Maybe I missed part of this thread, but just thought I would weigh in on this subject as I have been a Skito dealer for over 10 years designing custom pads for both treed & treeless saddles.
What this UK site calls a "full length " shim is actually what Skito calls a laminated insert. This type of padding is best used for treeless saddles like the Barefoot /Bob Marshall/ Trekker/Hilason or Torsion which DO NOT have panels to create more lift off the horse's spine for heavier riders /create more of a twist feel for the rider in saddles that have little or no twist. Is is not a good idea to use the laminated inserts on any saddle treed or treeless with panels because of the pressure line that would be created both at the spine edge & mid-panel where the top layer of laminated foam ends & create lateral instability. There are a number of both standard & custom shims that can be ordered by all Skito dealers according to need after seeing pix/detailed phone consults. In treed saddles one needs to be very careful how & why shims are used as an ill-fitting tree can not be remedied by adding shims or a "therapeautic" pad. Very often this only temporarily shifts pressure points, but does not help the real issue. In treeless one also needs to be mindful as to why shims are being used & if that particular treeless is in fact the best match for your situation. Just adding more padding even in treeless does not always make things better, in fact it can make things worse by causing pressure lines at the spine/creating a lateral instability. In treeless saddles, the padding systems can be thought of as an integral part of the saddle. It creates the spine channel width & depth for the horses comfort. Choosing the most appropriate padding system for your situation can be challenging, but not impossible. A good saddle fit consultant that is familiar with both treed/treeless technology can help avoid a lot of trial & error costly mistakes. The pix on the UK site do reflect the trend that in recent years most companies have re-engineered the pad designs with a more horse friendly anatomical topline contour so pad "pull down" & mane rubs are a thing of the past. In fact Skito now has over 150 different pad patterns to match each individual model in all the different brands of all the brands of treeless on the market.. Sensation alone has 6 or 8 different Skito patterns for all the different Sensation models....very interesting indeed. Kaaren Jordan http://kaarenjordan.com
