Anyone used both EcoGold and ThinLine - comparisons?

[Renn_aissance]

I’m a longtime EcoGold user. Great products. My 10-year-old Stabilizer pad finally came apart in the wash and I wanted to look around a little before replacing it. My horse carries tension in his back and can get a little back sore in the course of his regular work. He appreciates having more impact buffer than your standard sheepskin pad provides. I’m considering trying a ThinLine or ThinLine Ultra versus another EcoGold. I’ve used ThinLine shim pads (three cheers for the Trifecta) but that’s a different idea for a different need.

Has anyone tried both? What are your horse’s needs, and what suited those needs better?

[fordtraktor]

I have a Trifecta and it is a great pad though I found it not to be the best for my sore-backed horse. I have used an Ecogold and liked it a lot but I don’t own one.

I have a horse that does get a sore back and he likes 3 pads: an Ogilvy, though to me this pad is thick and it is not my favorite. You have to have space for it under the saddle to even contemplate it. If it tightens up the saddle fit it obviously can make it all worse. A Supracor: great pad and super cushioning. This pad really, truly has fixed two sore backs for me. It’s SUPER. but also thick, see above re tightness. and it’s not my go-to everyday pad, more a therapeutic pad because it raises where the rider sits which I don’t love. And my new favorite, the Invictus pad with pockets for shims. this is the one I am using every day on my horse that gets a sore back for maintenance (with no shims), and on my other horse who doesn’t have a bad back but who just needs the shims in to make my Tad Coffin fit him perfectly as he’s petite and the TC is just a bit wide without it.

It’s awesome. I love the chocolate color too, it is so discreet. Here’s a pic with ALL the shims in (2 sets front and back) (ignore the pudgy post-winter Tiny TB’s disheveled state please, didn’t clip him this year, he hasn’t shedded out and looks like he has a pot belly, and he is yawning! fordtraktor camera fail): https://fordtraktor.shutterfly.com/pictures/176

Even with all the shims it is still very sleek. but it provides enough lift to keep the saddle nicely off his spine and he sweats beautifully and palpates perfectly under the TC. he also is moving better than he ever has with more lift through his back and more willingness to stretch and bend to the right. it’s great. Part of that is the SmartRide saddle I am sure, but before he had a custom fitted wool flocked saddle so it’s not like he has ever been ridden in a poor fitting saddle since I’ve had him. The combination of the two has really improved him this year in the back department. It certainly isn’t fitness because he’s dreadfully out of shape and I’ve been riding very inconsistently this spring, have been super busy with a few work projects. See pot belly.

Also the Invictus pad doesn’t make you feel like you are sitting way above your horse like the Ogilvy, Supracor or, the worst, those old Beval Therapeutic pads. remember those…? OMG, teeter-totter!

That said, I still do like the Trifecta and use it under my dressage saddle – that’s still a nice choice!

[beowulf]

I’ve used both… I didn’t care for the Eco-Gold – I’ve had better luck with Mattes and felt a difference too. I have not ever been impressed with Ogilvy (one horse went better without :eek: ) or Acavallo.

I have a Thinline and really like it. I’ve noticed a difference across a broad spectrum of horses and I appreciate that it does not interfere with saddle fit the way sheepskin-flocked saddlepads do.

[Renn_aissance]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8627201]
I have a Thinline and really like it. I’ve noticed a difference across a broad spectrum of horses and I appreciate that it does not interfere with saddle fit the way sheepskin-flocked saddlepads do.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I like that about EcoGold and ThinLine versus some of the other options. My saddle fits well over Generic Shaped Pad (fleece or EcoGold) and from experiences on other horses I know that adding a ThinLine won’t change that. Other half pads are a different story.

That Invictus pad is expensive. :eek: Any other experiences with them? I hadn’t heard of them before.

[relocatedTXjumpr]

I have both, and like both.

That being said, the thinline IS thinner, and I like that it does not change my saddle fit at all. The ecogold half pad is NOT as thick as the Ogilvy, but it is thicker than a thinline.

I have not tried the ecogold hunter half pad, but I would really like to see one in person. Currently for shows I just use my ecogold hunter pad. At home I use an AP pad with a thinline or a shimable mattes pad.

[greywithchrome]

If I had a saddle that fit near perfectly I’d likely get a thinline. Otherwise I loveeee my ecogold flip pad.

[kelsey97]

I have both. I use a thinline, cotton trifecta no sheepskin, with a baby pad for schooling, my saddle would not fit with anything thicker. I feel the thinline really does absorb shock very well. For shows I use an ultra thinline over my eco gold hunter pad. I love the Eco gold shaped pad because it is very thin and really easy to clean, I hose it off and ready to go the next day.

[LadyBug]

You may want to look into Prolite pads. I like that better than Thinline, but I have not tried Ecogold.

[jen-s]

I strongly prefer my Ecogold triple protection half pad to my ThinLine. STRONGLY. But I think they are both good tools have have in your tack box.

I’ve heard good things about Prolite and also I think Toklat has something new (Matrix or ??) that looked interesting from the videos online, but i haven’t seen one in person. I looked for a Prolite dealer recently and there wasn’t one anywhere near me so I haven’t seen that in person.

[poltroon]

I have a Toklat Matrix pro-impact and I like it a lot. I have a ThinLine and I like it too. The Matrix seems to be a bit better for situations where the saddle fit isn’t as good or if I put my daughter up, whose seat can be a little goosey at the canter.

[Renn_aissance]

[QUOTE=jen-s;8628577]
I strongly prefer my Ecogold triple protection half pad to my ThinLine. STRONGLY. But I think they are both good tools have have in your tack box.[/QUOTE]

Could you elaborate on why you prefer the one over the other?

Thanks for mentioning the Toklat pad and the ProLite- both of those products are new to me and I’ll include them in my research.

[jen-s]

[QUOTE=Renn/aissance;8628717]
Could you elaborate on why you prefer the one over the other?[/QUOTE]

The impact protection seems MUCH better in the Ecogold. Plus unless you buy the TL trifecta, I find it can bind over taller withers. Sure it’s not SUPPOSED to, but since the fit changes (pad is more pliable) as the pad warms up, I can never get it “right” on the withery ones. That said, plenty of people love it and I love mine…on flatter built horses.

[Renn_aissance]

[QUOTE=jen-s;8628834]
The impact protection seems MUCH better in the Ecogold. Plus unless you buy the TL trifecta, I find it can bind over taller withers. Sure it’s not SUPPOSED to, but since the fit changes (pad is more pliable) as the pad warms up, I can never get it “right” on the withery ones. That said, plenty of people love it and I love mine…on flatter built horses.[/QUOTE]

That’s great feedback. My horse has moderate withers but a banana shaped back. I suppose the same fit issue could arise.

[marley]

These pads work completely differently, so there is no comparison.

[jen-s]

I’ve been pondering this a bit more, OP and I will also add that I think the Ecogold dissipates heat better. But, for dressage, I prefer my TL as I feel like the Ecogold “muffles” my seat a bit more. Just more food for thought.

[Small_Change]

The people at EcoGold are lovely, and are very happy to talk you through the different pad options that they have available to help you find one that fits your needs. They also have a very generous return policy. The quality of their products and their customer service is what keeps me coming back for more of their pads!

I did use a Thinline pad for a while as well, but only the one, so am not sure I’m a great one to critique it. For what it’s worth, I used the pad that is just the thin single “rubber” layer on a jumper with a sensitive back. I found that it was difficult to keep from binding down over her withers, and didn’t really seem to make a noticeable difference to her way of going. She was more relaxed and freer through her back when I changed to the EcoGold Triple Protection halfpad, and I haven’t strayed from their products for my horses since.

[Renn_aissance]

[QUOTE=marley;8631001]
These pads work completely differently, so there is no comparison.[/QUOTE]

They do, but they also can address a similar issue through their different mechanisms so experiences on how well each product does address that information is informing my decision.

[eventer_mi]

I have both, and even have an Equinelux (spin off of the Ecogold), and I keep coming back to the Ecogold. I have an older PJ (Bruno DelGrange) that really doesn’t fit either of my horses, but I’m using it until my Butet comes in, because it really does a nice job of making it work. With the Ecogold pad, I have even sweat marks. Without, or using a Thinline (or anything else), I get dry patches around the tree points.

I love my Ecogold (it’s the triple protection one) and I’ll get another one soon. Btw, if you’re looking for evidence that Ecogold works, look at these pressure scans: http://dynamicsaddlefitting.com/ecogold-saddle-pad-scans.html

(btw, I don’t represent them or anything. I’m just a fan).

[pacific_jumper]

http://invictus-equestrian.com/performance/

Looking at this test done by invictus… Interesting results here
I was surprised thinking scored so low, and memory foam scored so high

[Renn_aissance]

[QUOTE=eventer_mi;8631962]
(btw, I don’t represent them or anything. I’m just a fan).[/QUOTE]

Me too. :yes: Thanks for all the feedback. I think another EcoGold is going to be the answer here, under the heading of “don’t fix what isn’t broken.” I’ve used EcoGold pads on him for a decade. I know the impact protection works for him, and the non-slip material is a nice touch for a horse whose conformation pushes a saddle back.