Has anyone used EcoGold's "WitherCare" pad risers?

[Renn_aissance]

I had one of these pads almost 15 years ago, courtesy of a saddle brand rep who couldn’t solve a geometry problem and tried to ply me with free shims, but I don’t remember anything about the product. Has anyone used these lately? I’ve been a fan of EcoGold for a long time and am contemplating picking up the back riser to tweak saddle fit, but 1/4" is pretty thick! Does it squish down with weight on it, or compress over time? With no taper or any visible thinning in the gullet area, it looks like it would add significant lift to the saddle and might also create a pressure point.

This particular piece is attractive to me because I already have an EcoGold pad, I can very easily add Velcro, and this way I don’t have to pick up a different pad to house shims.

[Indy]

I use the rear riser on my Eco Gold pad and it’s great. It provides just enough lift to make my saddle fit the mare well. I had both the front and rear risers for a while, but then switched saddles so I only use the rear one now. It squishes down a bit with weight on it, but hasn’t compressed noticeably. I’ve been using the same riser for 6-7 years (albeit lightly over the past 5 years, 1-2 times a week) and it has held up very well. Some of the top layer of the material has worn down a bit, but that’s just superficial.
I also like that the velcro feature on the pad allows me to adjust where the shim is based on my own saddle. I ride in a small saddle so sometimes risers are not quite in the right spot so being able to tweak that is nice. Plus I can easily take it off if I ride something that is built differently.

[Renn_aissance]

Thanks @Indy ! Do you find that it sits seamlessly with the weight of the saddle on it? One of the things I like about EcoGold’s regular pads is that they don’t compress a lot under weight, and I wondered if the shape and the material of the riser would leave a little gap between the edge of the riser and the regular saddle pad because that material would hold the saddle up a little, or if it all squishes down nicely. I’m not sure if that’s making any sense.

[Indy]

On mine, there is a gap between the riser and the regular EcoGold pad that lifts the saddle, but that also may be how i have the riser positioned on the velcro. You can adjust how high the riser pad sits, depending on your needs, since it attached with the velcro and it’s firm enough that it holds it’s shape without smushing down with your weight on it. Not sure if that’s what you’re asking.