The Peebs Test: Ogilvy vs EquiFit

I've been using my Ogilvy pad for almost a year now, and while I like some things about I really dislike others. My jump saddle didn't fit McKenna all that well and I bought the Ogilvy because McKenna seemed a bit sore with my EquiFit T-form pad and the ThinLine sheepskin pad was way, way too much padding with my saddle.  I sold the ThinLine on ebay but kept the EquiFit as a backup, just in case pad.

When I first got the Ogilvy

 To me the Ogilvy seems too bulky under my saddle and too much padding between me and the horse, but not as much as the ThinLine was. I do think it helps relieve back soreness in both the horses and myself.  McKenna seemed much less sore and happier with it, so I kept using it.  But with Peebs I wanted to test the two pads out again.  I have the same bulky problem with him even though my saddle seems to fit him better, even though it's still not a prefect fit. Ironically even though I have a jumper style Ogilvy, it fits a lot better on both horses with my dressage saddle.

Someday I'll take this pic at Thermal, someday

I've used the EquiFit pad twice with Peebs now, one flat hack day in the indoor and one little jump day outside.  I like the look of the pad much better; it seems neat and tidy to me instead of a big floppy pillow.   While Peebs didn't seem sore, at least to palpation, after the rides or the day after, he didn't seem as happy under saddle.  Both days he was less willing to go forward, would stop or break gait easily and often (part of that might be rider induced), and just seemed a bit more meh than normal. The big thing that told me the EquiFit was no go was when I went to sit deep in the canter to push him forward and every time he fell into the trot.  While that happens a bit with Ogilvy pad, it's not every. single. time.  I'm just as happy to perch forward in a hunter hunch as much as the next floppy ammy, but sometimes you need to sit and drive your pony forward and not have them fall out of gait.  So for now it's the Ogilvy unless someone wants to buy me an EcoGold to try out.

I like how you look EquiFit, but function must follow form