In recent months a few of my saddle fit clients have been raving about their Winderen Half Pads and just how much of a difference it had made to their horse.
I’m a MASSIVE sceptic of any product that claims to do amazing things…. So, I did some research, checked out all the testing Winderen had done on their products and being suspicious of results of in-house testing, ordered some pads to try out on my own horses. What better way to test them out!
Now, I don’t have any scientific way of testing the pads, but I do have a few horses and saddles to try them out under. All my horses saddles are checked very regularly for fit and tiny adjustments made numerous times throughout the year (perks of being a saddle fitter!) so they have no comfort or performance issues relating to saddle fit.
But first a little about the Winderen Half Pads - The Winderen Half Pad has five technologically advanced layers to provide you with maximum comfort, stability and enhance your riding experience by connecting horse and rider in complete harmony.
Laboratory testing shows a significant ability for the pad to dissipate and absorb energy, reducing the impact on your horses back and for you and demonstrating that their efficiency in terms of distribution and energy absorption is much greater than that of traditional solutions such as sheepskin pads or gel pads (as shown in the above image).
The first horse I tried the pad on is my dressage pony Holly. Holly is a no fuss, hardworking pony who seems to like simple things in life and treats, she loves treats.
She’s also a big moving powerful pony with a very close-fitting saddle on a very wide back which I usually use a thin shock absorbing pad under. She finds pretty much everything I ask of her easy and really has no issues at all under saddle.
In all honesty, I didn’t really notice any change in Holly using the pad under her dressage saddle except the saddle feeling a little unstable, rolling slightly compared to normal. However, the canter felt like I was sitting on an amazing little cloud every stride so great for my back!
I tried the pad again under her jump saddle and really liked the feel of it. The saddle felt very stable and comfortable on the flat and jumping / galloping and if it’s even possible, some of the impact on landing over jumps and the pressure on my knees and back felt different, much softer and smoother. I've since mentioned this to a showjumping client of mine (who jumps MUCH bigger fences than I do...!) and they agreed, jumping without a Winderen Pad on felt like they were landing on concrete compared to how soft and supportive the pad makes landing over the jumps.
The second horse I tried the Winderen Half Pad on was Harry. For his entire ridden career (I bred and have ridden him since day 1 so know him very well…) has been slow to warm up, needing quite a bit of time doing walk trot transitions to get him in front of the leg and wanting to move and get revved up (he’s VERY laid back…!). He also finds lateral work difficult which I always put down to being EXTREMELY short backed and despite having very fancy feet with great suspension in trot and a huge canter, he can use his back against me in collected work, finding it easier to drop his back rather than engage it.
I climbed on board and from the first step of walk Harry felt like he wanted to go forward and marched off to the arena. Thinking it was just a good day, great spring grass coming through, we set about our usual warm up and WOW!!!!!!!! The first step of trot and the last were like none I’d ever felt from him before.
Harry was instantly pushing more from behind, was in front of the leg and went straight into a huge trot. Leg yield, shoulder in and half pass, all felt much easier than normal.
After 3 weeks in the Winderen Half Pad his canter half passes are better than ever. He’s finding simple changes easier (he always struggled with the canter to walk transition) and has even given me clean flying changes every 6 strides across the diagonal.
The canter feels amazing, and he can collect much better than previously. The trot has suspension and power, he walks with more purpose and most importantly, he is really starting to use his back properly and build strength. He is much less sensitive in the lumbar area when brushing and washing him before and after work.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence that after all these years the training is falling into place for Harry…. Or maybe it isn’t…?
I have nothing to prove the Winderen Half Pad has been the catalyst for the recent changes except his continued improvement in work, strength and comfort through his back.
For me, so far I’ve loved the feel under my seat on both horses. The canter and jumping, in particular, is where I can feel the support and shock absorbing qualities of the pad (15 years of operational police work and many equine assisted dismounts have left my back and hips a little worse for wear).
So, my opinion on the Winderen Half Pad…
I LOVE it!!! So much so that I am now stocking the entire range.
I truly believe the Winderen Half Pad has been a game changer for Harry in particular, under both his dressage and jump saddle.
I’ve had a few clients try the pad on horses with diagnosed back problems (in conjunction with saddle fitting) and the results have been impressive with every rider saying the horse instantly felt better and more comfortable.
BUT…. How will you know if the Winderen Half Pad will work for you and your horse? Every horse and rider are different and the results, as with my horses, will differ.
To give you piece of mind and ensure you are investing your money in a product that will give you the result you are looking for, that will enhance your horses performance and improve their comfort, I am offering a Try Before You Buy option on the Winderen Half Pads.
Shop with confidence knowing you have invested wisely into yours and your horses comfort.
To check out the T’s & C’s visit the shop and try the Winderen Half Pad TODAY to feel the difference for yourself.