I have tried various half pads for my 16.5" Passier dressage saddle. I’m not sure I want to spend the money on a Mattes- are they really worth it?
I have a fleeceworks pad that I’m not loving right now. It has too much fluff and not enough pad.
Following this…
I have a new-to-me little WelshX pony who will be needing some extra padding under the saddle.
What about the Ogilvy memory foam half pads ??
Mattes are worth it. Every penny. Spend the money and get the one that you can add shims to if needed.
I dislike the “memory foam” pads-they do not offer the same support a wool pad does.
I like shimmable wool pads, I prefer the Equine Comfort Products Pads and the Mattes over the Fleeceworks. . I also like the Equine Comfort Products shimmable pad without the sheepskin. They are quite useful and a very good value for the money.
As with everything else, here isn’t one that is the best for all horses. 
I have been through quite a few…
I’m not thrilled by sheepskin pads because they are so thick; if you have a small horse and a close-fitting saddle they may well seem too thick. But if you want sheepskin, I would agree that it’s worth spending the money for a Mattes pad. Sheepskin-trimmed helps the saddle stay put, though. I’m currently using a Thinline Trifecta pad with rear Thinline shims and sheepskin trim.
I’d recommend shims to anyone, because horses and saddle fit do change.
I don’t really like memory foam period. Take for example the memory foam bath mat I purchased. It feels awesome as you step out of the shower onto a little cloud, but if you stand on it for a second or two, you realize it completely bottoms out and there’s absolutely no cushion left. It feels really good to the touch but just doesn’t do anything beneficial most of the time. Wool/sheepskin is definitely more solid but I’ve never owned one because they take up a lot of room between the saddle and horse. I wouldn’t object to getting one in the right situation, just haven’t needed one. My first choice is denser pads. Thinline is a good example. I had a CSI pad for a western saddle that was unbelievably good at dispersing pressure. They make those for english saddles too but I imagine they’re pretty thick. My next pad will be one of the thinline/BOT combo pads, because I don’t feel like buying a separate thinline and BOT pads.:winkgrin:
I have a couple of section C Welsh Cobs, both are 13 hands and both use/have 16.5 inch saddles. I was finding that my gelding was going to need a new saddle or break down and purchase a Mattes pad. I had tried a friend’s Mattes pad and it did make a huge difference. I ended up buying a small Mattes pad. I love it and he loves it. I think with a 16.5 inch saddle you could get away with a medium pad just fine but my pony is very short backed; so I purchased a small. BTW I have a passier and albion. My pony competed in prix st. george for the first time at a recognized show a couple of weeks ago and earned a 61.5 with his Mattes pad…not what anyone would have expected if they knew the background on my pony. I cannot give full credit to the Mattes pad :winkgrin: but it has helped his performance and my ability to influence his performance 
Thanks for the input. I wondered about those memory foam pads. All the rage… For now!
The pony is 13hh… Not fit and no topline yet.
She has just been pulled from her spring foal. We will be bringing her back into shape very slowly.
The saddle is a Stubben Eidelweiss CC Junior…15.75 inch and will be fine, but for now, she needs some extra padding. I do have a ‘regular’ Ultra Thinline, but it won’t totally help, so I’ll go with sheepskin.
Just a thought if you’ve got budgetary qualms with the Mattes: there are cheaper correction pads on the market, like the Total Saddle Fit correction pad and the ECP correction pad. Some people don’t love the shims on the ECP pad, but they make their own shims out of a cheap yoga mat. (Learned that on another recent COTH thread!) And for a non-shimmable sheepskin half pad, it’s hard to beat the quality/price mix on the Engel Sheepskin Half Pad.
Don’t get me wrong. Mattes makes a great, professional-quality product and you’d be very happy with it. But it’s a big cash outlay for a single pony and a temporary situation.
I’ve also seen people use a sheepskin half pad directly on the horse’s back, then put an Ultra Thinline or Thinline on top of that. That’s potentially a lot of padding, which is why the people who do this don’t typically add another base-line saddle pad underneath. For your situation where the horse has zero topline, it might get you through those early weeks until she starts to fill out.
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I actually really live my EcoGold half pad. Coming from a Fleeceworks, it provides a lot more impact absorption. I’ve heard good things about Mattes, but have never used one personally.
Eccogold do not make pads small enough for small ponies/ pony saddles.
They have a pony ‘hunter’ pad …seems more like a non-slip pad and it does not have nearly as much padding as the Mattes. They are also very expensive!
I have had the Mattes and I have had the Thinline shimmable with sheepskin. If you are doing real sheepskin, you are much better off spending the money for quality up front.
I don’t use either pad now, but not because they wore out. I switched from the Mattes as I got a killer deal on the Thinline, and have now switched to a Matrix pad, as my saddle was fitted based on the sheepskin, and needs to be refitted as his muscling has made the saddle too tight with the sheepskin. Definitely something to consider - your saddle will fit differently with a thicker pad. And if you’re used to a closer fit, it takes some adjustment on your part.
