Interested in getting opinions on these gel half pads. Especially the halfpad with the rear riser. How do these pads compare to Thinline? I like how the Kavallerie pad is all one piece, instead of adding shims that could cause ridges or pressure points.
A couple of people at my barn have them and really like them a lot better than the Thinline.
I have the Shires version, no half pad. I like it better than my Thin Line, a bit. I think it’s a tad thicker and will change saddle fit correspondingly up front. I put it directly on my mare and then a quilted pad, then the saddle. The instructions say not to put it directly on the horse. YMMV. I used it because I wanted a bit of narrowing up front, some stickiness for the horse and some shock absorption.
I’m never sure how riser pads will work-- be just the right thickness in just the right place–for a particular horse without just trying it.
I have the Shires version, no half pad. I like it better than my Thin Line, a bit. I think it’s a tad thicker and will change saddle fit correspondingly up front. I put it directly on my mare and then a quilted pad, then the saddle. The instructions say not to put it directly on the horse. YMMV. I used it because I wanted a bit of narrowing up front, some stickiness for the horse and some shock absorption.
I’m never sure how riser pads will work-- be just the right thickness in just the right place–for a particular horse without just trying it. One thing I would ask with that kind of pad made from this material was whether or not the pad was broad enough to leave a border around the edge of my saddle. If your saddle will fall off the pad, I think the riser aspect to it will make it lose stability.
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Link?
As a saddle fitter, I personally do not like those type of pads at all. It does affect the fit of the saddle. As both a saddle fitter and an engineer, I do not like anything that has holes like it. The entire point of a saddle is to distribute the riders weight over the most surface area of the horse’s back. they basically act as stress concentrates and takes away from the bearing surface.
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I have one of their regular half pads (no riser) and it is THICK. Far too thick for any of our dressage saddles which are custom fitted to each horse. It just stays in the trunk. My thinline gets used daily. 
