Anyone ride in a pony saddle?

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chestnuttyy

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Currently trying to find a thorowgood cob saddle for my rather round 14.2 cob who has just come back from loan. He's pretty short in the back and my 17" saddle is verging on being too big for him. Question is I'm 5'7 so a bit worried about riding in a 16 or 16.5" saddle, does anyone else do this? He's proving difficult to find anything suitable for as he's like a table!
 
I'm the same height as you and ride in a pony saddle on a short-backed Welshie.
However, it depends lots on your build, length of thigh and the type of riding you do - I'm built like a string-bean so don't need a lot of seat-space, I find that riding 'dressage-length' in a straight-flapped saddle is fine but would not like to do much serious forward seat riding or jumping in it. One tip: - make sure that the back of the saddle is wide enough to support you, lot of pony saddles are quite narrow in the seat as they are often designed for children.
 
You just need to try it and see how it feels. I have a junior jump saddle - I'm 33 and 5ft4! Horse is really a big pony, quite short backed and can't take anything longer than 16.5-17in. I'm quite petite though so that suits me too.
 
Thanks for the advice. I'm quite small so getting my bum in the saddle shouldn't be too much of an issue!! Haha. I was more concerned about being able to ride slightly shorter for jumping without y knees poking over the knee rolls! I'll try and get a saddler to come out and try a few... Pennies just a bit tight at the mo as he came back off loan rather unexpectedly after 6yrs, so was going to take chances on an eBay saddle. Just when I thought I'd finished the saddle saga with my other horse!
 
After my mare lost all that weight I was between saddles for awhile and loaned a treeless pony pad :D I miss it! Was actually really comfortable and my mare loved it too, my only worry was that the spine clearance was pretty narrow and I was constantly paranoid that if the saddle moved even a tiny bit there'd be pressure in the wrong place.

So long as the channel for the spine is wide enough I don't see a problem. If you're an itty bitty thing you might enjoy it more.
 
You always have to fit the pony's ribcage, so unfortunately the rider HAS to compromise on a short backed cob or pony. Of course they are decent weight carriers, but everyone forgets they have short ribcages! I would look for the most forward cut saddle you can if you have loinger thighs, but if you are slim at 5'7" a 16.5" seat will be fine, the flatter the more roomy it will feel. A square cantle saddle normally has more room, we have sqaure and round cantle options on the same tree, the latter can feel squishier and deeper but the former has more room.

The seat width is not just a function of how much weight the saddle has to carry, it depends on the shape of the horse's ribcage - most cobs have wider ribcages, but not all, and many ponies like NF and Connies actually need a slightly narrower seat to keep stability. Make sure the rear gusset is deep enough that the cantle doesn't sink too low with a relatively large rider in a smaller saddle.

And bear in mind that cantles can be extended, and that different styles of saddle have different length footprints even if the seat measures the same.
 
sbloom said:
You always have to fit the pony's ribcage, so unfortunately the rider HAS to compromise on a short backed cob or pony. Of course they are decent weight carriers, but everyone forgets they have short ribcages! I would look for the most forward cut saddle you can if you have loinger thighs, but if you are slim at 5'7" a 16.5" seat will be fine, the flatter the more roomy it will feel. A square cantle saddle normally has more room, we have sqaure and round cantle options on the same tree, the latter can feel squishier and deeper but the former has more room.

The seat width is not just a function of how much weight the saddle has to carry, it depends on the shape of the horse's ribcage - most cobs have wider ribcages, but not all, and many ponies like NF and Connies actually need a slightly narrower seat to keep stability. Make sure the rear gusset is deep enough that the cantle doesn't sink too low with a relatively large rider in a smaller saddle.

And bear in mind that cantles can be extended, and that different styles of saddle have different length footprints even if the seat measures the same.
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Thank you. I can't get anything too forward cut as unfortunately he has huge shoulders too. I've been looking at a 16" thorowgood square cantle saddle, would this be too small for me?! I generally ride quite long
 
im 5'7 and have been riding a 14'2 pony whilst my 16'2 is being backed, I have no idea what size his saddle is but its small, prob 16-16.5 max. I feel like it gives me a cr*p position but its not a nice saddle, no knee rolls, really flat at the back, I must look terrible on him! roll on the end of the month when I have a horse to ride again!
 
When I had this problem, I went down the made to measure route. The panels are equivalent to a 15" seat, but the seat itself is sweeping. Underneath it's a pony saddle, but the flaps are a little bigger and easily accommodate my legs. I'm 5'4" and he's 12hh. It cost about £500 including the fitting, so might be worth thinking about.
 
you will have to compromise but if you are fairly slim you will be ok.
im 5'7 and weight around 8 stone and school a 12hh in a 15.5 GP saddle and 2 x 11.2hh in miniscule 14 show saddles and just about survive! if i could put even a 14 GP saddle on the tinies i would be better balanced and they seem comfy enough with my butt in that saddle :)
 
I have a 13.3 haflinger in a 16.5 Kent and masters pony saddle...Im 5'10 Haha. Luckily I am skinny so its fine for both of us. I do dressage and low level jumping in it with no problem. Yes, my knees are never quite on the knee rolls but I have always ridden ponies so am used to it. You just adjust.
 
chestnuttyy said:
Currently trying to find a thorowgood cob saddle for my rather round 14.2 cob who has just come back from loan. He's pretty short in the back and my 17" saddle is verging on being too big for him. Question is I'm 5'7 so a bit worried about riding in a 16 or 16.5" saddle, does anyone else do this? He's proving difficult to find anything suitable for as he's like a table!
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I used to ride my exmoor in a 16.5 TG endurance saddle and will probably ride the next one in it as well until we get something better (it fits him well but we will be doing more together). I am not quite as tall as you but quite long in the thigh.
 
chestnuttyy said:
Thank you. I can't get anything too forward cut as unfortunately he has huge shoulders too. I've been looking at a 16" thorowgood square cantle saddle, would this be too small for me?! I generally ride quite long
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I have neof these and I positively swim about in it, it's like a sofa nice deep seat , I'm a midget at 5 foot nothing tho and actually prefer to ride in my ex bosses 15 inch child's saddle, am actually thinking that when I get a bates I'd get one this small as its not out bum size so much as leg length and my legs are non existent lol and although my girlis long I'm more comfortable and secure in a smaller seat :)
 
I’m 5ft 8, my mare is 13.2 and she’s in a 16.5 (although it was measured at nearer 16) saddle. She could actually take a 17 inch but this was an eBay bargain. It’s an Ideal saddle I can’t remember if it’s a GP or working hunter.

Saddle fits me perfectly, I can hoick stirrups up for jumping (far more comfortably than in an Ablion K2 for example) or drop them for flat work. Saddle certainly doesn’t look small on her and I don’t hang out of it anywhere. Really pleased with it.
 
I am 5'7 and have been regularly riding a 13.1hh welsh pony in a wintec pony jumping saddle which is about 16.5 with no problem. Wintec saddles are good because the seat is quite nice and wide !
 
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