I'm the one who wouldn not put anything neoprene on my horse. I had a neoprene pad and it galled Belle so bad on her whithers that the hair grew back white. It happened the first day of a CTR, where I rode for 6+ hours.
At the clinic I went to they strongly recommended to avoid anything neoprene, if that means anything. They also believed the stuff was bad to gall a horse, pads or cinches.
I've come to the conclusion it works for some, but not for all. It might do just fine on your horse.
Becky
Oh - what about it do you think galled her? Heat? The thing I've wondered about them is whether they're hot. I'm told they work by making the horse sweat, making the skin slip easier under it. I would think they'd be very hot as a pad... not so much so as a cinch just because it's less surface area.
I've gone so many years with my leather one working just fine, I wonder if I shouldn't just make sure he's clean and the cinch is clean and oiled, and try show sheen right in the pit area.