16" saddle for short coupled 15.3 and small 5ft3 lady rider?

S

Sharpie

Active Member
Joined
8 January 2012
Messages
37
Visit site
as in title is a 16" saddle too small for my 15.3 short coupled horse and I? I am approx 5ft3 and under 8stone.

Anybody else ride in a 16"??

picture.php
 
I have a sinking feeling that I am going to have to try and wedge my fat ass into a 16'' saddle when the fitter comes out. Sad times :( I think I'll manage as long as the seat is flatish but it'll be close!
 
hahaha so we 'adults' can technically get away with riding in a 16" lol?? Its been years since ive owned a 16" but like u say if its a nice flat seated jump saddle it should be ok! lol

:D
 
Well, I am a midget with midget legs. I can definitely ride in a 16.5'' as I've done it not that long ago and a 17'' is positively roomy for me. Nitty is impossibly short backed. Hopefully the saddler will have something in 16.5'' so I don't have to try it but we'll see. They seem to be few and far between unfortunately.
 
HAHA Midget! Well i wouldnt say im a midget but certainly not a big person :)

yes I know what you mean!! I was VERY lucky to find the 16.5" dressage saddle pictured, as you say 16.5's are pretty rare! :(
 
I fit lots of adults on ponies so smaller adults in 16" saddles are a common occurrence for me, in fact I fitted a petite adult on a 13.1hh NF in one yesterday. One thing to look for is a deep enough rear panel, ie the flocked bit that is under the cantle. A taller or heavier rider is likely to sit to the back of the saddle and make it sink - all the weight here is not good for the horse's back. If the panel is deep enough then the rider will be kept forwards in the deepest part of the saddle and the weight will be spread evenly from front to back.
 
What about that length of saddle on a 15.3 though? He's only 4 so am sure he will grow a little more and fill out.
 
A saddle can't really BE too small for a horse - yes it can look like a pea on a drum, but as long as it is big enough for a rider it matters not. Obviously the larger the saddle the more the weight is spread, but you can only fit to the last rib and not beyond, so if there is only room for a 16" saddle, that's all you can do!

Is it very unusualy for a horse that size to not be able to take more than a 16" saddle. I have some 14.2s that can take 18" saddles :), but never say never.

There are alternatives like flexi panel saddles, I have a ReactorPanel, where you can get a longer seat on a shorter backed horse, there are treeless (not a great fan personally but I know they can work) and then you can get slightly shorter panels put on traditional saddles but it's best not to go TOO far that way, you need that rear panel to support the back of the saddle as I said earlier.

Does that help?
 
Yes thank you!
Saddler wasn't at all happy with my 17.5 and much preferred how my 16.5 sat length wise. Have been looking for the jumping saddles he suggested to suit my horses shape and came across a 16" 2nd hand which is less than half the price of new and wondered whether it was a possibility- baring in mind I want a saddle to fit but with him changing shape so much it is not going to be a long term investment that will come when he has fully matured. If that makes sense?

Thank you
 
My short coupled 15.2hh 5 yr old is in a 16.5'' wintec, which i can adjust as she matures. it is really comfy, and obvs a lot cheaper than leather whilst they are still developing. it fits me loads better than the 17'' i use with my other horse.


Trules
 
Every brand of 16/17/18 inch saddle will be different lengths within each size. A 17 inch Albion won't fit my short backed horse. But a 17 inch Barnsby or amerigo is perfect. It's shorter in the panel. My saddle co event saddle is even shorter and that's a 17 inch too! Almost makes me wonder wether a 16 inch Albion would fit to the same length of my other 17 inch saddles?
It's like shoes- no two brands will be the same fit even if they are the same size.
 
I'm 13 but very tall,(5ft9), and skinny, my horse (15.2hh) has previously had back problems so needs 16.5" max. We found the perfect 15.5" that fits him perfectly and looks fine....and I fit in it :)
 
Hi, yes changeable gullet was an idea of mine for him too, hence him having a stunning bates momentum saddle- however regardless of changing plates the width of the actual gullet is not wide enough for my boy do that's Wintec/bates out the window! :/
 
As a rule 16" saddles are a lot smaller than 16.5" saddles as the former are made for ponies and children and the latter for adults. Much more difference than between 16.5" and 17". You will need to look at seat depth - shallow gives more room - rear panel depth as said above (you may need a rear riser but that's usually only a temporary fix, slightly more acceptable with foam panel saddles) - and how forward cut and long the flap is - the more flap there is the more room there is for your femur and women have proportionately longer femurs than men, so it can be critical.

Now I understand the situation I would advise you hang on and try and find a 16.5 if he can take it, though as others say, all saddles do vary in length. Your current saddle looks to have a shortish panel, ie it doesn't stick out too far beyond the cantle.
 
The one pictured is an ideal elizabeth close contact dressage saddle 16.5" which has been checked and saddler happy with, now to find a jump saddle. He suggested a foam panelled saddle and a resin type tree as they can be heated and altered easier than most
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top