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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
   
| After listening to this lady. I’m second guessing my choices in saddle pads! I know we’ve used wool as long as time but she makes a lot of good points. Anyone use the thin line saddle pads or toklat matrix?
I tried esp pads before and hated them so I’m not sure why she rated them part of her top three picks.
Heres a link to her youtube channel
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCo6ezdFU7lhf2Y1FvSxzwCQ
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | I use the Thinline with the sheepskin bottom. Love it. Very conforming, light weight, easy to clean. |
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  Expert
Posts: 1584
Location: Central Texas | A few months ago I ordered a Thinline in spite of my thinking that it was way too pricey. Now I'm ordering another one. This past weekend, I actually managed to ride for a little bit and I was bouncing around ridiculously at a trot. It was so bad that my gelding kept looking over his shoulder at me. Good grief! After thinking on it, I decided to switch from the SPH pad to the Thinline. The difference was astounding! If I had not experienced it myself, I would probably not believe it, but what a difference. I had no trouble sitting the trot and the horse and I got on the same page. I had not ridden this particular horse with the Thinline, previously, and now he is getting one. I have not ridden the Toklat, so I'm no help there, but I'm definitely sold on the Thinline. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | I used the thinline felt pad and was not impressed. I bet the fleece bottomed one would have been great though.
Right now I am using the toklat Matrix pad and I really like it. It works well with what my horse needs but Im not saying one or the other is better |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | I had a Thinline and really liked it. I sold the horse I bought it for before the trial period ended so I sent that along with the shims back and got a refund. |
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
| those that used the felt or cotton thinline pads, did you use another pad to layer over it or under it? Did you feel that it was too thin to use alone? I have navajo saddle blankets was wondering if those would work over the top? or no?
I have a bigger skirted saddle so I have to have the western ranch pad with the cordura top/fleece bottom or I could use the felt liner thinline |
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Expert
Posts: 1584
Location: Central Texas | I always use a navajo under felt pads, including my Thinline. The pad stays clean! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | Love my thin line ultra thin. I just use it over a pad liner with a well fitted saddle. If i feel like I need more ill do a pad liner then folded Navajo then the thin line.
Edited by redmansmyman11 2017-10-31 8:26 AM
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
| thanks everyone  |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | I use a Toklat Matrix (extreme pro inserts) with full length Thinline shims...so yes lol. Having a saddle pad that protects my horse's back as completely as possible from pressure, shock, heat, etc. is of paramount importance to me, and I have dropped balls on pads, smashed my hand under them with hard objects, and tested them on my horse in the quest to find the perfect saddle pad. Jen X Equine, Toklat Matrix (extreme pro inserts only, the others I am NOT a fan of), Thinline, and CSI are the only pads I can confidently say I trust. They each have their Pro's and Con's.
Jen X and Matrix share the same inner material (Poron XRD) and designer (Jen from the videos). Both offer high quality synthetic fleece bottoms (as well as wool :) and felt :( for Matrix). Aside from some fabric and cosmetic differences, the main difference is the Poron XRD in the Jen X pads is a few mm thicker than that of the Matrix pads. With pretty much any material, the more of it you have, the more shock it absorbs. So both perform extremely well, but the Jen X wins for being able to absorb a harder impact.
Thinline is a good runner up in the shock absorbancy category. I will say though that I do NOT like Ultra Thinline. Again it comes down to thickness, and that is so dang thin that it cannot absorb nearly as much shock as regular Thinline (and costs more for some reason???) I can't think of any situation where you would want that over regular Thinline. It's a shame pretty much all of their pads only come with the Ultra now.
I didn't have time to wait on a custom Jen X (needed a size and material combo she doesn't offer in stock) so I made the best of both worlds, combining a Matrix extreme pro with full length thinline inserts. I love it. My horse LOVES the soft fleece bottom. He HATES felt. Gets very cinchy and grumpy if I try to put a felt bottomed pad or cinch on him. He stands quietly for saddling now. He also seems free-er through his back with his new pad.
Those videos are absolutely right about felt--whether it's virgin wool felt or whatever, it all sucks. The *ONLY* articles I've seen claiming felt is best is by companies selling the pads. And the independent science just does not back them up. There are worse pad materials--cheap foam/neoprene pads and Professional's Choice Air rides for example. But that doesn't mean it's good. It also soaks up sweat and gets heavy. It's not actually breathable. On a total side note, I've tested a LOT of pads for myself. I was shocked at how poorly the Saddleright performed. When I dropped a ball on it, it bounced like crazy, and when I smashed my hand under it, it HURT! Very little protection! On the other hand, the CSI pad I tried really impressed me. I put my hand underneath it and whacked it with a hammer...I hardly felt a thing! The only turnoff for me was the price. $400 (I would only use the fleece liner) and $200 for any replacement liners.
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
| Are there any reviews that don't involve used pads that she found at a tack swap/yard sale? I would really like to see all the items tested "new" against each other. But I guess that would be cost prohibitive. |
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
| cavyrunsbarrels - 2017-10-30 11:14 PM I use a Toklat Matrix (extreme pro inserts) with full length Thinline shims...so yes lol. Having a saddle pad that protects my horse's back as completely as possible from pressure, shock, heat, etc. is of paramount importance to me, and I have dropped balls on pads, smashed my hand under them with hard objects, and tested them on my horse in the quest to find the perfect saddle pad. Jen X Equine, Toklat Matrix (extreme pro inserts only, the others I am NOT a fan of), Thinline, and CSI are the only pads I can confidently say I trust. They each have their Pro's and Con's.
Jen X and Matrix share the same inner material (Poron XRD) and designer (Jen from the videos). Both offer high quality synthetic fleece bottoms (as well as wool :) and felt :( for Matrix). Aside from some fabric and cosmetic differences, the main difference is the Poron XRD in the Jen X pads is a few mm thicker than that of the Matrix pads. With pretty much any material, the more of it you have, the more shock it absorbs. So both perform extremely well, but the Jen X wins for being able to absorb a harder impact.
Thinline is a good runner up in the shock absorbancy category. I will say though that I do NOT like Ultra Thinline. Again it comes down to thickness, and that is so dang thin that it cannot absorb nearly as much shock as regular Thinline (and costs more for some reason???) I can't think of any situation where you would want that over regular Thinline. It's a shame pretty much all of their pads only come with the Ultra now.
I didn't have time to wait on a custom Jen X (needed a size and material combo she doesn't offer in stock) so I made the best of both worlds, combining a Matrix extreme pro with full length thinline inserts. I love it. My horse LOVES the soft fleece bottom. He HATES felt. Gets very cinchy and grumpy if I try to put a felt bottomed pad or cinch on him. He stands quietly for saddling now. He also seems free-er through his back with his new pad.
Those videos are absolutely right about felt--whether it's virgin wool felt or whatever, it all sucks. The *ONLY* articles I've seen claiming felt is best is by companies selling the pads. And the independent science just does not back them up. There are worse pad materials--cheap foam/neoprene pads and Professional's Choice Air rides for example. But that doesn't mean it's good. It also soaks up sweat and gets heavy. It's not actually breathable. On a total side note, I've tested a LOT of pads for myself. I was shocked at how poorly the Saddleright performed. When I dropped a ball on it, it bounced like crazy, and when I smashed my hand under it, it HURT! Very little protection! On the other hand, the CSI pad I tried really impressed me. I put my hand underneath it and whacked it with a hammer...I hardly felt a thing! The only turnoff for me was the price. $400 (I would only use the fleece liner) and $200 for any replacement liners.
wow great reply!! I didn't know she had her own line of pads. I see they are not contoured? I thought that was one of her main features to point out in saddle pad? thats weird
Thinline pads that are Ulta, you have to order the shims to add to your pad to make it the regulat thinline thickness. yeah that is a total downer. https://www.thinlineglobal.com/shop/english-saddle-pads/thinline-full-booster-shim
I liked the looks of the matrix extreme pro but the price is a bit hard to swallow. the max i've paid for a pad was 200. i did buy a csi years ago and returned it! it felt like i was riding way up off of my horse and i had no feel at all.
I did order a contoured esp just because it was a little cheaper than the other options and she said that is was in her top three picks. but I still need a second pad so i'll have to figure out what one to get between the thinline with the booster inserts or a matrix. some ladies did have a good point that the thinline allows placement of shims at any location in the pocket where the matrix has designated pockets for the shims so you have to use those. |
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