Equitex pad gone flat?

[equidstar11]

Hi all,
I’ve had my equitex since 2022 and it’s hardly been used (horse was off for injury and then so was I), but I’ve been using it consistently lately, as I love the fact the pad doesn’t slip and doesn’t need anything to attach it to the saddle.
I’ve hand washed it very delicately a few times, to avoid the creasing I’ve seen others get in the washing machine, and to be fair it always comes out looking like new!

When I bought the pad it felt very comfy/supportive to the horse and there was resistance when I would squeeze it between my hands/fingers, however recently it’s almost gone flat, and just has 0 resistance when I press on it, as if it isn’t having any shock absorbing or impact soaking benefits anymore.

I am absolutely devastated as I loved not using a half pad as I hate the slipping and bulk, but I don’t feel this adds enough back protection anymore to my foam-panelled jump saddle. Not to mention the fact that it was £230+ for one pad! I was hoping for longer out of it than this.

Have other people found the same? That the pad has gone flat / cushioning has lost its effect?

(On another interesting note, I’ve tried adding some silicone to my normal cotton pads for some anti slip, like the equitex; I shall see later when I get to the yard if my experiment has worked!)

TIA!

 

[sbloom]

I would just go straight back to them, you're obviously outside of normal warranty but they at least need to know, and may perhaps give you a voucher. I'm no great fan of them but so far not come across one that's done that.

 

[Lady Jane]

My friend and I have them (and many other friends). My less used one is 'squishier' but the older one I have used alot and wash constantly not that delicately and is fine, definitely not flat. No idea what to suggest but I would call them and see what Amanda says. My original one I got 2021, I used daily for about 9months, then bought a second one (ex-demo quite used already) in their clearance event, used both for a while then decided to keep my first one for best. The trim on the edge does wear but you can have that removed

 

[maya2008]

Never had that happen, and we do use them a lot. My oldest pad lasted 20 years then wasn’t quite as springy anymore (but definitely not ‘flat’) so I replaced it. The others are 10 years old or newer and doing fine. All have been machine washed, too.

Definitely contact the company!

 

[ycbm]

Did you buy direct? I'm wondering if you got scammed with a fake.
.

 

[equidstar11]

Did you buy direct? I'm wondering if you got scammed with a fake.
.

It was direct with Equitex

 

[Caol Ila]

I would just go straight back to them, you're obviously outside of normal warranty but they at least need to know, and may perhaps give you a voucher. I'm no great fan of them but so far not come across one that's done that.

Out of curiosity, why aren’t you a fan?

Out of more curiosity, what saddle pads do you recommend?

 

[Amanda @ Equitex UK]

Hi equidstar11

I hope you don't mine me commenting on your post. I came across this thread today. I'm Amanda from Equitex UK. We haven't experience anything like this before even on pads that are very well worn and old. Please do contact us with some photos or even a video when you get a moment as we would welcome the opportunity to offer you some support. Equitex Pads are designed to last! Best wishes

 

[sbloom]

I know the basic testing carried out by David Marlin put it top, but in reality I don't find it as universally great as the testing might say it is, real life usage is very different to these types of tests, though I respect that it's much harder to test pads under saddles. Even if we get testing of pads under saddles in real life conditions there are myriad ways to fit a saddle, myriad designs, lots of different panel fillings (especially when you consider how much flocking can vary) and the most important thing is to develop our understanding of the horse-saddle-rider, and discipline, relationships and what materials with what performance would be optimum for that situation. We have a long way to go on that.

I would, with a partner with a background in the foam extrusion industry, much rather know exactly what the foam is, as I know what IS in the pads I recommend. Prolite the same, it's rebranded as Prolite, but will be a standard industry foam the physical properties of which we could look up if only we knew what it was.

The Equitex often does change the fit of a saddle, and they are incredibly pricey, even the top of the range sheepskin shim pads I recommend are cheaper. If a customer already has one and the horse likes it, usually no problem, though one customer sold hers as it did lift the front of the saddle and we were struggling with getting the saddle level so it wasn't helping, and the horse was just as happy if not more so without it.

I like Mattes for most traditional style saddles (ie I use them for AH brand) and I did like the Invictus for many horses with an ErgoX2, it's a hi tech material where the bonds between the molecules actually firm up when impacted with a lot of energy, and soften when there is less energy, related to non-Newtonian fluids and their performance. It's also thin, thin enough to hardly ever change the fit of a saddle. The Invictus is no longer being made, though it might be resurrected one day, hopefully, so the Winderen would be the closest, though that has Poron XRD in it, a slightly different material, working in a different way, but with a similar performance. I want to get some d3o sheets in stock myself to be able to offer tweaked shim pad options but it's always cash flow! One day....

 

[Caol Ila]

I'm currently using a Grandeur pad, as it seems to be the best one out of everything I've tried. Not one of the sheepskin ones. It would take shims but I don't have shims in it, but the 'pockets' themselves are padded.

I have also tried a Nuumed sheepskin one, but that didn't stay in enough of a shape for my horse (luckily my other, less fussy horse likes it), and a WoofWear one, but that got weird lumps after a few uses that started rubbing.

Thinking about a Mattes, but boy are they pricey, and the wait is long. They do baroque/Iberian ones, though.

 

[sbloom]

Nuumed is wool fleece, sewn into a knitted backing, proudly vegetarian. Not a bad product but not the same as sheepskin, general guidance with them is to watch out for horse hair accumulation inside the pad at the back. It's not the wool gone hard, it's hair that needs removing (by taking the pad partially apart), or the pad needs replacing. I prefer a firmer pad, and sheepskin where appropriate. Don't know Woofwear, and yes, both points are true about Mattes but they are all custom made unless you want a common colour and shape, with no shim pockets (unless you want a large square in black), in which case HQ in Germany carry them in stock and we can get those faster. Don't know Grandeur but looks like they use neoprene, not sure that's entirely the best material for shock absorption etc but I would take the horse's opinion into account!

 

[Caol Ila]

Nuumed is wool fleece, sewn into a knitted backing, proudly vegetarian. Not a bad product but not the same as sheepskin, general guidance with them is to watch out for horse hair accumulation inside the pad at the back. It's not the wool gone hard, it's hair that needs removing (by taking the pad partially apart), or the pad needs replacing. I prefer a firmer pad, and sheepskin where appropriate. Don't know Woofwear, and yes, both points are true about Mattes but they are all custom made unless you want a common colour and shape, with no shim pockets (unless you want a large square in black), in which case HQ in Germany carry them in stock and we can get those faster. Don't know Grandeur but looks like they use neoprene, not sure that's entirely the best material for shock absorption etc but I would take the horse's opinion into account!

The Grandeur is the one Hermosa prefers. And she makes her opinions obvious. She walks laps around the stable when she disapproves. But I think I can do even better, lol, and at any rate, I could do with a second pad. Fran sold the Grandeur pads, but I think she said she's no longer bringing them in from Germany (thanks Brexit) and that was one of the last ones she had.

At some point, I will probably suck it and order a Mattes, but out of curiosity, is there anything cheaper/easier to acquire you'd recommend?

 

[sbloom]

It all depends what you need the pad for, Fran would be better placed to advise what would work for your particular horse-saddle-rider combo, and if Fran AND Hermosa rate it then that's good enough for me. It would be easy to say take the Mattes sheepskin and add a layer of d3o for the ultimate pad but actually it doesn't work like that, I think the sheepskin deadens the response of the d3o as it's best used close to the skin, and with a sensitive horse you may just have to try them.