Just curious, if you use a shim in your half pad, what material is your shim made from?
I usually lean towards thinline shims, but saddle fitters in my area use cut up yoga mats. I also saw another company offer composite foam (similar to carpet padding), which peaked my interest.
Has anyone had good or bad experiences with any of the shim materials?
Find a old thin felt saddle pad and cut it up. They are usually 1/4 inch thick and tend to dissipate pressure. I found a couple at barn sales. Yoga mats don’t breathe and can smash down to nothing.
That’s exactly what I thought too, but wasn’t sure if I was making that up in my head or not.
I mostly use wool felt pads either from my saddle fitter or Mattes felt ones. I did use a yoga mat on an old saddle I had. The saddle was a felt a layer of wool flocking not foam but not wool flocked. You could not adjust the flocking. My horse has a dippy back so I slid the two layers of the yoga mat between the saddle and the saddle panels in the middle to make it a curvier tree. The yoga mats did not compress at all.
I have an ECP pad and they come with foam shims. They go right in the trash. My fitter hates them since they almost instantly compress and stay that way. I wish the shimmable pads would come with better quality shims.
In the right situation I would use the yoga mat cut to shape again. But I think I would be inclined to use it on a foam paneled or felt paneled saddle where I can slide the shim in between the saddle and the panels. I don’t think the breathability matters much there compared to in a saddle pad.
Where did you purchase wool felt pads? Could you cut them to be shaped to the pad? What is your reasoning for liking it?
My ECP shimmable half pad came with a number of 1/2 and 1/4" memory foam shims for the front and back of the pad on each side. Very customizable from side to side and front to back.
Yoga mat! My equine massage person suggested it and loves them. I have been cutting up a $15 yoga mat to make shims of various sizes and shapes as my young horse changes. You can get them in different thicknesses and for less than $20, you have a lot of shims.
I really like the Thinline shims, and they can be cut to fit into whatever pad you are using. They offer more shock absorbing, and don’t squish out from under the area you are trying to fix.
I used to own a Mattes half pad that came with felt shims. I cut them down for the ECP pad. I am not sure where my saddle fitter gets the thicker wool felt pads. She gets them as sheets I think and cuts them to fit. Before my custom saddle she cut one for the middle of my saddle since most saddles bridge on him.
I use the felt type pads because I can layer them to the exact thickness I need, they breathe and that is what my saddle fitter wants. I can easily change out the number of layers I have as his shape changes between fittings.
Well, I think it really depends how much padding you need and you will probably have to play around with different options to get the right fit. I have a Mattess Pad, Equine Comforts pad and a Wither Relief Pad by Total Saddle Fit. I love my Wither relief Pad by Total Saddle Fit (they make other half pads too). I use this with my dressage saddle. I am not sure what the material is for the shims. Whatever it is, it works and has been working for the past 6 months. When i was using my Mattess pad, which i don’t anymore, I used the felt pads provided and I also used a thin cut from a yoga mat. I would cut out the shape of the shims. The Mattes pad for me I feel is too bulky and it actually rubbed my guys withers. This is why I have the wither relief half pad now by Total Saddle Fit. I also have a ECP pad that I use the foam shims provided and 1 cut out of a yoga mat shim. I use this pad with my jumping saddle.
Hands down have been really happy with the look and fit of the Wither Relief half pad by Total Saddle Fit. I’ve actually thought about getting one for my jumping saddle.
Edited to add: I do like the ThinLine shims, they just didn’t fit my ECP or Mattess pad at the time. I will agree too with what other said, the foam shims are Junk for the most part. Depending how much padding you need of course.
It’s really all trial and error…
I have Thinline shims and wool felt shims in different things, and I think I like the wool felt a tad better because the Thinline doesn’t breathe and I think it gets hot under there. However, Thinline lasts forever and I guess the wool will eventually smash down.
I am using yoga mat. Breathability isn’t a concern since I’m using a sheepskin lined pad, and the shim goes between the pad and the saddle. It definitely doesn’t squish down to nothing; I had 2 layers at the front of mys saddle and definitely noticed a difference when I removed one shim. Yesterday I decided to try to ride without the shim and could feel the difference under my seatbone on the side that is normally shimmed. Perhaps over time they would squish down, but I’m working towards getting my horse symmetrical so she doesn’t need them. I’ve got lots of yoga mat left if I need to replace any that are squished flat.
I use all types. I do use yoga mats for fitting and that is an economic choice for those that don’t have shims or find the extra ones pricey. I personally use Thinline and Mattes although my son has used the ECP.
I was at the store today and noticed that yoga mats come in different thickness and density. Do you have one that you prefer? And when would you use a certain density for different scenarios?
Depending on what my fitting needs, Thinline, yoga mat, or wool felt.
I found a western Thinline pad really cheap that I chopped up to fit the pockets of a Skito dressage pad cover and a Mattes shimmed half pad. The yoga mats (both 1/4" and 1/2") get used if I want to make graded shims because they’re cheap and easy to work with. Felt I usually just use if I need to build up without finer adjustments or the shock absorption.
My shim pad came with wool shims that I can layer as needed. For my large shouldered/flat backed mare, I found that I needed a shim that allowed movement and so got these shims called “3 layer mesh”. They allow movement as the layers float on each other. Kind of thick though.
I have made shims out of both the thinner and the thick. It depends on what is needed. I also stack or cut a shim in half sometimes. You can get creative.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
