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 Expert
Posts: 1482
  
Location: on my horse | Anyways I got a new saddle pad a couple weeks back and today I was thinking about my old impact gel and decided I wanted to see the gel myself and how the wool and gel held up with use so I cut it open and took the panels out.
I have pictures of the gel panels and everything taken apart so if anybody else is curious I'll get to resizing pictures and post them in this thread. 
Ok, I'm going to start posting pics now! I was a lemming and followed the pack and bought myself an impact gel pad about two years ago. It sustained a decent amount of riding, but not anything over the top. This thing compressed and wore out so quick it wasn't even funny.
When I bought it I was told that the gel panels in the pad were solid and didn't have holes, I thought ok well we an work with that. I also remember asking how they were held in place within the pad itself and was told they were sewn in. The gel panels are actually glued in with really nasty bad glue that breaks down, seeps into the surrounding wool, and allows the gel panels to slip down within their pocket areas.
The pad also wore unevenly on both sides and got really hard, I've used my thumb nail to show how the thickness has decreased both above and below the gel panels.
Uploading pictures now, it will take me a few to get them all uploaded and resized, when I've got them all on here I'll comment and let you know!
DON'T HATE ME FOR THE DIRT, I RODE IT DURRING SHEDDING SEASON AND DIDN'T BOTHER TO CLEAN IT, JUST REPLACED IT 
Edited by redmansmyman11 2014-06-10 2:33 PM
 (gel panel slippage .JPG)
 (gel panel compression.JPG)
 (gel glue wrinkled plastic .JPG)
 (glue holding in panels.JPG)
 (LEFT PANEL.JPG)
 (layer above gel panel .JPG)
 (panel above gel .JPG)
 (upper panel and waffling f.JPG)
 (under the gel.JPG)
 (compression of bottom panel 2.JPG)
 (compression of bottom panel.JPG)
 (thinness of panel between horse and gel.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
 gel panel slippage .JPG (57KB - 263 downloads)
gel panel compression.JPG (77KB - 208 downloads)
gel glue wrinkled plastic .JPG (94KB - 207 downloads)
glue holding in panels.JPG (61KB - 207 downloads)
LEFT PANEL.JPG (34KB - 203 downloads)
layer above gel panel .JPG (88KB - 202 downloads)
panel above gel .JPG (69KB - 202 downloads)
upper panel and waffling f.JPG (43KB - 202 downloads)
under the gel.JPG (42KB - 208 downloads)
compression of bottom panel 2.JPG (40KB - 191 downloads)
compression of bottom panel.JPG (44KB - 203 downloads)
thinness of panel between horse and gel.JPG (41KB - 213 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | I wanna see! I use them so I would like to know what's on the inside. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I wanna see also. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 473
| This should be interesting since I don't like gel pads! |
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 Cotton Balls are the Devil
Posts: 1271
Location: My own little world! | O me,me!!! I want to see!!! |
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  Expert
Posts: 1584
Location: Central Texas | Yes. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 667
| yes!! PICS!! |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | Post the pictures woman! |
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I keep my change in my pockets
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Location: MN |  |
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| Where are the pics?!?! |
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 Ima Fickle Fan
Posts: 3547
Location: Texas | I'm going to go ahead and call it how I see it........
Someone is a big TEASE!!!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 738
Location: Anywhere my horses are ! Lost in Texas!!!!! | pics please |
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I Need a Xanax!
Posts: 2774
| Pics please! |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | i think you guys been had......... kind of like the rodent thread...........lol
m
Edited by mruggles 2014-06-10 10:07 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1343
Location: East Texas | What if, when she cut it open, it gave off some kind of chemical reaction that caused her to faint, hit her head and she is lying unconscious! Somebody go check on her! I need to stop watching those CSI shows!!!
We want pictures... we want pictures!!! LOL!!!
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6437
Location: Montana | I wanna see! I wanna see!  |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 683
Location: Ohio |  |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | This is the FOURTH time I've checked back on this thread. Still no pics... |
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Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | BamaCanChaser - 2014-06-11 9:34 AM This is the FOURTH time I've checked back on this thread. Still no pics...
four is nothing...i bet i have checked that gosh darn rodent thread 50 times............
m |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal |  |
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 Thread Killer
Posts: 7543
| PAD BLOCKED!!!!
Edited by Just Plain Lucky 2014-06-10 11:04 AM
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Location: California |  |
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Location: louisiana | |
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 Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Is this gonna be like the "What kind of rodent" thread??? If so, abrooks and I are going to be busy on our roadtrip! |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I fb'd her. lol
I also would like to see them! :)
(She did have a rough day yesterday though, so cut her a little slack guys) |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | no road trip needed and yes I actually have pics!! give me a couple minutes to upload them, the toxic fumes didn't get me, work did!
some of us have real jobs to attend to  |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | barrelracr131 - 2014-06-10 12:59 PM
I fb'd her. lol
I also would like to see them! :)
(She did have a rough day yesterday though, so cut her a little slack guys)
thanks Alison  |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | all the pictures are there now, enjoy picking apart impact gel pads, I'll never buy another one! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | Where are the pictures? |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | in the original post, unless for some reason I'm the only one who can see them? |
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Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | My bad... should have looked at the original post! Thanks |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | lol you're welcome, I'm very technically challenged so I was worried there for a minute! |
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| Maybe u got a lemon? I have one of the original ones from when they first came out... from like 10 years ago!! it has held up great and is still my favorite pad... it is pretty heavy though and it is obvious where the Gel is in mine... you can easily feel it... |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I don't think I got a lemon, it was obvious where the gel was in mine too it just didn't hold up as well as expected or advertised and I was pretty shocked when I cut it open how poorly the gel had held up and how it was attached to the pad itself. Also how thin the pad had compressed down to.
I don't regret buying it really and if I could score a super good deal on one or had a horse with a particular problem that I felt an impact gel could remedy I would do it again and just keep in mind how quickly it wore out.
Edited by redmansmyman11 2014-06-10 3:59 PM
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I'm pretty sure you and I got the same crappy pad. Nice word for it, yep, we're LEMMINGS!!! I didn't cut mine open, but it just...sits there....compacted, matty feeling, and junky looking. I'm so in love with the hundreds of dollars I spent on it and used it for like, no time? I hate it!
However, I did go out on a limb without the other lemmings and bought a Cactus foam bottom pad. That sucker is soft, soft, and I've had zero problems with it. I like that it sheds the sweat rather than me riding around with 1" of sweat under my saddle. No soreness, no rubbing, I like it! Mo betta than a Gel pad that weighs 20 lbs. |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Kgirl - 2014-06-10 3:31 PM
Maybe u got a lemon? I have one of the original ones from when they first came out... from like 10 years ago!! it has held up great and is still my favorite pad... it is pretty heavy though and it is obvious where the Gel is in mine... you can easily feel it...
Mine is the same way. It's old old but still in great shape. I love it. You can see the gel cells in mine also. |
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1841
| redmansmyman11 - 2014-06-10 1:58 AM I don't think I got a lemon, it was obvious where the gel was in mine too it just didn't hold up as well as expected or advertised and I was pretty shocked when I cut it open how poorly the gel had held up and how it was attached to the pad itself. Also how thin the pad had compressed down to. I don't regret buying it really and if I could score a super good deal on one or had a horse with a particular problem that I felt an impact gel could remedy I would do it again and just keep in mind how quickly it wore out.
how fast did it wear out? was yours felt (black) or wool (brown)? |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I used it in rotation with two other pads for two years and it started looking really junky so I replaced it with an all wool thicker pad I scored on super sale for like $40 bucks. It's the brown wool. |
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6437
Location: Montana | Cool...but I like dissecting things. I don't know very much about gel things like that, so I have no idea what else to say. I've not ever had one...just got my first 5 Star and love it so far...no slipping where my old pad always left...err...ruffles on my horse's back (don't know what else you call them, ridges where the hair was ruffled up). I was lucky, like you, and got my 5 Star inexpensive used but in near new condition.  |
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | I also love dissecting things can you tell haha, glad you scored a 5 star! |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I guess that's not a whole lot different than what I expected a gel impact to look like? Other than maybe I expect one large gel cell like the English pads I'm familiar with rather than the the individual cells. I would think a large cell or just a couple cells would disperse pressure better as the gel has some where to go.
I'm a 5 star lover. I've converted the barn owner to be a 5 star lover (took some fancy surprise embroidery - jk but thanks RockyRoad!). I've always felt the fewer layers between me and my horse, whether that be multiple pads or layers within a pad the better. |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | Funny story, I love Impact Gel pads, just as soon as I rip them open and remove the gel inserts. lol |
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 "Tamer of the Fiery Dragon"
Posts: 5418
Location: Depends where the next barrel race is..... | I tore mine apart years ago. Last one I have ever owned. I left the guts out in the sun for a short while and gathered them up to throw them away..... I almost burned myself the inserts were so hot! They absorb heat bad! I tried their hoof pads years ago and that was a disaster. They burst the first time I used them. Maybe it was a good thing because of all the heat they absorb. |
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Location: Indiana | I had one once....it actually started to make my horse sore backed after 6-8 months of use...I gave it away....thanks for sharing :-) |
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boon
Posts: 1
Location: NM | Thanks for sharing very interesting!
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 Star Padded Honey
Posts: 8890
Location: NW MT | that type of gel in it is interesting .... I used to sell them -sold quite a few - and the gel used then was pink in color & a solid sheet, not like this one. Makes me wonder if they've changed all of them or just certain styles. Guess I will keep on trucking with my 5 Stars!  |
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Boot Detective
Posts: 1898
| Thanks for posting those pics. I have wanted so bad to cut one open and see what a rip off they are as pads and so overpriced IMO. 6 months ago I got to feel and compare the Impact Gel pad and compare to another company's gel pad that I ended up buying. There was no comparison. I could make a fist under the Impact Gel pad and use my other hand to roll my knuckles over it and it was easy to feel my knuckles pressing through. I have owned a couple IG pads and had horse problems after using them. Then I had a guy ride one of my young mares for me for a couple months. This is a big 16hh, thick, stout, mare. The longer he rode her, the worse she got. I went over and watched him saddle her up and she started to spasm in her front end when he cinched her up. His saddle was too narrow for one thing but they also ride in IG pads. Uggh. I brought this mare home and turned out about 6 weeks but massaged her back and withers every day to get the soreness out. The day I brought her home she rode pretty much out of control. I rode her a couple nights ago for the first time but with a saddle that fits and a good pad and after a few minutes, she rode great.....literally like a totally different horse. I like the concept of the gel packs being in there but there still needs to be enough thick layers of wool and/or felt to go with it. |
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Location: in the ozone | I used to have one too & it compressed, plus my horse kept getting sore. Went to the 5 Stars (thanks Rockyroad!! ) and have not had any issues since. |
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