At what age did you invest in an 'expensive' saddle for your youngsters??

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nicnag

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I have a lovely rising 6 year old TB mare who was backed last July and has been worked since, she has changed shape a lot since initially sitting the saddle on her in February last year and I have had it adjusted a couple of times. The saddle is still a pretty good fit on her but I personally hate it! It's an 18" which is on the big side for me, my other saddles are Ideal Grandees which are like sitting on giant comfy secure cushions - this old GFS is not! So what stage have you considered it is time to invest in a saddle of the more expensive variety?? I have taken regular templates and there has been little change for the past two months but obviously her workload will increase again come the spring. I'm just not sure how much more she is likely to change??
 
I just posted in a similar topic in CR and my rising 5yr old's (expensive) saddle stopped fitted about a day later:o:eek:

To be fair it wasn't ordered for her but when it came it fitted her and not the other one :rolleyes: it now fits the other one and not her. It's ok with a front riser and I am hoping when she puts on more condition it might fit again...:(

It's all hinging on the micronised linseed at the moment :D;)
 
Invest in a new GFS or Pessoa, by GFS!! They are the best things I have ever sat in (mine is a pessoa and cost me an arm and a leg but well worth it)
My pessoa is a close contact design but is completely adjustable! Gullets are easy to change and is the only close contact saddle on the market (i think) which has flock panels- its a new synthetic fibre which reduces clumping and pressure spots. Plus the tree on it has a 20 year warranty and leather has a 2 year!!
 
Should add on the end of that I also have an Ideal dressage saddle and my pessoa is as good. (Aware i sound the spoilt b***h, but im now bank-rupted :P)
 
I was talking about this with my trainer today. When I backed my friesian at 4, I bought an Albion dressage saddle about 3 months later and it fitted her until she went over the rainbow bridge - but friesians don't change shape as much as others in terms of width as she was a baroque type (old fashioned heavy!)

My new boy won't be 6 properly until end of July. I bought a Wintec last July when I got him as hoped he'd grow into the saddles I've already got (4 at last count :o)

Trainer said to definitely wait another 6 months before investing as he's changed so much in 6 months and expects him to keep on changing. He's an ISH.

It's frustrating; the Wintec is not my favourite as it's a GP so not really 'proper' for either dressage or jumping but needs must.
 
Don't do it.... I waited until my trakehner was nearly 8... Despite buying an albion platinum ultima, which is fully adjustable, it still didn't fit 12 months later as she'd 'changed shape much.'

Never again. Unless I win the lottery and have money to throw away!
 
We got a bates for our 5 year old shp.. Mind you the original fit didn't fit a few weeks later but the interchangeable gullet sorted that out quickly haha but I wouldn't buy anything to expensive till you visibly start to see a decrease in the rate of change of your horse growth and muscle!:)
 
My appy has fat withers, fat shoulders and a flat back. After five saddles in 12 months as he filled out, changed shape, grew upwards and filled out even more I gave in and bought a treeless saddle and used it for the best part of a year. I know there are pros and cons but it worked for us and saved me a fortune in saddle fittings. I now use a treed dressage saddle with a changeable gullet (Heather Moffett) because he's still changing shape and still has fat shoulders, but hopefully this summer we'll have a shiny new GP we can use. He's eight now and not changing so much thankfully.
 
Bought my pony a new saddle at 5 years old as nothing else fitted her she was very flat backed but not overly wide. A year later she developed withers and was less deep thru the girth and needed anothet new saddle. Have now gone for a Kent and masters changeable gullet for my new youngster!
 
Ben has been in his bates elevation saddle since he came back from the yard that backed him, he was 3 yrs 2 months and only 2 weeks under saddle. I did have a wintec 2000 that I had planned to put on him, but then Ebony was PTS, and it fitted and is adjustable so I thought what the hell and whacked it on.
 
My 5 year old mare went from her original backing saddle of a Wintec into a gorgeous Albion Legend this year, which I was over the moon about since it had belonged to my cob but didn't fit him any more and I was heartbroken with the thought of selling it, especially since I'd just paid out for a brand new Lavinia Mitchell saddle for him so the thought that his one fitted her was great!

Have to say though it's not destined to last, she may be 5 but she's IDxWB, and I think she's probably got another hand to grow upwards and some bulk to put on too, so had this one not fitted her I certainly wouldn't have gone for anything expensive just yet. I'm just dreading her growing out of this one now!
 
I've had a nightmare with saddle for my 5 year old, saddle not fitting at least 3 times this year. My local master saddler told me not to even consider getting one made for him til he is 7 going on 8 , 8 ideally though. As he will still be growing till then.

I guess it depends on how much money you have and if you don't mind selling saddle when it stops fitting.
 
It's a tough question. I bought my tb when he turned 5 an ideal dressage, for 6 months prior I had self fitted a gp saddle to him. This saddle fitted fine but not exceptional. Since having the ideal he has definitely changed shape but for the better, this saddle has really helped with how he works and thus has more top line, and shoulder. I would say you have to invest to get return. Within reason I would buy a properly fitting saddle at 5 and be prepared to take what might come.
 
I bought a Kent and masters leather saddle when my mare was 4. It fitted ok until the leather peeled off. I also found my knees used to hang off the front in just normal length stirrups. So 6 months later I went for a Black Country Wexford saddle. It fits my Knees fine but being a jump saddle it doesn't seem to hinder her big shoulders.
 
I bought a prestige gp before I even got on.

I had tried all sorts before that, Kent and masters, wintec, thorogood but none of these fitted at all well so I took my boy to the saddlers who tried a good few more and they didn't fit either. Then he brought out the prestige and it immediately sat well. Luckily it was second hand and it can be adjusted.

I think you just have to accept thaypt when you have a young horse you are probably going to have to spend a lot of time in different saddles. I did not want to 'just get on in any old saddle' as I had been told many times to do be various people.
 
If you can find something inexpensive that works then, depending on breed, go for it and use it (or them, over time!) until 7 or 8. Personally, I fit a lot of youngsters and have yet to replace a saddle in nearly four years. I think it depends on the brand of saddle and its flexibility of fit, of course what breed the horse is and how quickly it matures and the saddle fitter.

If you have a difficult to fit horse your options narrow and sometimes the only option is new in order to get a full choice and full fitting service (ie a guaranteed good, customised if really necessary, fit).

Young horses' backs are soft and easier to damage than an older more muscled horse, as well as the fact the skeleton is not fully formed. I see a lof of muscle damage in four and five year olds which breaks my heart.
 
I have extremely expensive Solution saddles so they are in them from when I start backing them to whenever I stop riding them :) Having said that, although they were expensive to buy they have saved me a fortune over the years and have greatly benefitted the horses, so in all were good value for money ;)
 
I got my haffy as a 4 year old 5 years later we've been through 5 £1k plus saddles, he must have stopped filling out by now, his last one was bought when he was 8 so far so good.
I won't be caught the same way with my youngster, I'll be waiting till he's 8 before we get an expensive "forever saddle"
 
To add to this, at now 6 in sure my youngster needs his dressage saddle widened. I'm confident that without investing in this he wouldn't have built up like he has. He is a pure Tb and in a wide/med-wide ideal and MM Albion and he isn't fat. I definitely think the right saddle helps with condition and of course top line.
 
I had my riding four year old saddle checked before he went for backing, and I was so pleased to find that the Ideal Grandee fitted perfectly! A couple of months later it's still a great fit and as the OP said, like sitting on a sofa, lush!!
 
mine was just 7YO and saddle cost £1300. but it will stay with him now till old age as long as horse and saddle are both well cared for, so in the long term money well spent (less vets and chiro bills!)
 
Rods had his first shiny-new saddle when he was 5. Big mistake, as couple of mths later it just wouldn't touch him. That was despite having a changable gullet one.
 
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