Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/365704
24 FA L L 2 014 U N TAC K E D EDITOR'S PICKS A half pad that can transition from schooling or cross-country colors to show ring appropri- ate? It's one of those concepts so simple that you think, "Why did it take so long for someone to come up with this?" Alas, until Ecogold came out with its Flip Half Pad early this year, such a concept was missing from the horse world. But with this new invention, you can display your wild side when you want, and then you can just flip the pad to the other side if you're entering a class or taking a lesson with a trainer who doesn't appreciate bold colors. is half pad is filled with high resilience foam, designed to reduce pressure points under your saddle. After my first ride in my horse's jump saddle—which was leaving a few dry spots on her thanks to a little summer grass-induced weight gain—I noticed the distinct lack of those dry spots. is pad doesn't feel as dense as Eco- gold's Memory Foam Triple Protection Half Pad (another favorite of mine), but it's clearly doing its job. My dressage saddle was more recently flocked for my mare, but the Flip Half Pad doesn't disrupt the fit. Instead, it helps bring out that fancy, springy trot we all want. Clearly her back was happy in it. e open center channel ensures there's still airflow occurring, and the material is hypoal- lergenic for those sensitive types. e pad dries quickly even in humid weather, and it comes out of the washer looking like new. I tried the blue and white version, and though I worried that facing the white side down when I wanted to display the blue might end up making the white part dingy, that didn't happen. I also worried the blue might show when the pad was flipped to the white side, but that wasn't the case. is pad really does take you from fun and colorful to professional in a quick flip. And though my horse doesn't care how it looks, I def- initely appreciate getting two pads for the price of one, since I've been known to purchase addi- tional accessories based on the cool colors they come in alone. Ecogold's Flip Half Pad has slots on either side to add shims or inserts (not included), and you can wash the pad with its current inserts inside of it—no need to wrestle with foam every time you want to throw the pad in the machine. It has no-slip material on both sides, a feature I always look for now that I've had to jump off and realign my saddle and pads far too many times. e pads are sold on the Ecogold.ca web- site. ey're currently available in sapphire blue, emerald green, ruby red, silver and gold, with a choice of black or white for the opposite side. e pad retails for $249. —Lisa Slade, Editorial Staff Ecogold Flip Half Pad