Every November, riders put a pad in their cart because a friend loves hers, because the color is pretty, or because it is the most expensive one and that has to mean it is the best. Then it arrives, goes under the saddle, and either changes nothing or makes the fit worse. Ogilvy makes four pad types that do four different jobs. A $65 pad and a $240 pad are not good, better, and best versions of the same thing. They solve different problems. Before you shop, figure out which problem your horse has.
This post contains affiliate links. If you shop through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — and you’ll get my reader discount. I only feature gear I’d actually put on my own horses or wear for a full day in the saddle.
The Quick Answer: Which Ogilvy Pad Does What
| Pad | Price | What it does | Buy it if… | Skip it if… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Pad | $65 (jump) / $76 (dressage) | Thin sweat-wicking under-pad | Your saddle fits and you want a clean base layer or a half pad liner | You’re hoping it will fix a fit issue |
| Profile Pad | $85 | Contoured shape for wither clearance and back conformity | The saddle is close but sits low at the wither or bridges slightly | You need real cushion or side-to-side correction |
| Memory Foam Half Pad | from $125 | Even pressure distribution through memory foam pockets | Your saddle fits, but your horse is back-sensitive or you sit heavily in the saddle | The saddle is uneven left to right |
| Shimmable Half Pad | $240 + inserts | Adjustable correction with front, middle, and rear shim pockets | Asymmetry, a saddle that fits 80%, or a back that’s changing shape | The saddle already fits well and you only want comfort |
Ask one question before you pick: does my saddle fit right now? If it does, choose a comfort or base-layer pad, which means a Baby Pad or a Memory Foam Half Pad. If it almost fits, choose a shaping or correcting pad, which means a Profile Pad or a Shimmable Half Pad. If it doesn’t fit at all, no pad will fix it. Spend the money on a saddle fitter first.
Ogilvy Baby Pad ($65–$76): The One Everybody Should Own
The Classic Jump Baby Pad at $65 and the Classic Dressage Baby Pad at $76 are the least glamorous pads in the line and the ones I’d buy first. A Baby Pad is a thin under-pad that sits between the horse and a half pad, or directly under the saddle for everyday schooling. It wicks sweat and takes the dirt. It is also cheap enough that owning three of them, so one is always clean, is reasonable.
What it does well: It protects your half pad. It adds almost no thickness, so it won’t tighten a saddle that already fits. The jump and dressage cuts follow their saddle shapes, so you don’t get pad edges peeking out or bunching under the flap.
What it won’t do: A Baby Pad gives you no clearance, no shimming, and no meaningful cushion. If your horse is sore-backed, it will not help.
Fall note: Horses grow in their coats over the next six weeks, and a fuzzier back holds more sweat and grime. This is the time of year when one baby pad stops being enough. Two or three in rotation keeps your half pad out of the washing machine every week.
Gift note: If you’re buying for someone else’s horse, this is the safe pick. It doesn’t change saddle fit, so you can’t get it wrong. Just confirm jump or dressage cut. The Custom Jump Baby Pad costs the same $65 and lets you choose colors and binding, which makes it feel like a real gift instead of a barn consumable.
Ogilvy Profile Pad ($85): For the Horse Who Needs Clearance, Not Cushion
The Classic Jump Profile Pad and Classic Dressage Profile Pad are both $85. They are the most misunderstood pads Ogilvy sells. People buy them expecting a thinner half pad. That’s not the job. A Profile Pad is contoured to give the withers clearance and follow the shape of the back. It is a shaping tool, not a cushioning tool.
Who it’s for: Buy it for the horse whose saddle is close but sits a touch low at the front. It also helps the high-withered horse who comes out of a ride with dry spots near the wither, and the horse whose saddle is fine in the middle but doesn’t follow the back’s contour at the ends. This time of year, when lighter fall workloads let some horses lose a little topline, a Profile Pad is often what keeps a “fine in August” saddle working through winter.
Who it’s not for: Skip it for the horse that’s uneven side to side. The Profile Pad shapes front to back, but it can’t build up one side more than the other. It’s also wrong for a saddle that’s already snug, since adding any layer under a tight tree pinches harder.
Fit tip: Put the saddle on with the Profile Pad underneath and check wither clearance with your fingers while you’re mounted, not standing on the ground. Then ride and check your sweat pattern. You want even dampness under the panels with no dry patches. Dry spots mean the saddle isn’t touching there, so the pressure is concentrated somewhere else.
Discipline note: Hunter riders can choose the Classic Hunter Profile Pad at $80. It has the same idea with a ring-appropriate shape.
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Ogilvy Memory Foam Half Pad ($125): The Comfort Pick When the Saddle Already Fits
The Classic Jump Memory Foam Half Pad and Classic Dressage Memory Foam Half Pad start at $125. They are the best value in the Ogilvy half pad lineup. Memory foam pockets spread pressure evenly across the back. For a horse that’s sensitive, or who’s carrying a rider that doesn’t sit perfectly still, that matters more than extra thickness.
Who it’s for: It suits horses with well-fitted saddles who are a little cold-backed or back-sensitive. It’s also a good fit for riders who know their seat gets heavy or crooked when they’re tired, which is most of us by the end of a long week. It’s the right pick for anyone who wants one good everyday half pad without paying for premium extras.
Who it’s not for: Skip it if the saddle is uneven. Memory foam molds to what’s there, so it will make an unbalanced saddle feel more comfortable while leaving the saddle exactly as unbalanced. It’s also wrong if you’re already short on room under the tree. It’s thinner than a quilted half pad, but it isn’t nothing.
Real-use observation: The most common mistake I see is riders stacking a Memory Foam Half Pad on top of a thick quilted pad because more padding feels kinder. It isn’t. Two thick layers turn a fitted saddle into a tight one and make it roll. Use a Baby Pad underneath, the Memory Foam Half Pad, and the saddle, and stop there.
If you want to choose your own colors, the Custom Jump Memory Foam Half Pad is the same $125.
Ogilvy Shimmable Half Pad ($240): The Problem-Solver, and the One Not to Impulse-Buy
The Classic Jump Shimmable Half Pad and Classic Dressage Shimmable Half Pad are both $240. This is the pad I recommend most often to my own clients and the one I’d least want someone to buy on a whim. It has shim pockets at the front, middle, and rear on each side. That lets you correct a saddle that sits low on one side, tips forward or back, or no longer matches a back that has changed.
Who it’s for: It’s for the asymmetrical horse with one shoulder bigger than the other, the saddle that fits about 80% and isn’t worth replacing, and the horse whose back changes through the year. A horse coming off a busy summer and heading into lighter fall work is a textbook example.
Who it’s not for: Skip it if your saddle fits well and you only want comfort. In that case you’re paying $115 more than the Memory Foam Half Pad for adjustability you’ll never use.
The add-on you need: Shim pockets do nothing without shims. Budget for Memory Foam Inserts / Gummy Inserts, which start at $75. Put the pad and the inserts in your cart together. If you buy the pad alone, you’ll be waiting on a second shipment before you can use it.
Gift warning: Don’t buy this as a surprise for someone else’s horse unless you know the horse needs shimming. Ideally a fitter has said so. A shimmable pad is only as good as the shim setup, and the wrong shims in the wrong pocket are worse than none. If you want to give one, give the idea and let the rider order with their fitter’s input. I’ve talked through the whole shim-setup process on the podcast if you want to understand it before spending $300-plus on pad and inserts.
How I’d Shop If a Sale Shows Up
I don’t know what Ogilvy will or won’t do this holiday season, and I’m not going to guess. Here’s how I’d prioritize either way:
- Saddle fits, horse is happy: Buy two Baby Pads and a Memory Foam Half Pad. Total is about $255 for the jump versions.
- Saddle is close, wither is the issue: Buy a Profile Pad and a Baby Pad.
- Saddle is uneven or the horse is changing: Buy a Shimmable Half Pad, inserts, and a Baby Pad to protect it.
- Buying a gift: Buy a Custom Baby Pad in the rider’s colors. It’s always the right size and never the wrong fit.
Buy for the problem your horse has, not the one the price tag suggests.
Ready to try the Ogilvy Baby Pad, Profile Pad, Memory Foam, or Shimmable Half Pad? Use my link with code SAMANTHABAER10 for 10% off at Ogilvy Equestrian → https://ogilvyequestrian.com/samanthabaer
