Ken and Ron Bates next big technological advance was developing a Moulded Panel for the horse. They had the idea that a moulded panel would guarantee even weight distribution over the horse's back and the absence of seams could only be more comfortable for the horse and the rider.
The technology involved to mould the panel was very difficult and expensive. A soft formulation of a self skinning polyurethane was used to mould the panel which is a material from the same family of plastics used in steering wheels and in the dashboards of cars.
The Bates brothers released a range of saddles called "Contour" which utilised the moulded panel and incorporated a swap top. Unfortunately there was no way of guaranting the durability of the moulded panel and if damaged the panel could not be repaired. The saddles were eventually discontinued due to the inability to cost effectively mould and make the panels durable enough.
Remarkably Contour saddles are known by some as the most comfortable saddle ever made and still have a small following in England.