lucy_108
Well-Known Member
I have a 13.2 Welsh Cob X who I rescued at 11 months old. He is now a month shy of four years old and I have spent the last 18 months doing a butt tonne of groundwork, desensitisation and have more recently backed him. Before anyone jumps on me, he is literally pootling around - 10 minutes in the arena learning whoa and go, then out hacking walking up and down some gentle hills and just meeting the big wide world from a different view. He is NOT being ''worked'', drilled or ''schooled''.
He is still croup high and I would imagine will be growing for at least another year, but I am starting to wonder if he will always be a little croup high conformationally (speculation). Anyway, I am used to mountain withered, sport horse types so did not trust myself to pick a suitable saddle so immediately booked a saddler before I started doing anything with him (I backed him in an aviemore pad because it was just so much easier and he's got a nice flat table back which made it easier still!).
The saddler was fab, really looked at him from all angles and admitted he would be tricky to fit, however, we found a W/XW Ideal WH saddle that had come off a Highland that sat pretty well. It is a good fit length and width wise and I did ride in it with the saddler and it didn't seem to move much, however, now we're a bit further down the line and he's (I imagine) changed shaped a little and lost a little weight too, the saddle is just riding too far forward. I have booked the saddler to come back out, however, he said to try and different girth first as I've just had him in a non-elastic thoroughgood one.
THe difficulty comes with the pony being croup high, having a very forward girth groove and being a little barrel shaped (despite not being obese).
Could anyone recommend a girth that is sub £100 but made for this situation? Also what are people's views on the elasticated, non elasticated debated .... I've always ridden elasticated both ends but feel that will give the saddle too much wiggle room?
PLEASE don't come at me telling me the saddle doesn't fit. It actually does. It sits well on him when I tack up, but his shape and conformation force it forward. As I said above, the saddler is coming back to reassess, but I want to try and girth first to see if that at least helps.
TIA!
He is still croup high and I would imagine will be growing for at least another year, but I am starting to wonder if he will always be a little croup high conformationally (speculation). Anyway, I am used to mountain withered, sport horse types so did not trust myself to pick a suitable saddle so immediately booked a saddler before I started doing anything with him (I backed him in an aviemore pad because it was just so much easier and he's got a nice flat table back which made it easier still!).
The saddler was fab, really looked at him from all angles and admitted he would be tricky to fit, however, we found a W/XW Ideal WH saddle that had come off a Highland that sat pretty well. It is a good fit length and width wise and I did ride in it with the saddler and it didn't seem to move much, however, now we're a bit further down the line and he's (I imagine) changed shaped a little and lost a little weight too, the saddle is just riding too far forward. I have booked the saddler to come back out, however, he said to try and different girth first as I've just had him in a non-elastic thoroughgood one.
THe difficulty comes with the pony being croup high, having a very forward girth groove and being a little barrel shaped (despite not being obese).
Could anyone recommend a girth that is sub £100 but made for this situation? Also what are people's views on the elasticated, non elasticated debated .... I've always ridden elasticated both ends but feel that will give the saddle too much wiggle room?
PLEASE don't come at me telling me the saddle doesn't fit. It actually does. It sits well on him when I tack up, but his shape and conformation force it forward. As I said above, the saddler is coming back to reassess, but I want to try and girth first to see if that at least helps.
TIA!
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