Adults on ponies!

Ambers Echo said:
This is the problem though. A very long thigh bone on a short backed pony. Do you have any advice - what would a 'really good saddle fitter' be able to do with that? Ie styles, shapes of saddle, stirrup length etc.
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For a child outgrowing their GP saddle then I find that as they grow they have to stop jumping long before they have to stop flatwork, a short stirrup on a small straightish saddle will put most people with a long thigh on the cantle.

Flat seat - not QUITE so bad if you sit slightly further back on it.
Flap cut - a more forward flap will of course have more room for a long thigh. I do have a small handful of customers who have to have our (admittedly not super forwards cut) pony jump saddles to be able to ride anything other than super long. A dressage flap might only need to be a smidge more forward cut, must be long enough to not catch the boots of course (applies to any flap)...
Block placement - crucial, higher, further forwards. Blocks on velcro may of course solve the issue, make sure those supplied (or you can replace them, velcro is always the same) are short from top to bottom, then place then RIGHT up under the flap.
Stirrup bar placement - not really so much related to long legs/thigh length, can be more about the length of thigh relative to length of calf and the size of your foot!

The worst type of saddle in this instance is a showing saddle - straight cut, knee block all the way down (if there is one), and riders want to ride short on ponies. Drives me absolutely nuts, you HAVE to lengthen your stirrups, showing saddles have a nasty tendency to be built so they tip back, and often have very thin panels which are very damaging if out of balance. Bad enough when they're in balance, after a few years you can feel the tree points through them!

Gp might be okay, jump and dressage can be better.

conniegirl said:
My 13.2hh is comfortably in a 17.5” saddle.
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In 10 years of fitting mostly ponies and short backed cobs I've yet to come across one, but, it does depend on the saddle. Fyldes for example measure much larger than they ride, and are very short on the horse, so a 17.5" Hayden for example would fit both horse and rider more like a 16.5" that I would fit, and most other models come up about 1/2 " smaller than mine.
 
sbloom said:
In 10 years of fitting mostly ponies and short backed cobs I've yet to come across one, but, it does depend on the saddle. Fyldes for example measure much larger than they ride, and are very short on the horse, so a 17.5" Hayden for example would fit both horse and rider more like a 16.5" that I would fit, and most other models come up about 1/2 " smaller than mine.
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Thanks but I'll take the word of the 2 independent master saddlers who have assessed the saddle and pony in person over someone from the internet who has never had hands on him.
Given that the pony is 18yrs old, welsh and disinclined to put up with anything that makes him uncomfortable at all, I'll also take the fact he works beautifully and very forward both on the flat and jumping as a happy pony with a fitting saddle.
 
I'm 5 ft 8, weigh just over 12 stone and ride a 14.3 irish cob x freisian.

Shes a pocket rocket and anything like her but bigger would be terrifying XD

But she is fun, and is capable of most things the bigger horses are. Hunted a full day, jumps, even beat an ex racer in a gallop off.
 
Greylegs said:
I'm 5'7" with longish legs and ride a 14.2 highland. He's very deep through his girth and I don't look too big on him. Ponies rock IMO ....
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Me too, also 5'7" with long legs but on a 13.3 Highland! My legs do look fairly long on her but she's comfortable and it doesn't look too daft. She's also very deep through the girth, even at her ideal weight which for various reasons is somewhere south of what it is currently.
 
conniegirl said:
Thanks but I'll take the word of the 2 independent master saddlers who have assessed the saddle and pony in person over someone from the internet who has never had hands on him.
Given that the pony is 18yrs old, welsh and disinclined to put up with anything that makes him uncomfortable at all, I'll also take the fact he works beautifully and very forward both on the flat and jumping as a happy pony with a fitting saddle.
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I wasn't telling you you were wrong, I was alerting people to the fact that they would be very unlikely to have a similarly long-ribcaged pony.
 
sbloom said:
I wasn't telling you you were wrong, I was alerting people to the fact that they would be very unlikely to have a similarly long-ribcaged pony.
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he isnt the first pony i've had that could take a large saddle. my 14hh connie was also in a 17.5", he was one inclined to go vertical if his saddle wasnt 100% perfect.
 
sbloom said:
For a child outgrowing their GP saddle then I find that as they grow they have to stop jumping long before they have to stop flatwork, a short stirrup on a small straightish saddle will put most people with a long thigh on the cantle.
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Thanks Sbloom. Here is a recent picture of them. That saddle is already a smidge beyond the final rib but fitter said with a 6 stone child that was ok. (Other opinions welcome!) She couldn't go smaller - she was sat on the cantle in her previous saddle. There is not a lot more room in that saddle I don't think? It's a Kent and Masters pony jump saddle.

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My 14.2hh Connemara takes a 17 inch saddle. I’m 5’8, and he is 6ft in rugs so he has a reasonable length back. It’s a fairfax dressage saddle so the seat is quite deep and I ride with long stirrups so I’m always in the middle rather than sitting on the cantle. I hate it when I see pony riders sitting on the back on the saddle with short stirrups, particularly in showing saddles. I don’t think I’d get away with my length of leg on him in a jumping saddle though, it works in the dressage saddle because t has thigh blocks rather than knee blocks which gives my knees room and allows my leg to sit where it should.
 
I would only ever fit beyond the back rib if a horse had been going well in a too long saddle already, some are fine, most aren't. And sorry, can't tell much from that angle!
 
I'm 5'5/5'6 and ride my daughter's hand me down 12.2 gypsy cob. Slightly embarrassing but she's built like an absolute tank despite being extremely nimble and she never fails to leave a smile on my face!. She takes up my leg much better than my 15.1 Arab and although cheekier to ride (and much more forward!) I feel so safe on her, if I could have one wish it would be to make her 15hh but she's just an absolute scream, I never make excuses not to ride her like I do with the others
 
sbloom said:
I would only ever fit beyond the back rib if a horse had been going well in a too long saddle already, some are fine, most aren't. And sorry, can't tell much from that angle!
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Is this better? She has SUCH a long thigh compared to the rest of her. And huge feet. So I think she will end up tall despite being tiny at the moment.

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I have 2 x 13h ponies 😊 one is a narrow welsh B and the other a chunky native mix.

I’m around 5’2 with quite short legs 🙂

The welsh B is ridden in a 16” Paul Jones GP and I’ve had a few saddles for my chunky boy (Paul Jones working hunter, silouette dressage saddle and currently horse,pony and cob working hunter saddle) all of which have been 17”



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I’m 5’1”... maybe 5’2”, fat and own a beautiful 14.1 Highland. I’d never go back to a horse! I know of people who are c. 6 foot and ride Highlands, they really do take up the leg and can turn their hoof to anything. Super versatile and so much fun! I’m tentatively thinking about a second pony, i’d like a C/D but would need to lose weight, story of my life.
 

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HiPo'sHuman said:
I’m 5’1”... maybe 5’2”, fat and own a beautiful 14.1 Highland. I’d never go back to a horse! I know of people who are c. 6 foot and ride Highlands, they really do take up the leg and can turn their hoof to anything. Super versatile and so much fun! I’m tentatively thinking about a second pony, i’d like a C/D but would need to lose weight, story of my life.
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I love Highland Ponies too.
 
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