A saddle blanket is the woven blanket, usually made of wool, which is folded and inserted under the Western Saddle in order to absorb sweat, cushion the saddle, and help it conform to the horse's back.

Saddle pads, a similar item, are often used under the English Saddle but in this case, their purpose is not to help the saddle conform to the horse's back; the panels of the English saddle take care of that. The original purpose of the English saddle pad was to protect the saddle from dirt and sweat.