I’m hoping I can get some more specific ideas and advice on here on half pads for the rider that rides LOTS of horses and only has one saddle. I am a college student who helps exercise and market horses for a dressage trainer in my college town, and then rides hunters and jumpers at home. I’ve never owned my own horse, I’ve only ridden other’s through the lesson program at the stable at home and then riding more of other people’s horses as a paid employee/working student at the same barn when I turned 15. I have an older-ish Hermes jumping saddle (I do ride the dressage horses in it unless the trainer or I feel more comfortable having me ride a specific horse in a dressage saddle, in which case I either use hers or the saddle that belongs to the horse, if it has one. She says that good riding is good riding regardless of the style of the saddle!:)) Right now I have a pretty thin, cheap little half pad that hardly fits my saddle and really isn’t thick at all. It was given to me by a boarder at the jumper stable at home because she had no use for it anymore, back when half pads were just gaining some popularity, I believe it is this one. I would really like a new, more effective one and I need some help! There are so many pads out there! I would like to spend less than $150 and I would like black or pretty much anything but white. I don’t show right now anyway so a fancy showy pad definitely isn’t necessary. Also, easy-to-clean is important and I’m kind of leaning toward the idea of a shimmable one since they are so adjustable. I found a cotton ECP shimmable pad on horsewarehouse.com for a whopping $40 because of a recommoendation of a rider to another rider in this forum on someone else’s thread. Does anyone else have any experience with this particular pad or ECP’s products? Do you have any other suggestions for me to look in to?
I have a Thinline Trifecta that I really like. Mine has the cotton base & fleece rolls. You can get shims for it in two thickness levels - Thinline & Ultra Thinline.
You can throw it in the wash, or just wipe it down. Mine has held up really well - I’ve had it for 2 years and it looks great. It doesn’t seem to get dirty as fast as my older full sheepskin pad, or at least doesn’t look as dirty.
Prolite Pads
Prolite pads. Comes in a four or six pocket pad, each pocket with a thin and thick insert of shock absorbing foam. I use and sell them $130. Love the six pocket pad as it’s of the bed things I’ve found to use for a saddle that is bridging but you don’t want to adjust the flocking because it does another horse. Cover is of sturdy black material that you can just toss and wash (although with it between the saddle and the other pad, mine hasn’t gotten very dirty too often. Fits neatly beneath the saddle and rally isn’t noticeable.
PM me if you’d like more info. :yes:
Mtngirl and I think alike. Prolite would be perfect for your situation. I recommend them and sell them all of the time for situations just like yours.
Thank you! I will definitely look at the prolite pads… Still very open to other suggestions and reviews as well!
I love the EcoGold pads. They come in white and black. You can buy shims for them from the EcoGold site.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/ecogold-stabilizer-halfpad--7388p
