EcoGold was the other one I was trying to think of! Kept getting stuck on Equiline. Heard good things about them as well.
I suppose it depends on saddle fit with the Ogilvy pads. I tend to do what AmmyByNature does, with my Thinline and shimmable Mattes pad, but I’ve also switched to jumpers and don’t have to worry about such things anymore. 
Consider getting a Dee ring snaffle of some sort. You don’t have to but if I was going to spend a few bucks upgrading to a Hunter look, that would be a good place to start. Been the classic look for some time now and it flatters most horses heads. Dee ring sides are available on a wide assortment of mouthpieces, Mylar has some great ones.
Life was easier when I was planning on the jumper ring, hahahahaha.
findeight, I would definitely consider it if I became fairly serious about showing in hunters. I want to make sure my mare is a true hunter before I go crazy buying new stuff. I just want to be prepared with what to buy when the time comes.
[QUOTE=shadedingray;8504941]
Thanks LucilleBluth!
I just purchased my Sedelogic pad (black half pad). I asked the distributor if it was possible to use the pad against the horse directly, so I can just place a hunter-appropriate pad over it. That would be short term. Sedelogic sells a shaped pad in black and white. If you go here and scroll down a bit, you can see the pad I’m talking about. Would this be suitable or is fleece a must-have?[/QUOTE]
Just have a white cover made for it. It’s quite easy (I’ve made various covers on my own before, but you could also have a seamstress/tailor do it. have them put a velcro section across the spine for easy removal…and pick a fabric that won’t add too much bulk and change the fit of your saddle.
I have a half pad that I show in that was terry cloth that looks just fine. If you need something that wasn’t thick, you could go that route.
[QUOTE=shadedingray;8504871]
I know boots and polos are not allowed in the show ring. I’m not heartbroken over that, but my mare does wear a sausage boot/fetlock ring though as she tends to knock her one pastern sometimes. I’m guessing that is a definite no-go for shows right?[/QUOTE]
Definitely a no-go for hunters, but it’s legal for eq or jumpers.
As long as you’re not trying to jump into hunter land at the WEF level, probably getting rid of the boots and non-plain cavesson will be good. If you are able to bear the snickers of the teenage princesses, you 'll be OK with the black pad or a subtle square (EEK) one as well. I’m inclined to think that at entry level (and several steps up) judges are more likely to look at the performance than at the fashion accessories. I hope.
A cheap fitted pad can be gotten so easily that I wouldn’t use a black pad or a square pad at any level of the hunters except at, say, a “fun” show at my own home barn. (And honestly I’d still use a fitted white pad even in that case, and I’d borrow one if I really couldn’t buy one of my own.)
But Madeline is right - everything doesn’t need to be WEF-standard, it just needs to be appropriate.
[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;8505305]
A cheap fitted pad can be gotten so easily that I wouldn’t use a black pad or a square pad at any level of the hunters except at, say, a “fun” show at my own home barn. (And honestly I’d still use a fitted white pad even in that case, and I’d borrow one if I really couldn’t buy one of my own.)
But Madeline is right - everything doesn’t need to be WEF-standard, it just needs to be appropriate.[/QUOTE]
I agree. I wouldn’t show in the hunters or eq at ANY level with a black pad. Schooling shows that I’m wearing a polo at? I will use a WHITE square pad, perhaps with a conservative colored binding (navy, hunter, or black) but most likely all white (I have one set aside for just that purpose and it doesn’t get used otherwise so it stays crisp and clean. The second I’m wearing a jacket, it’s fleece, shaped pad or wool, sheepskin or fleece half pad depending on what horse needs.
Thanks guys! I was raised in the hunter world, although I really didn’t show much. I would not attempt to show in a square pad or an obviously black pad, so no worries.
Just want to make sure I have an idea of the trends and such and prepare to purchase anything that is deemed a necessity.
[QUOTE=shadedingray;8505486]
Just want to make sure I have an idea of the trends and such and prepare to purchase anything that is deemed a necessity.[/QUOTE]
If you’re just dabbling and trying to figure out if you want to stick with it, I wouldn’t worry at all about “trends” and just go with basic and classic. You don’t need a fancy Ogilvy or whatever pad; you can get a classic Wilkers fitted pad for something like $40.
One note of advice: wash the fitted pad before using! I pulled a new one I’d been saving out for finals this fall, and had to reset my saddle half a dozen times, including between rounds, it was so slippery.
[QUOTE=RugBug;8505336]
I agree. I wouldn’t show in the hunters or eq at ANY level with a black pad. [/QUOTE]
Meh. It’s not that bad, depending on the color of the horse. I scored a black Mattes half pad that I use on my dark bay at the local schooling series. The rest of our attire fits in perfectly, as I had a 35-year history as a hunter princess before dabbling in the Dark Side of eventing. 
I would definitely use a black half pad over a square pad in the hunters. In fact, I took my young horse out for sight seeing at a schooling show a few years ago and deliberately put a square pad on him so I wouldn’t be tempted to enter him!
I guess everyone has their own thresholds.
[QUOTE=Sing Mia Song;8505665]
Meh. It’s not that bad, depending on the color of the horse. I scored a black Mattes half pad that I use on my dark bay at the local schooling series. The rest of our attire fits in perfectly, as I had a 35-year history as a hunter princess before dabbling in the Dark Side of eventing.
I would definitely use a black half pad over a square pad in the hunters. In fact, I took my young horse out for sight seeing at a schooling show a few years ago and deliberately put a square pad on him so I wouldn’t be tempted to enter him!
I guess everyone has their own thresholds.[/QUOTE]
Did the black pad look like you had no pad at all because your horse was dark?
I have often used a TC leather pad over my shaped fleece pad…you can’t really even tell the pad is different from the saddle at any distance.
But a black pad like the one OP linked too? Not something I think anyone should use.
As I mentioned, I’ve used white squares for low level schooing shows (around here, this means shows put on by eventers or small barns…not anything non-rated as some people define schooling shows).
Why did black irons get banned from the eq ring?
[QUOTE=m&m;8505793]
Why did black irons get banned from the eq ring?[/QUOTE]
Ease of seeing rider’s foot position.
No extra help from hinged stirrups.
Makes sense.
Not sure anyone answered your fetlock ring question, but no horse boots of any kind are allowed in the hunter ring per the rulebook.
I am also coming back to the hunter ring. I used to show with a real sheepskin pad - perfectly fitted to my saddle, with a rolled edge so there was “fuzz” visible all the way around, just like a regular pad. At the time, I had a bay and white paint who was white in the saddle area, and he looked dingy in a spanking new synthetic white pad. The sheepskin pad was a pale ivory and made the horse look whiter. At the time (mid - late 90s) real sheepskin pads were very in style in my part of the country so I wasn’t alone with this type of pad. I really liked that pad because it didn’t slip around AT ALL, and I would like to use it (I only used it for shows, so it is still in very good shape). Opinions?
I still see them, fleece pads, at the rateds…in the Adults and AOs, just not in the must have everything new, not even born when you bought that fleece pad, Pelham or gasp rust breeches kid classes.
If it works use it. It will NOT reflect in your score, just amuse the tweeners fashion police hanging around the gate.
At schooling shows everything you have mentioned (including the black 1/2 pad) are fine.
I agree that no running martingales, etc should be used. But you will CERTAINLY not be marked lower if your saddle pad is a different color.
Only when you get to recognized shows will the little details start to matter. Even then, top AA horses use fuzzy girths and other “unconventional” show tack.
Pretty is as pretty does. If your horse deserves a good ribbon, he will get one.
Just put the black half pad under the white fitted pad. Or make a cover for it. Nothing on your horse’s legs in the hunters.
No, you could still see it. But it would have been fine with me if it had blended–remember the Olde Days when doing anything other than putting the saddle directly on the horse’s back caused pearls to be clutched?
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