Shock absorption plus squish?

[tollertwins]

UPDATE….so far he’s voting for the VIP squidgy gel pad….and m back is OK w it. I bought an equifit impacteq pad to try…it just came today, but it doesn’t feel like there is any squish at all…

So the pony just made it clear that he prefers some squish under the saddle…and my back prefers some shock absorbers.

As far as I can tell, all there is is Thinline/sheepskin (iffy from what I understand) and Toklat’s T3 pads w poron xrd plus memory foam.

Haven’t had to look for a long time…is there anything else on the market to consider?

Also, he IS a pony…anything longer than about 22.5” is a dress.

[soloudinhere]

Winderen, or the d3o pads- I think invictus and Kentucky both make one.

[pony_baloney]

How about just the Thinline without the fleece? It was small enough for my 13.1 pony.

[tollertwins]

Tried it…Pony was not so much in favor. He wants squish.

[yaya]

These are good for both.

Acavallo Wither Free Hexagonal Gel Micropile Pad

[DustBunny02]

Why is the thinline/sheepskin iffy?

My own horse has been pretty happy lately with just a simple mattes sheepskin half pad. And honestly it’s probably the comfiest set up for my back that I ride any horse in. Besides the fact memory foam and gel pads hold in heat, I read a study recently about how horses prefer sheepskin half pads. They found more back pain in horses using gel or foam pads compared to the ones using sheepskin. But it did specify it was true sheepskin, with spine relief.

[anon55755751]

Prolite?

[tollertwins]

Do you find the sheepskin sits you way off the horse if the saddle is fit for it? One advantage w that is it won’t turn into a board in the winter…

[tollertwins]

Same issue as the Thinline. Not enough squish.

[tollertwins]

PS…Thinline sheepskin is a) a funky length, and b) it had a pile of complaints about falling apart…

[DustBunny02]

Ah gotcha about the thinline. I didn’t like the way the fleece felt so that’s why I didn’t get one myself, glad I didn’t!

The mattes did initially make me feel a little perched on top, but I really don’t notice it anymore. Unfortunately probably have to sacrifice some of the close feel for the squish. I wonder if you can borrow one to try?

[tollertwins]

Sadly, no. Will have to have the saddle fit to it. Today I rode the pony in a pad and a 1/2” high density piece of memory foam a saddle fitter gave me, and he was sooooooo soft and round!

[eightpondfarm]

i’m having a good experience with this one:
https://www.lemieuxproducts.com/saddle-pad/corrective-pads/wither-relief-memory-half-pads/wither-relief-memory-foam-half-pad-grey?cPath=3289_3302&

[fizzyfuzzybuzzy]

I used a ride with a GP (gold medal and everything) trainer who used a gel pad (I think the Acavallo type) against the back, then the saddle pad, then a shock absorber pad, then the saddle. When I first saw it I thought it was overkill, but since all those pads are pretty slim, it ends up being about the same as one of the thicker memory foam pads.

The other option I could think of it getting a thinline (or other shock absorber) seat saver and give your pony the squish he is kindly requesting.

[tollertwins]

Tried the seat saver…didn’t work w the saddle. I have a couple on order to try. One is gel, one is shock absorbing foam in spacer mesh….it actually sounds the most promising,it is supposed to conform to the horses back and bed the saddle some.

[pryme_thyme]

I’m a huge fan of a coopers ridge half pad. Similar to thinline but better imho.

[Paisley_Pony]

I recently acquired one of these second hand: https://shop.wilkers.com/hunter-jumper-half-pad/. (They have other types, too.) My pony mare has never moved as freely and happily as she does now. We’ve used Thinline until now, but it didn’t make the difference that this pad has. My DD and I both used this pad, with two different saddles (a dressage and an AP), and the result was the same.

[Spud_amp_Saf]

I 10/10 recommend the Invictus half pads. They are thin enough to not really affect saddle fit and are super shock absorbers. I can definitely see the difference with my own back pain and my horse’s comfort when I use this pad. Thinline was not it for her, and everything else is too thick for my tastes.

[CanteringCarrot]

@Spud_amp_Saf

I 10/10 recommend the Invictus half pads. They are thin enough to not really affect saddle fit and are super shock absorbers. I can definitely see the difference with my own back pain and my horse’s comfort when I use this pad. Thinline was not it for her, and everything else is too thick for my tastes.

Interesting. I currently use a Thinline (just a trifecta with no shims or sheepskin) and bought an Invictus a few weeks ago but haven’t tried it yet. I need to bring it to the barn and give it a go. I got a good deal on it and I’m mostly interested in these pads due to my SI arthritis and other spine issues. Generally while riding, these things don’t bother me, but afterward they do sometimes. Horse doesn’t really express a strong preference either way.

[Hawk_of_May]

I don’t know whether it would have enough squish factor or not but I’m a fan of the VIP Equestrian Pad. I’ve also heard lots of good things about Thinline (which seems to be an opinion shared by a number of people in this thread).