I bought an Ogilvy memory foam jump pad and it just recently came in. I happily went to the barn to use it, tacked up with it, and rode in it. Unfortunately, it kept making my saddle slip (both to the sides and back). The girth was as tight as I normally have it.
I came back the next day. I tried it again, tightening my girth more than I usually do (to the point where I cant get any fingers under the girth). My horse was very agitated, but the saddle didn’t slide. I have a custom fit saddle (to both myself and my horse, more so my horse).
Is there anything else I can try to be able to use the Ogilvy, or should I get a Gummy? Would a non-slip pad help? Also, anyone with a gummy, please tell me your experience with it. Thank you! :winkgrin:
Per Ogilvy, you should get a GUMMY if your saddle fits very well. You should get the memory foam Ogilvy if your saddle DOES NOT fit very well. If your saddle is custom, you should not need a pad. If you want a little extra cushion, you should have gotten a gummy.
If the saddle is custom fit to your horse, why are you using an Ogilvy? Does the saddle slip without a pad, or is there some other saddle fit issue you are trying to correct with it? If the saddle actually fits the horse well, you shouldn’t need a half pad.
Belmont: I’ve looked up threads and posts and saw the same as what you said. Do you think there is any way to still use the regular Ogilvy?
No, the saddle doesn’t slip when I am not using an Ogilvy. I just have a half-pad-loving, stubborn trainer and I would like some shock absorption and comfort of sorts during a jumping lesson.
So basically you bought a $200 saddle pad because it’s cool, not because you need it, right? I mean, I get it. They are pretty cool (and I’m super excited for mine to arrive) but if you have a custom fitted saddle you shouldn’t need a half pad. And that is why your saddle is slipping.
Personally I’d just send it back! A saddle that fits well doesn’t need any extra padding, it will just alter the fit and possibly make your horses back sore!
ybiaw: Glad to hear that you will be getting one! I’m excited for you! 
I didn’t get the pad because its cool (though it is, which is a bonus), but I got it because I decided it was time to get a half pad and not use the barn’s half pads. I was really looking for shock absorption for my horse, plus my trainer really encourages for me to use a half pad during a jumping lesson.
I am surprised your saddle is slipping, with my ogilvy my saddle stopped slipping. Also, I disagree, I think that the pad squishes down enough to use under a custom saddle. I use mine under the custom i have for one of my horses, and I can finally sit the trot without getting rude faces from my horse I find that with using it, i tighten my girth as much as i can, get on, and retighten. The pad squishes down enough that i don’t worry about the girth being too tight once I am on.
If you aren’t thrilled with the ogilvy still though, I would try an equifit. I have one of those too, and it is thinner and doesn’t change the saddle fit at all. I have the fleece one so i can use it showing.
Even with my custom, i always use a half pad. I equate it shoes; when you wear good fitting shoes, it feels good. But if you wear good fitting shoes with memory foam inserts and fluffy socks… Your feet are feeling great then
StormyDay: My thoughts exactly about the shoe reference. :yes: The equifit is tempting. Do you think that the Ogilvy will “wear in” over time? And any thoughts on the gummy pad? Thanks for all the help!
I hope the ogilvy won’t wear in, for what I paid for it 
I have not seen/used the gummy pad, but sometimes Dover stores have the ogilvys in, maybe if there is one close by you could go see it? My only worry would be that since the type of material used for the foam is more material-like than gel-like, that the foam would be condensed and not actually offer as much squishy-ness as the original. But hopefully someone who has one will chime in I like the equifit a lot, It is t-foam which is almost gel like. I use it quite a bit. I also think it looks more professional in competitions. I have seen people compete in the ogilvys, but to me it pulls away from the overall look.
If your saddle fits, putting padding under it will make it NOT fit. No matter how much your trainer likes half pads, it doesn’t change the way physics works. A space big enough to just fit X is not magically big enough to fit X+Y because your trainer thinks it looks good. If you MUST use a half pad, have the saddle fitted WITH the half pad underneath to allow extra space for the thickness of the pad.
Next time your trainer is wearing well-fitted high heeled shoes, have her shove an inch of insoles in the bottom so she can enjoy how it feels to have too much jammed in a small space. She’ll LOVE the “shock abortion” as she limps around with blisters 
Thinline are very thin, if you feel you MUST pad up beyond the foam/flocking in the panels AND your regular saddle pad. That should alter the fit very little and they have a stabilizing effect, IMHO.
What vfx111 said.
My saddle fits my young horse perfectly, so when I’m jumping him big I add an Ultra Thinline or ride in one of the Contender II combo pads (saddle fitter gave the ok), and that’s all he needs.
Yep nothing worse than shoving your feet into shoes with “extra insoles” and then not being able to walk because they are too damn tight! I don’t care how "cushy " the bottoms from soft extra insoles are… Too tight is crippling and fitting perfectly is heavenly!
and, I just bought a new perfectly fitted saddle, my horse moves like a dream and as per the saddle fitter “NO extra pads needed”
The foam will shush down a bit over time but not enough to fix your problem. I just posted on here that the gummy now comes with a removable cover. I would call them up and see if you can just exchange the inserts. The gummy is much thinner so should not have as big of an effect on fit. It still may not be right, though, but it’s worth a shot to ask if you can swap before just eating the $ you spent on the thick one. If you customized the cover they won’t take it back unless they made an error with your order.
[QUOTE=vxf111;8056149]
Next time your trainer is wearing well-fitted high heeled shoes, have her shove an inch of insoles in the bottom so she can enjoy how it feels to have too much jammed in a small space. She’ll LOVE the “shock abortion” as she limps around with blisters
Thinline are very thin, if you feel you MUST pad up beyond the foam/flocking in the panels AND your regular saddle pad. That should alter the fit very little and they have a stabilizing effect, IMHO.[/QUOTE]
I have ridden in my trainer’s Olgivy a few times and always thought the saddle wiggled from side to side. I bought the same saddle, custom fit to my mare, and use it with a ThinLine. Greater shock absorption, little bulk and feels solid.
Since your saddle is custom, the regular Ogilvy is not going to work well at all, and I’m not sure even the gummy would be thin enough. Kind of like wearing a super thick sock in a tight shoe - it just doesn’t work. I’ve been using the Ogilvy 1" memory foam for about a year on my saddle that fits well but not great, and I haven’t noticed any change in the pad. Fortunately the Ogilvy pads have excellent resale value (search for them on ebay), so I would try to resell at the purchase price and get something thinner if you really need one, maybe try a Thinline or something similar.
I think I’m going to see if I can exchange the inserts, if what IPEsq said is true to all gummy pads. Thank you all for the help! If the gummy doesn’t work, I’ll probably be using a Thinline.
