[RC] trying new things DM pad and equipedic.....observations and questions. - Karen Sullivan
Well....somebody has to spend the $ to do
it!!!!
After 10 years of no problems with skito pads,
sportsaddles, flexride stirrups and neoprene cinches, I decided to
try a few new things, a few out of curiosity and a
few out of necessity.
I was curious about the Dixie Midnight pad and what
it claimed it did...and so when ran across a slightly used one
for a good price, already cut to fit a sportsaddle
skito pad, I grabbed it. Have been using it a month I am
guessing.
I had been buying and replacing skito pads every
couple of years and relegating the worn ones to back up pads for
short rides. I ride at least 4-7 times a week
(don't tell my husband!). I would generally pressure hose the pads off
on hot days and they would dry in the sun over a
day. Harder to keep clean in the winter.
Okay, tried the DM. It claims to keep the pad clean
and dry and send the sweat down the side of the horse. Guess
what, that is exactly what it does!!! Even after a
5 hour, hot ride with a lot of ups and downs.....my skito pad was
only
a little damp on the edges, and stayed clean.
The horse;s back looked great, and the saddle/pad combo did not
slip any. I can take this pad after a long
ride, hose it off, hang it and in 5 minutes it is good to go on another
horse.
I could even use the same skito pad on another
horse as the DM keeps it off their back. I really do like this pad
and
will most likely get another one so both horses
that go out can have them. I will not ever put a NEW skito pad on a bare
back again!!!! I also found the I can tuck the heart rate monitor
electrode up by the base of the withers under theDM and it stayed
there.....DM is a great find,and worth the
$
Having problems with a certain company neoprene
cinch....so bought woolback. I am not sure about this; both times it
seemed like my saddle slipped when I got on (never does that), unless I cinched
more tightly, which I do not like to do...
so jury is out on that one.
I also got a very good deal on a used equipedic pad
(thanks Stacy).....another friend has one and just loves it. I have only
used it once....but again, was using it with the woolback cinch and my
saddle slipped both getting on, and going down a very steep hill I ended up on
my horse's shoulders and had to get off and readjust the saddle and regirth (I
absolutely never have to do this!). So, not sure
if it was the equipedic pad or the cinch that caused the slipping. I will
have to try the equipedic on the horse that CAN use the neoprene cinch and see
if it makes a difference.
People just seem to love the equipedic and swear by
them. I have to say I was not blown away the first time I tried it.
Not just because of the slipping....but when I unsaddled, my mares back seemed
awfully hot under the pad (pad claims to keep back cooler than any other
pad). Then, I wanted to clean it to use on another horse, and also had a
skito pad a friend had borrowed that had her horses''s hair in the fleece. I put
both over a stand and used a pressure hose (how I clean the skito fleece). The
horse hair came out of the skito fleece far easier than the equipedic
pad....which has a woven wool felt bottom and seemed to want to hold the
hair. I had to roll my fingers around on the pad to get most of the hair
out, which took awhile. I put both in the sun....the skito pad was almost
dry end of day, equipedic pad still soggy.....they do reccomend on the equipedic
pad you take out foam inserts and wash pad in washing machine; this seems like
an awful lot of work if your are using the pad every day.
I emailed Equipedic with a whole lot of questions
like how do they know the pad keeps the back cooler than any other pad, stuff
like that. I am not sure it is worth the $100 more it costs than a skito
pad.....
I would appreciate others comments on the
Equipedic, how often they wash, how they keep it clean, etc. Does anyone use a
Dixie Midnight pad under the equipedic to keep it clean and dry? That
seems like it would make things awfully thick......
It also seems like if someone was doing a multi day
ride or camp trip, that the equipedic pad would get soggy with sweat and not dry
from day to day.....well, same with skito pad, which is why I have back up
pads....except now with the DM pad I only would need one skito.....
