I am currently researching half pad options for my horse, Moose. He has not been ridden since last December as I am pregnant and due in a little less than two weeks :). I am hoping to be back in the saddle in approximately two months if all goes well, even if it is just once per week for a while. My horse is a taller Quarter Horse with an unusual back. He has very high and narrow withers with a broader back in-general. Because of this we have a semi-custom 19" Passier Freemove Dynamic dressage saddle. It has a shallow seat and therefore is a bit longer than a deep-seat 19" dressage saddle. I will need to get a half pad that both adequately fits under our saddle while also protecting his back while both of us are re-building lost muscle from our long break. I am mainly concerned about me going all over the place as I rebuild my core muscles ;). I want Moose to be as comfortable as possible. If he doesn’t like something, he is definitely not afraid to let me know :lol:!
Around where I live (central Arkansas), Mattes half-pads are the half pad to have. However, I do not feel that a sheepskin pad will offer much protection to his back. I have not heard/read the best things about Thinline pads, so at this point I am not considering one.
I have always generally liked Toklat pads, so I looked into what they currently have available and contacted them for advice. The T3 Classics III Half Pad (Dressage) with Pro-Impact was one suggestion. The representative said that this pad has a 23" long spine and is only 1/4" thick, so it should fit under a well-fitted saddle. It looks like it would fit a horse with high-withers well. Unfortunately, the Matrix half pads do not seem like they will be long enough to adequately fit under my saddle :(.
So, does anyone have experience with the Toklat Pro-Impact material? Does it seem to absorb impact and hold up well? If not, does anyone have other half pad recommendations? I was thinking about a thin Prolite half pad, but unfortunately they are only 21" long.
Thank you!
