And this is why I sucked it up and purchased a Five Star Saddle pad thru Smartpak on a discount. Well worth the $$$ and it is wool.
She just recently did a review on wool pads (5 Star, etc).
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=402961446561081
Thoughts?
She also posted this in the comments of her most recent video:
“Some of my design background is Fleeceworks, Matrix, T3 Classic III. If you watched any of the 2012 Olympic Games, WEG 2014 you will see my designs. I work and have worked with some of the top riders, of all disciplines, throughout the world. I do other equipment just those are the most high profile because companies can get their logo on them, so that is where a lot of my work concentrates. Before I started in this side of the industry I practiced equine bio kinetic training for years and did a live radio show off a NPR affiliate called Horse Talk. I’m a single mom, have a heavy military background and my horse is named Matrix and although I LOVE design my true passion is kinetics and rehabbing and training horses. You can look me up on LinkedIn if you want a more detailed breakdown. And if you want me to answer any question, just ask. Oh, and I got the idea to do this after years of working directly with people at team selections or horse shows telling me I should. So I thought what the hell, I’ll step out from behind the scenes and see if I can help. If people like it … Great, if not, I’ll stop.”
OK. I watched some of the videos and the one thought that keeps coming to me is…“Where are they getting these bowling balls?” I use to bowl regularly, and I can’t imagine a regulation bowling ball being dropped from a fork lift more than one time. I think they are using ‘stunt bowling balls’, and I think the one that bounces has been manufactured with a special core.
Meh. She seems to think that unless you’re equipping yourself with carbon fibre unobtainium colloidal silver infused latest and greatestness, there’s no point in having anything. After all, sports people NEVER chase fads, and always stick with the tried and true (running shoes, anyone?)
I use 5 star, they work great. Is there better? Sure, probably. No way I’m paying $600 for a pad though, when these work fine.
I doubt this person even acknowledges working folks, and thus arena reining is as western as she gets.
I recently found her FB page and can’t believe that saddle pads are being sold for top dollar for a something that I believe is a marketing scam. It’s definitely a page worth following.
[QUOTE=csaper58;8374969]
OK. I watched some of the videos and the one thought that keeps coming to me is…“Where are they getting these bowling balls?” I use to bowl regularly, and I can’t imagine a regulation bowling ball being dropped from a fork lift more than one time. I think they are using ‘stunt bowling balls’, and I think the one that bounces has been manufactured with a special core.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjxkurtzVx0[/QUOTE]
Totally off topic, but that was kid of cool. I didn’t know that bowling balls didn’t have a totally round center.
Link?
[QUOTE=Draftmare;8377439]
Totally off topic, but that was kid of cool. I didn’t know that bowling balls didn’t have a totally round center.
Link?[/QUOTE]
I only got a few minutes into her spiel. She is not as smart, or as funny, as she thinks she is. Just my lowly opinion of course. Her take on wool pads was laughable. Maybe she could spend some time with endurance riders to find out how a pad actually works with a horse.
Not one of her saddle pads that she sells http://jenxequine.com/t/western-half-pads has any countour to it. Last I checked, horse’s didn’t have a back that’s flat as a table. :no:
Not impressed with her reviews either.
What’s the random piece of “tile” she is holding and talking about when she is trying to compare it to 5 Star pads??? I don’t get it.
[QUOTE=beau159;8378218]
Not one of her saddle pads that she sells http://jenxequine.com/t/western-half-pads has any countour to it. Last I checked, horse’s didn’t have a back that’s flat as a table. :no:
Not impressed with her reviews either.
What’s the random piece of “tile” she is holding and talking about when she is trying to compare it to 5 Star pads??? I don’t get it.[/QUOTE]
The ‘random pieces of tile’ is the material she pulled from the saddle pad.
[QUOTE=crimsonsky;8377724]
https://www.facebook.com/jenxhorsegear/[/QUOTE]
Hmm, not all that impressed.
The “tile” was a piece of wool felt that saddle pads are made from. From a totally objective point of view, I’m inclined to side with her. I’ve had/used many saddle pads including a 5 Star, Classic equine esp, classic equine felt, CSI, thinline, mattes, professionals choice air ride, etc. Long before I saw any videos I liked to do my own little tests. I’ve put my hand under pads and hammered them, I’ve put pads against the wall and punched them. Sure it’s not a proper scientific method test, but in my experience wool felt was NOT impressive. It provided a little buffer but nothing like the thinline or CSI. You’re not going to harm your horse using one but there really is absolutely no benefit. I think we should embrace new technologies! We do in EVERY other aspect of our lives so why horse people tend to shy away I will never understand. I’m not saying her pads are the end-all be-all. I’ve never tried them. But nobody should be scorned for trying new materials and bringing our horse’s equipment up to date.
Side note-her pads aren’t $600 anymore. They’re still expensive- $399 but that’s not so outside the realm of othe pads like Mattes (western anyway) and CSI.
ETA-per Jen her pendleton pads apparently are designed to contour to the horse underneath while maintaining the blanket look on top. I don’t know the details but that’s basically what I was able to find.
[QUOTE=Halt@x10;8387945]
The ‘random pieces of tile’ is the material she pulled from the saddle pad.[/QUOTE]
Her quote that goes with the video says: “All Wool felt pads… CSI, 5 Star etc. I will still break them down but this is a good start.”
Last I checked, the wool between ALL saddle pads are not the same. I tried a Classic Equine pad that a friend was selling. Didn’t like it at all. The wool was not at all like 5 Star.
That “tile” she is holding, again, doesn’t make sense to me. Even the 1/2" pad by 5 Star isn’t as thin as the tile she is holding. And how stiff it looks when she is sitting there playing with it and folding it, doesn’t at all look like 5 Star.
If she wants to review a specific pad, then she needs to have that specific pad in front of her and not try to lump all wool categories together.
I NEED TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT!!! I MISREAD A BIT OF INFO ABOUT THE JEN X PADS! They are 1" and 1 1/8" but if you add the optional orthopedic insert, they become 1 1/2" and 1 5/8". This makes a LOT more sense because 1 1/2"+ is like crazy thick. 1" is much more reasonable.:yes:
