Best half pad for TB withers/hollows?

[GPSM]

Exploring options and looking for opinions for the best half pad to accommodate TB withers and the accompanying hollows. The saddle generally fits well in other regards (good width, panel contact, etc), but there is a lack of support where the hollows are (this is the only place where panel contact isn’t even).

I know a custom-fit saddle with wither gussets or trapezius, dropped or K-panels would be best, but this is a lesson horse (who does not have his own custom saddle already) and my personal saddle (which is also used on other lesson horses who are similar builds and widths, with the exception of the hollows). Just trying to do my job to make sure the horse is fitted as well as possible under the circumstances.

I would like to think an Ogilivy might work, but I have difficulty imagining how the memory foam wouldn’t just continue to collapse into the hollows. I’ve tried an Ecogold Triple Protection pad previously, but found it to be too thick and stiff. I have a couple shim-able ThinLine pads (one sheepskin, one Trifecta), but I’m not sure I think those shims would be supportive enough, or be the right shape in the right place. Do I just cut “custom” shims for a ThinLine or Mattes pad? Should I consider Invictus? Acavallo (I’m a little bit like, "Ermahgerd, it’s gel! But apparently it’s different and people like them)?

Thanks!

[SolarFlare]

I used the Thinline Trifecta with front shims on my TB with hollows while I was waiting for my fitter to come out. My saddle is wool-flocked and likes to settle over time into those hollows. After the fitting I took the shims out and just use it for the Thinline properties, which I really like.

The problem with the Ogilvy and other pads of uniform thickness is that you don’t need padding everywhere, just in that one spot. The Ogilvy will squish down in the front more (as there is more pressure there), and will fill in some of the space, but then you also have that same thickness everywhere else under the saddle. I never really understood how they say it will help fit saddles properly. If your saddle’s width is good now, it will also likely be too tight with a thick pad. I had a memory foam half pad to use when my horse was rehabbing and had been off for 4 months (and lost his topline). I didn’t like the feeling of being perched on top and you lose a lot of feel through your seat.

[SonnysMom]

Depending on how much room you have: either a Mattes shimmable half pad or an ECP pad. Throw away the foam shims from the ECP and buy Mattes felt ones or you can cut a yoga mat to fit if you need more thickness.

[beowulf]

If it doesn’t fit structurally, there isn’t anything you can do to shim it, to make it fit better. You don’t want something tense/rigid for “support” over that area because it will just provide pressure points elsewhere and make the fit worse.

In light of the information you provided regarding the fit not being supported up front, the next best thing would be some sort of shock-absorbent pad since there will be uneven pressure in the saddle. I’d go with Thinline, and no shims because that will just create more pressure build-up along the shoulders IME.

Generally if it’s lighter riders a lot of horses can deal with a not-ideal saddle fit just fine, but the kind of saddle fit issue you’re describing is not without physical trauma to the horse.

[GPSM]

@beowulf

If it doesn’t fit structurally, there isn’t anything you can do to shim it, to make it fit better. You don’t want something tense/rigid for “support” over that area because it will just provide pressure points elsewhere and make the fit worse.

In light of the information you provided regarding the fit not being supported up front, the next best thing would be some sort of shock-absorbent pad since there will be uneven pressure in the saddle. I’d go with Thinline, and no shims because that will just create more pressure build-up along the shoulders IME.

Generally if it’s lighter riders a lot of horses can deal with a not-ideal saddle fit just fine, but the kind of saddle fit issue you’re describing is not without physical trauma to the horse.

I promise I have already put far more thought into this situation than most would. It sounds a bit like you have interpreted what I’ve written to mean the saddle is too narrow. Perhaps I have misinterpreted that myself, but the saddle is not too narrow. My previous experience has always been trying to find something wide enough; I’ve not previously had to work through making small adjustments to a saddle that otherwise fits well.

If I had the money to have a saddle custom-fitted to this horse, I would. If the horse already had its own custom-fit saddle, I would happily use it. But it’s not my horse, I don’t have the money to have a saddle custom-fit to the horse, and the horse does not already have its own custom-fit saddle, so I’m doing the best I can given the limitations of the situation. I have to approach this in a manner similar to how we temporarily shim if a saddle is a bit too wide due time off or if a horse is recovering from atrophy due to a too-narrow saddle.

[rhymeswithfizz]

This one:
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/ul…-half-pad-6794

With shims that you can trim, double up, and move as needed:
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/th…half-pads-9453

Recommended by my County rep, also horse-approved. We decided to go this route when horse could have gone with a narrow tree but I didn’t want a narrow tree saddle since we were expecting him to fill in as he got stronger.

[Melissa.Van_Doren]

Whichever pad you use (I prefer ThinLine and Fleeceworks, depending on the horse’s conformation), the most important thing is to make sure you’re shimming where it’s needed, and not shimming where it’s not.
If you put shims over the shoulder on a horse that has hollows behind the shoulder, you’ll still have the same problem. The trick is to place the shims so they fill in the problem area. This might mean reducing the size of the shim, or putting it in a position that doesn’t fill the entire allotted area.

For asymmetric horses… if one shoulder or side is atrophied, you should only shim that side to level it with the good side. And remember to reduce/remove shims as the muscling/weight changes (or the pad/shim loses its loft).