I ride my lease horse in a 6 pocket shim pad that is set up to help balance my saddle on him. Both of us like the shim pad, and I think the balance/ rough fit would be off without it. We are getting ready to do a schooling show and it will be my first time doing hunters in years meaning I need to obtain a shaped pad as I no longer own one. I’m trying to figure out how to work the shaped pad with our need for shims. My shim able half pad is black. I’ve seen some shim able sheepskin pads (nice but not really wanting to deal with sheepskin) and am wondering what other solutions are out there. Maybe the half pad could go under the shaped pad without causing issues and looking weird? Though it isn’t the easiest to clean since I can’t remove all of the foam.
It really depends on budget and how often you will be showing!
If it is a one off show, you might be able to get away with your shimmed pad under a hunter pad. Perhaps (make sure to try this before the show!).
If you have the budget to splurge for a shimmable hunter pad (again, make sure you practice and nail the fit before the show), my preference is for mattes or ecogold. Though hunter pads can be a bit tricky depending on saddle (ideal fit really is a slim 1/2 inch of fluff showing around the saddle), so it may be worth asking barn mates if you can trial some of theirs!
If the saddle fits with two pads on, put the shim pad on top of the shaped pad. If it only fits with one pad, use the shim pad alone.
It is a schooling show. No one is kicking you out of the ring for using a black half pad.
Back in my hunter days I showed with a Thinline half pad on top of the shaped pad at schooling shows. It’s fine. Use what the horse needs.
If you want to get something new, the Thinline Trifecta shimmable half pad comes without sheepskin (they call it the “cotton Trifecta”) and you can get it in white.
