ECOGOLD launches their Memory Foam Triple Protection™ Half Pad, with a unique technology combining 3 different materials: Memory Foam, High-Density Open Cell Foam and Low-density Open Cell Foam for complete shock absorbing protection for the horse’s back.

Always innovative and humorous in testing their products, last week ECOGOLD conducted fun and informative impact testing on their saddle pads using M&Ms candies. The result is that compared to other leading materials, the Memory Foam Triple Protection™ Half Pad and ECOGOLD’s Secure™ pad provide the most complete impact protection possible.

ECOGOLD tested their pads in comparison to commonly used half pad materials: 100% memory foam, sheepskin and shock-absorbing material, with a cotton quilted pad, as they are normally used by riders. The ECOGOLD Half Pad was tested in combination with the Secure Pad. Significantly, all of the other combinations failed the impact test, resulting in broken M&Ms candies; the ECOGOLD half pad was the only pad that prevented breakage.

See the video of the testing here:

M&Ms Impact Test - ECOGOLD's Memory Foam Triple Protection Half Pad with Secure Saddle Pad

 “A lot of thought was put into our new half pad. Memory foam by itself would not give enough impact protection to the horse’s back, so the solution was to combine it with high-density shock-absorbing foam and a layer of low-density open-cell foam. It also had to disperse heat to keep the horse’s back as cool as possible,” said John Da Silva, textile engineer and ECOGOLD president. “We already knew that this was a great product, but we were really amazed with the results of the impact test.”

Canadian eventing team member and silver medalist at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch, who also just received a grant to compete at the 2011 Badminton CCI****, said, “I’ve been using ECOGOLD’s Half Pad in training. I like that it gives a lot of cushioning and support to the horse’s back without adding bulk under the saddle.”

ECOGOLD’s TRIPLE PROTECTION is unequalled as each level provides an essential element of protection for the horse’s back. Its ergonomic design offers superior protection to the horse’s withers and back. All of the materials are 100% breathable, hypo-allergenic and do not shrink, and the pads are machine washable, quick to dry and stain resistant.

For more information on ECOGOLD's Memory Foam Triple Protection Half Pad - click here or on the photo below.

The fifth round of the $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series was held on Thursday afternoon at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center with a victory for McLain Ward (USA) and Grant Road Partners' Antares F. The pair was the fastest of three clear jump-off rounds in the class to win over 64 starters.

Today's $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup grand prix was held over a course designed by Alan Wade of Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Nine out of the original 64 entries jumped clear over the first round course to jump off, and only three jumped clear to finish at the top.

McLain Ward, who rides in ECOGOLD's Hunter Saddle Pad, and Antares F had the fastest clear round in 40.85 seconds to earn first place. Pablo Barrios (VEN) and G&C Quick Star 11 finished in second place with their time of 41.94 seconds, and Jennifer Crooks (IRL) rode S.F. Uryadi, owned by Olivia Cox-Fill and Stella Farm, into third place with a clear round in 51.34 seconds. The remaining six horses in the jump-off all had four faults, with the fastest of those four-fault rounds placing Nick Skelton (GBR) and Carlo 273, owned by Beverly Widdowson, into fourth place.

The winning combination of McLain Ward and Antares F is a fairly new partnership within the last six months, and Ward noted that he and the eleven-year-old Baden-Württemberger gelding (by Araconit x Cento) are gradually getting to know each other. "We are still learning different things and I do not think we have it exactly right yet, but we are close and we keep winning pretty decent classes," Ward stated. "That class today was as hard to win as any grand prix anywhere in the world. We had almost 70 of the best and it was difficult."   

Video - McLain Ward and Antares F at the CSI**** Brussels - December 2010

 "I think Alan Wade is a great course builder," Ward continued. "I love his courses; I think they make sense from a rider's point of view. They are not gimmicky or false, what you see is what you get, but at the same time that was a very challenging course."

Jumping in the large, open space in the International Arena, Antares F covered the ground with ease and then left out a stride in the last line to take the lead. Ward spoke further about the horse, stating, "He has an incredibly big stride, but he is also very fast across the ground. He is an aggressive horse, so you don't really have to make him go fast. You just have to soften the reins and he moves across the ground, so it makes him quite quick, especially in big spaces."

One of the world's best riders, Ward has many exceptional horses in his barn, and spoke about the difference between his three tops mounts, Antares F, Rothchild, and Sapphire. "They are really all different. This horse, stride-wise, is similar to Sapphire but he has tons more blood. He is an incredible jumper and he is a little bit of a handful, but in a good way. Rothchild is what he is; he is quirky and a little bit of a character, but he is in good form and he kind of quietly keeps jumping clear round after clear round," Ward observed. "One thing about Sapphire is that you always know what you are going to get. The other two aren't quite to the consistency level that she is at yet, but I hope that eventually they will be."

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It was confirmed today that ECOGOLD riders, World Equestrian Games Silver Medalists Hawley Bennett and Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch have received Equine Canada grants (along with their WEG teammate Selena O’Hanlon) to compete at the Badminton Horse Trials.

When we saw Hawley and Stephanie in Ottawa in January, we discussed their Badminton plans. Here is a short clip.

The Canadian Eventing Team’s fantastic 2010 results have provided Equine Canada with increased funding from Own the Podium (government program).  However, the generous Equine Canada grant does not cover all the costs so the riders will be organizing fundraising events.

Stephanie sent us the following information about hers.

FUNDRAISER SPRING DERBY AND DINNER AT MAPLE RIDGE EQUI-CENTRE MAPLE RIDGE, BC

It is very exciting...now we just need to raise some money!!!
March 13th MREC in Maple Ridge BC which is owned by Ollie's breeder...the place he was raised!
It will be a derby course, two classes 2'9" and 3"3"
Cash prizes
Course designed by Janice Spenst
Dinner in the restaurant/pub at 5pm, door prizes there...

Open this PDF file for the entry form and more details:

Recently, someone emailed us this question: “Hello ECOGOLD, Have you ever thought of adding ceramic fibers to our saddle pads?

Our answer: “Dear rider, Why would we want to do that? Ceramic is a thermal insulator. Our technology is based on fast moisture evaporation and keeping the equine athlete as cool as possible during work. Adding a thermal insulator (ceramic fiber, wool) would be contrary to that purpose.”

The answer: “Right, that makes total sense. Thank you, you guys are so knowledgeable.”

In this day in age pretty much anybody can design a product, outsource the manufacturing, open a sales office and market it. That is why, you will see a lot of nonsense on labels or websites. Like:

• "Breathable neoprene" = . Unless it is neoprene with holes in it, this to us sounds like "donkey with 5 legs" as neoprene is a synthetic rubber used as an insulation material, most notably in wetsuits. So definitely not breathable.

•  "Absorbs 96% of impact" = sounds to us like "this horse jumps clear 96% of the time"...yeah but, how high? in which conditions? since when? Why not 97.32%? What kind of impact? Giving a percentage without any context or a serious study is ridiculous.

• "Negative Ions in the saddle pad reduce lactic acid buildup and improve blood circulation" =  What???! Seriously, I'm not kidding,...this is for real.

Our company has a strong textile engineering background, so we are deeply rooted in materials and take manufacturing very seriously. Our president John Da Silva has a degree in textile engineering, did post-graduate studies in Germany and has spent most of his life as a technical consultant and CEO of textile companies. He can tell you how Gore-tex was invented, what the difference is between a woven and non-woven fabric and he knows the names of textile machine manufacturers. You will have trouble finding another equestrian manufacturer with that level of technical expertise. So whether it's on our labels, our website or on the phone, we will give you information based on evidence.

Here is John sharing his knowledge at the USEA Area 2 Annual Meeting

<< January 2011                                        February 2011                                       Videos and Blog>>

Are you familiar with the North American Riders Group? Ecogold-rider McLain Ward is the vice-president and their board is a who's who of today's top riders. The mission of the North American Riders Group is to unite professional riders and trainers to use their collective strength to make show jumping in North America the best in the world.

Here's an interview by Jimmy Torano, NARG Board Member, with George Morris, United States Show Jumping Chef D'Equipe: "Insist on Excellence"

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Someone posted this question on a forum:

“Can someone tell me the theory behind putting memory foam in a horse boot and how it would be helpful? I get the concept in a mattress, but not in a protective boot. Does it have particular shock absorption or breathability properties? This is an honest question, my science brain needs info! Thanks! :-)”

Here is the answer from our textile engineering team:

Memory foam has an open-cell structure that reacts to weight and temperature by 'moulding' to the body of the horse, helping relieve pressure points.
In its products, ECOGOLD uses a special 100% breathable memory foam, as normal Memory Foam can get hot and compress.

Memory Foam was originally developed by the NASA space program in 1966 to ease the pressure of G-forces on astronauts during space shuttle take offs. It never ended up being used in the space program, however memory foam did eventually find its way into medical settings where it was used to relieve bed-bound patients suffering from various pressure sores. It was also discovered that patients who slept on memory foam mattresses generally woke up better rested with less pains and aches than those who did not.

Memory foam in human products is normally always used in combination with other types of foam.  For example in a bed, you need a mattress under the memory foam or you wouldn't get the right support for your back.

Riding a horse is very different from sleeping on a mattress or sitting in a chair. The levels of impact protection, heat dissipation and moisture evaporation required are much greater in equine sports.

Using memory foam by itself would not give enough impact protection to the horse. Our technology, always combines the memory foam with other shock-absorbing materials.

In the case of our Memory Foam Triple Protection Half Pad, we combine the memory foam with a high-density shock-absorbing open-cell foam and another layer of low density open-cell foam to ensure the best protection of the horse’s back.

In our horse boots, our polycarbonate shield along with the breathable Memory Foam are what ensure the protection of the horse’s legs. See our impact video:

Although memory foam feels very comfortable to a person’s touch, the “secret recipe” to the ultimate protection is obtained with a combination of materials.

Click here to view ECOGOLD products containing our 100% breathable Memory Foam:

Memory Foam Triple Protection Half Pad

Ecogold Horse Boots

Stabilizer Dressage Saddle Pad

Stabilizer Jumper Saddle Pad

ECOGOLD Saddle Pads and Horse Boots are used by the best riders in the world, but what are those top riders really like behind closed doors? We begin a new “get to know ECOGOLD riders” series and hope to bring you a few more of these in-depth interviews.

Our first two riders are World Equestrian Games Silver Medalists and Canada’s Equestrian of the Year, Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch and Hawley Bennett. The interview took place at the Lord Elgin hotel in Ottawa on January 29, a few hours before Equine Canada’s Annual Awards Gala where Stephanie and Hawley received the Equestrian of the Year – George Jacobsen Trophy on behalf of the Canadian Eventing Team at the World Equestrian Games. Click here for our coverage of the Gala.

ECOGOLD has been sponsoring Hawley since she won Bromont in 2009 and we partnered with Stephanie since the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

On a personal note, I had never spent more than 5 consecutive minutes with either rider before Saturday, so an in-depth interview was a daunting task to say the least. But I thought it would be fun and I figured for my first interview ever, better start with two nice Canadians who would be too polite to leave the room (they couldn't kick me out, as it was my room).

Turns out, the interviews came out pretty well (at least, according to their mums).

Ok, watch the videos and get to know two of the best riders in the world.

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When conditions are right and snow pads and studs are on, a trail ride through the snow is a blast! Highlander and YouTube sensation Buzzterbrown go hacking after the first snow storm of the season in northern Virginia.

Enjoy the ride!