Monday, December 9, 2013

Product review: Ogilvy Memory Foam Half Pad

Before I launch in to my review, a quick update.  It's been wet here.  As in really wet.  All we've really been able to do is walk with a bit of trot thrown in.  All I have to say is Charlie can now totally rock the walk pirouette in either direction.  He's so smart!

Product review - Ogilvy Half Pad

I had originally wanted to get an Ecogold triple protection half pad for my jump saddle (I had a dressage one but traded it for lessons) but had such a horrible customer service experience with them at Rolex, I went on a mission to find an Ogilvy pad while we were still at Rolex.  I had never touched one but had read about them and thought they might be a suitable alternative.  Boy am I glad I ended up walking out of the Ecogold booth and ended up in a private tack shop booth that had Ogilvy pads.

Quick breakdown…

Pros
- Much softer and easier to manipulate than many foam half pads
- Removable outer cover for easy washing
- Totally customizable - pick your own pad, piping, and binding color at no extra charge
- Improves my saddle fit so I no longer need to use a breastplate if I chose not to
- Charlie has zero back soreness per the acupuncturist and the masseuse
- So far, it's worn like iron

Cons
- It's kinda pricey ($199) but totally worth it in my opinion
- Totally customizable - now I want another one in a different color scheme!
- You must remember to tighten your girth after you've gotten on and it's compressed with your weight!

First impression, it seemed quite bulky and I thought it would make my saddle too narrow (it's already a narrow).  But it truly does it's job and compresses where it needs to and fills in the little pockets behind Charlie's shoulder just below his wither - think stereotypical TB wither-shoulder scenario.  It's kinda floppy so it's very easy to position exactly where you want it, unlike the Ecogold pad which I found quite stiff and basically in a set position.  Also unlike the Ecogold pad, the foam inserts are removable making the outer cover very easy to toss in the washer.  I've been very impressed with how it's worn - it shows zero signs of wear and has been used for every single ride since I got it.  Nothing and I mean nothing, shows any signs of wear - no fraying, no pulls, no color fading, no nothing.  The cover itself is some sort of micro suede with a cotton twill of some sort for the piping and the binding.

Most importantly, Charlie approves.  I've never had back problems with him (knock on wood!) but I certainly don't want to start.  I do feel like the pad improves the fit of my saddle which just proves that no saddle is truly custom (this saddle was bought and theoretically made for him).

 
This is a close up of how it fits under the saddle - my saddle is 17.5" seat with a forward flap and the regular size fits it just fine.  I actually like that it has some excess that way I don't worry about the panels sitting on the edge of the pad.  I would think that scenario would be very uncomfy for the pony.

 
I tried to take pictures of the dirtiest part of the pad - this is the front lower corner of the pad.  I just washed it for the first time last week.  Oops!

 
This is the back of the pad - it sits just behind the cantle.  You can see some grunge on the piping.

This just shows where the foam inserts slide in.  Super easy removal and reinsertion.

This is the clean pad sitting on top of a poly pad - our usual set-up.  The pad washed up great - all grunge is gone.  I put it in the washer with warm water and let it hang dry.  

Final verdict

Both Charlie and I are very happy with this purchase and I would highly recommend adding one to your collection if you get the opportunity.


17 comments:

  1. I definitely need one of these... Maybe coming into the new year :) I am also intrigued by their profile pads.

    Also looked on the ogilvy website and it said that the gummy pad does not have an opening :(

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  2. This is similar to the pad I rode Diesel at during my last endurance ride. I had never heard of such a thing and it was like MAGIC. This sounds like a good thing to have in the barn, especially with sale horses coming and going. Thanks for the review!

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  3. Oooo, want! I'm a sucker for back pain relief + custom colors ;)

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  4. I have both the Ogilvy and the Ecogold half pads, I love them BOTH equally. They each have their purpose, Ogilvys are much thicker and I don't typically use them with a PolyPad or bigger pads. I use my Ecogold under certain saddles with my Ecogold saddle pad. I am sort of shocked to hear about your customer service experience at Rolex, I have had nothing but amazing experiences with Ecogold. Have you tried contacting them? They are usually very good at making things right. I think it's hard to give a review against the Ecogold pad only and not other half pads when you haven't actually used one....but that's just my honest opinion.

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  5. If only I could find these to touch and explore in person!! I ended up with a Ride Light pad instead but one of these babies isn't off the table either :)

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  6. What a fantastic review of something I have been looking for more information on! I hadn't heard of them til recently, but it sounds like from this review they are definitely worth the money. I really appreciate you taking the time to share this!

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  7. Okay, so my saddle fitter just suggested one of these for Prairie... and I'm thinking it's time to bite the bullet and order one! Do you have the regular 1.25" pads or 1" pads? Annnnnd do you love the color combo or now that's you've been riding it would you pick a different main color? I'm a bit torn if I should get a fun/barn color pad or stick with something boring (white) that I could show in... Thoughts?? I'm so glad you love it!

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  8. I want one so bad! I would also like one for a pillow!

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  9. Hey, just wanted to drop by and say hi and see how you guys are doing. I miss seeing you around! Hope you are having a good winter and heading for a good event season!

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