INVICTUS

This is how the Smart Material performs:

With Smart Material technology, the Invictus pad is different from currently available protective saddle pads:

• Tests against premium materials and brands show a clear advantage with an improved Protection Value* of up to 229%.
• Invictus showed a Protection Value* up to 4.3 times that of materials of equal thickness.

Thanks to the exclusive and patented technology, the Invictus Pad allows optimal communication between horse and rider like no other pad - The difference between a good feeling and a great feeling. When it comes to high impact protection, few high quality materials can reach our level. The two pads that can are much thicker, bringing other issues, like excess movement, additional bulk and the risk of changing the balance of your saddle.

But the D3O® XT Mesh Technology in the Invictus pad outperforms any other material in the way it can filter out all unwanted involuntary rider and saddle movements, preventing that the horse tenses its back muscles in response to too many confusing signals. Eliminating ‘noise’ will allow the horse to keep its back relaxed and focused on the signals it is supposed to receive. At minimum, we saw improvements in gaits, rideability and demeanour in our field trials in horses that had no back issues. On horses with back issues, riders felt that after using the Invictus pad continuously, the horses, being able to work without the discomfort they’ve been used to, became more and more willing to work over their backs and use their bodies in a correct and balanced manner. With the horse’s back working in the correct, positive tension, it becomes a lot easier for the rider to sit and maintain a quiet position and riders with their own back problems have reported a great improvement in their own comfort.

The above findings are based on a wide variety of riders experiences and tests under saddle with rider- and equine body mechanic experts (read some of their testimonials here), as well as professional saddle fitters and saddlers. To accurately show how the Invictus D3O® XT Mesh outperforms other materials when it comes to impact protection, we have conducted tests at the D3O Lab in Croyden, UK to conform to EN1621 Test Standards.

We conducted the tests starting with 5 Joules of impact energy to determine the Peak Transmitted Force through the protective layers. (PTF is the pressure that can be felt through a material.) The impact energy was increased in 5J increments to a total of 40J. We show on the right side of the graph how we assign the impact energy in the tests to pressure that is felt under saddle. Pads, which reached maximum PTF at a given energy, were eliminated from further testing, because they could offer no further values.

Results:

In the range from 5J - 25J, the tested pads recorded from 123% to 329% more PTF (Peak Transmitted Force) than Invictus

In the range from 25 - 40J - the tested pads recorded up to 123% more PTF than Invictus

Our tests show that, while high quality memory foam pads like Ogilvy® and the Equi-Fit pad provide good protection at all energy ranges, both are considerably thicker and only conditionally breathable. This translates into diminished contact and a less than ideal heat/moisture balance. The Invictus pad showed the overall best protection values with the least displacement, convincingly delivering on all points, from superior all-round performance to ergonomic and sleek design.

Gel - both oil-based and regular - as well as the Thinline® material cannot come close to providing sufficient protection at the same thickness. Water based gel only performed to 20J before bottoming out. Oil-based gel did a little better, but also only showed low protection values and dropped out at 30J. Thinline tested a little better to 40J impact energy but it can’t come close to the standards of the Invictus D3O® XT Mesh with intelligent molecules.