Best Corrective Pad For A Horse That Needs A Little Extra In The Back

[JLC7898]

I am looking for the best corrective pad for a horse that needs a little extra in back. Any suggestions would be great,Thanks!

[MissIndependence]

I would suggest the Mattes sheepskin corrective pad that comes with shim pockets so you can adjust each wither and side of the back....love mine! Pricey - but it lasts and is worth the investment.

[JLC7898]

How about the Mattes Corrective pad with the shim pockets but without the sheepskin? Is it equally as good as the one with sheepskin?

[GotGait]

I also have the Mattes corrective half pad. It comes with 4 pockets and lots of shims. Love it!

[Riley0522]

Another vote for the Mattes Correction Pad! If you're not going to show in it, get BLACK! My white one gets soooo dirty.

[RugBug]

I actually really like my Wintec riser pad. It's just enough lift without being overboard AND it's inexpensive.

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp?pn=X1-19115&ids=563220138

[Pirateer]

I used a simple toklat fitted pad that had a foam riser in the back part of it. Really nice and easy to wash :)

[Ibex]

Another vote for the Mattes with shims! I know thinline also makes a version of it with thinline material for the pockets. It's particularly great if you have a horse that's changing...

[hollyhorse2000]

I personally like the thinline corrective pad with shims.

That said, having a good saddle fitter out to help you balance out your saddle is really a good investment. I do need to shim because my horse is very assymetrical. My fitter works with me to flock my saddle as much as possible to my mare and then how to shim, where and with what material. Just putting the rear up can cause problems with fit and comfort in the front, for example . . .

[mvp]

JMHO, but:

They are alotta $$ for what they are--hard to clean, tough to show in, hard to clean.

Second, their felt shims pack down. You can, perhaps, get someone to cut you pieces of closed cell foam. Tom at Skito might do this with their very good foam. But then you might be happier with a custom pad from those guys. They will make what you want and I think you can get a small one in a washable cover to go under a fitted pad if you like.

Finally,-- and I'm wondering here-- think they have a design flaw that will be exacerbated without the sheepskin. What happens in the middle of the saddle where the two pockets on each panel intersect, and most of your weight goes? There's nothin' there. Doesn't this mean you have paid to create bridging?

While I'm not here to plug Skitos per se, I do like it that their idea of a wedge pad is one continuous piece of thickening foam per side, cut to your specs. I'd dig any other comparable pad that was made the same way.

[PNWjumper]

I'm another who's not a big fan of the Mattes pads. I have one and I like it "enough," but it's usually a last resort when my other pads just don't quite fit the bill.

What do you need in a pad? Do you JUST need a riser in the back or do you also need a little extra padding up front. Two of my horses need riser pads and a touch more something up front. I use a really inexpensive riser pad on one and a combination of a riser pad and an ultra thinline pad on the other.

I've thought about getting a Skito pad (lots of raves from my saddle fitters), but have been happy enough with the cheapo riser pads to not think too much more about it lately.

[JLC7898]

We could get away with a little in the front, but the back is where we really need it. He is developing.

[SOTB]

Mattes correction pad is great because you can adjust how much extra you give in the back and by the withers. I love mine!

[Mendin Fences]

Another vote for the Thinline Correction pad! It's similar to the Mattes pad, but with the added bonus of Thinline shims. I dropped major hints to my hubby and got one for my b-day.
The best part is that you can adjust it to your horse as their muscling develops! Definitely worth the $$.

[mypaintwattie]

I am happy with my Fleeceworks Perfect Balance Pad- it has closed cell foam risers for the front or back, or full memory foam inserts. It is nice because you can add padding when you need it, and take it back out when you don't.