from Texas Tech University before driving alone from New York to Guatemala on the newly opened Pan-American Highway. Inspired by Mayan and Aztec textile traditions, she partnered with her sister Carmen Drake to build the weaving business. The company carries the tagline 'QUALITY BLANKETS SINCE 1944.'
Where is Mayatex located?
In 1959 the founders moved the business to El Paso, Texas, where they wove saddle blankets, floor coverings and tapestries. The El Paso operation historically collaborated with weavers in Juarez, Mexico. Mayatex continues to design, color and determine the size, weight and fabric content of all its products in-house.
What is a Superior Saddle Pad made of?
Mayatex's premier wool pads are crafted from the finest New Zealand wool, which the company describes as sustainably and ethically produced. Other lines use acrylic blends for woven blankets, and the performance pads use acrylic felt with elastomeric foam. Natural felt pads are pressed wool felt offered in several thicknesses.
What thicknesses do Mayatex felt pads come in?
The natural felt pad line is offered in 3/4-inch, 7/8-inch, 1-inch and 1 1/4-inch thicknesses. Thinner pads suit horses needing closer contact, while thicker 1-inch and 1 1/4-inch pads add cushioning for harder-working disciplines. Wool-felt contour pads such as the SHP7001 also add a 1/2-inch foam-rubber layer.
What sizes are available?
Felt pads come in barrel-racer (28x30) and roper (31x30) cuts, with square contour pads around 32x32. Woven saddle blankets are offered in sizes including 24x24 pony, 32x64, 36x34, 38x34, 40x34 and a 36x68 Durango, plus many custom sizes. In total Mayatex carries over 500 sizes and styles.
How much do Mayatex saddle pads cost?
Natural felt pads generally run from $119.99 to $139.99. Wool-felt contour pads reach $189.99 to $194.99, such as the SHP7001 Wool Felt Contour Saddle Pad at $194.99. Across the full catalog of blankets and pads, prices range from $19.99 to $169.99.
Are Mayatex pads good for barrel racing?
Yes. Mayatex makes barrel-specific cuts such as the MT34030WFP Natural 3/4in 28x30 Felt Barrel Saddle Pad ($119.99) and the SHP8000 Wool Felt Barrel Racer Contour Saddle Pad 32x30 ($129.99). The contour cut and felt construction are designed to stay in place and absorb heat and moisture during fast, hard-turning runs.
Do they make pads for ropers?
They do. Roper pads are built in the 31x30 size, including the MT10031WFP Natural 1in 31x30 Felt Roper Saddle Pad ($129.99) and the heavier MT11432WFP Natural 1 1/4in 31x30 Felt Roper Saddle Pad ($139.99). Fleece-bottom roper versions are also available for added comfort.
What is a fleece-bottom saddle pad?
Several Mayatex pads add a wool fleece layer on the underside that contacts the horse, such as the MT10031FBP Natural 1in 31x30 Felt Fleece Bottom Roper Saddle Pad ($139.99). The fleece bottom adds softness and comfort against the horse's back during extended riding while the felt body provides structure and shock absorption.
What is the Phoenix Blanket Top Contoured pad?
The Phoenix line, such as the 1431WCP-6 Phoenix 38x34 Blanket Top Contoured Felt Saddle Pad ($189.99), combines a woven show-quality blanket face with a contoured working felt bottom. It gives riders the polished look of a Navajo blanket and the protective performance of a felt pad in a single piece.
Why does Mayatex use New Zealand wool?
Mayatex states its renowned wool saddle pads and blankets are crafted from the finest New Zealand wool, which it describes as sustainably and ethically produced. New Zealand wool is prized for its resilience and natural ability to wick moisture and dissipate heat. The company's Firecracker saddle blankets, for example, are made of 100% New Zealand wool.
Are Mayatex saddle pads authentic Navajo designs?
Mayatex's woven pads feature authentic Navajo-style designs the company says have been passed down through generations, rooted in the Mayan and Aztec heritage that inspired the founders. Collections include Apache, Double Weave, Hogan, Durango, San Juan Solid and Las Cruces. The brand's stated mission is to bring Mayan and Aztec cultures to the equine industry through hand-made saddle pads.
Do Mayatex pads help with heat and sweat?
Yes. Wool and wool-felt naturally wick moisture and dissipate heat away from the horse's back, and the contour cuts reduce pressure points across the spine and withers. The performance pads further use acrylic felt and elastomeric foam engineered to help prevent bacterial growth on the pad.
What riding disciplines does Mayatex serve?
Mayatex products have been acclaimed by Mounted Shooters, Ropers and Reiners as well as Trail Riders. The catalog spans everyday Navajo pads for daily riding up to heavier Competition Series Navajo blanket pads built for Western showing, plus barrel-racing and roper cuts. Designs are tailored to meet the needs of the various riding disciplines.
Does Mayatex offer wool fleece pads?
Yes. In addition to felt pads, Mayatex offers Deluxe Wool Fleece Saddle Pads and fleece-bottom options such as the MTCFBP Canvas 1in 32x32 Wool Fleece Bottom Saddle Pad ($104.99). Wool fleece provides a soft, breathable contact surface against the horse.
Where can I buy Mayatex Superior Saddle Pads?
Pads and blankets can be purchased directly at mayatex.com, which also offers a store-locator tool to find Mayatex dealers near you. A rotating clearance section discounts select New Zealand wool blankets up to 46% off, with examples like the 1470-8 Risen 36x34 New Zealand Wool Saddle Blanket marked at $54.39 from $99.99.
Does Mayatex make custom or private-label pads?
Yes. Drawing on decades of knowledge of hand-woven products, Mayatex offers original designs for private labels manufactured to a customer's requirements for style and performance. Because the company controls design, color, size, weight and fabric content in-house, it can produce custom sizes and specifications beyond its standard 500-plus styles.
