Help akward shaped pony and conformational concern please look (pics)

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rendre_la_justice

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I own a 13.1hh section B.

He reminds me of an arab in terms of saddle fitting he has high -ish withers, yet a broad rib cage, a round ish back he's not flat backed. I am having so much trouble saddle fitting. A 16 inch looks HUGE so am going to have to go smaller but I'm an adult rider.

Also thoughts on conformation? When standing and walking fine, mostly looks fine then got some shocking images of his fetlocks pretty much touching ground, such low suspension. I have 300+ snaps from a shoot so obviously it's not every shot but about 4 of them show this, looks horrifying for his fetlock:

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This is him standing and fetlocks don't look bad:


henrystanding-1.jpg



SO help with saddle fitting? I found one that gullet was wide enough to clear spine, saddle seemed to be balance and looked right - then when I got on sat too low on withers. Got another that had good pommel clearance for withers and wide gullet for his broad back, but looks too long (it's 16") and looks "perched" on him. Tried a maxam and the tree is too flat, he suits a banana shaped tree best, tried a native pony and it drowned his tiny body (shot back). Anyone else had such trouble with a section B?

Thoughts on conformation also? He's only used for hacking at the moment, although was hoping to do a little light showing next year M&M.
 
His fetlocks are quite low if he was just doing a steady canter as they do drop very low when horses are galloping.
My boy is the same kind of shape and I had an ideal working hunter saddle, seems very versatile as actually fits most on the yard, I think its a mw
 
He looks lovely to me! Re fetlocks I have picks of all my arabs and warmbloods doing the same, so personally I wouldn't worry about it.

Re the saddle, have you had a professional fitter out? He doesn't look that hard to fit to me although appreciate it's very hard to tell from pics... I'd have thought a little working hunter type saddle would sit on him nicely.. If you don't want new just tell the fitter, they should have a selection of 2nd hand saddles and the more you try the more you'll get an idea of what fits him.

Personally I wouldn't touch synthetics, especially if you want to show. They always looked "perched" to me, esp on ponies.
 
No ideas on the saddler sorry, but confirmation wise he looks nice to me. In the first picture he looks as if he is turning at the same time and really I wouldn't worry about the springy fetlocks.

He is nice.,;-)
 
Thanks for quick replies.

I would much prefer a leather and have seen a lovely WH farrington. I prefer working hunter anyway. I might ask saddler to bring out second hand ones not a bad idea. I am based near Newark I wondered if anyone rated Debbie richardson? My sister has used 4 saddlers around here and they all contradicted one another and she spent about £3k on saddles swapping around!

I didn't want to spend a fortune as he's really just my fun pony as my horse is not going to be shown as from next year, but he's still my main ride.

You have put my mind at rest re fetlocks as there is one of him doing it in trot but he IS turning a corner I never considered that. I think having so many pictures allowed me to scrutinise a little too much. Farrier wasn't concerned he's shod and done regularly and has made sure there is enough support in the shoe at the back but I think I may be over analysing the situation :neuroticmummyalert: :p

This much healthier looking pic:

henry3.jpg



Are there any conformational faults you can see? Do you think he'd do well showing? He has good breeding, superb temperment and his movement is phenomanol. Can be a little stressy leaving his field mate but not horrific and hopefully will be resolved by then.

He's in light work so a little flabby at the moment and he doesn't use his back properly under saddle. I have not had him long so think he needs an over haul: back/teeth/saddle etc.

This is the one I am having printed :):

henrywatermark.jpg
 
Hi, No comments on conf but I can recomend a saddle that is worth trying if you can find someone in your area who stocks them.

The Kent and Masters high wither GP is ideal for his shape - I have one for my boy who has a large differential - high withers and in his case a slightly underdeveloped back (he's a baby) which makes most saddles slope backwards.

The Kent and masters High wither has very big gussets at the back which levels the back up with the front of the saddle so that the seat is level.

It also has quite a deep seat which helps you sit centrally in the saddle and may help you in his case if the saddle is smaller than you'd usualy go for?

I haven't got a picture of my boy with his on but I will try and get one if you want?

ets not the best pic but this is my boy:

DSCF3343.jpg
 
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Thanks my sister said a Kent and masters as her old TB X had one. However do they go as small as 15" or 15.5"? WIll have to have a look I also know they are like gold dust second hand so definitely will be in small seat sizes.

He is a Brookhall pony by Eeabrook Democrat, can't remember Dam off the top of my head. The Brookhall stud have some lovely ponies and all have super temperments :) I'd definitely have one again.
 
I wouldn't worry about the fetlocks, seems pretty normal!

To fit me on our shorter backed ponies, certainly as short as yours (both our riding ponyXsectionB and arab/sectionAXsection B have shorter backs than our 5 section Bs) I had to get a 15inch jump saddle- the others I ride in a 15.5inch GP :)
 
Do you mind me asking which Native Pony saddle you tried - model, seat length, width, if possible :D

You can see in canter he is actually flatter than he looks standing still and he will be even flatter in trot, likely as not. He is also croup high. If you fit a banana shaped tree to this pony it will rock backwards and forwards and the longer the seat size the more you're getting "up" the croup and the saddle will move forwards.

Part of the secret to fitting these ponies is to stick to a smaller seat size, as someone else said. Unfortunately ponies' ribcages don't know that the owner of it is entirely able to carry as decent weight! It means you frequently do have to have too small a seat size for the rider. This isn't always as much of a problem as you think it will be, but you do need a deeper rear panel to stop you from crushing the cantle down, and you may need a bigger flap on the saddle depending on the length of your leg. If the cantle does crush down not only does it place too much weight to the back of the saddle but it will also be likely to make the saddle shoot up the neck.

The other option is a flexi panel saddle - if you could find a 16ish ReactorPanel with short panels on it it would work, but even used they're pricey, and not suitable for showing.

The showing saddle I stock that would work would be the NP Phoenix Symphony, probably in a 15".
 
re conformation. Theres ALOT to like. Its nice to see a B with actual bone and feather! He has a lovely length of rein, good shoulder,small pony head. Nice short coupled and good depth of girth. He is lacking 2nd thigh so get cracking on hill work and plenty of transitions on the flat. Strapping will also helo improve that

re saddle. I am having excatley the same problem with my ridingh horse, small wither, MASSIVE shoulders. I would try to keep to the show saddles on him. They naturally sit further back than most saddles so not to sit on the shoulder. It will also help with the fit on the wither. If you get a half panel saddle, its also more likely to fit over his ribs. I would try a 16 inch with short flaps and sit on it, get someone to take a pic and see what it looks like. Aslong as it doesnt sit behind the last rib your ok...and how many times do you actually see a horse tacked up without a rider on? but i could be talking out of my a*se but that is what I have found with my saddle
 
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Where are you, I have a Sauter WHP saddle that I am sure would fit him. 15inch, it was used on a sec B just like yours. Its extremely old but in perfect condition, it came from Robert Oliver many years ago. I have even used it on my TB while the saddler was refiting mine. I would love it to go to a good home, I wount ever use it again, I am small but not that small anymore!
 
Thank you for replies. I can't work this forum properly so don't know when I have recevied a reply and it takes me a while to post a reply too!

Thank you Sbloom, you know that's my idea of a perfect saddle, going to keep saving as pretty sure they come with the price tag. WHat's the link to your website/or a pic of the phoenix? :)
 
He look fab to me.
His fetlocks will drop when he is putting pressure on them in work, it's what they're designed to do.
I had a similar problem with my boy a 14.1hh Arab x Welsh, he had a short back. had to have a 15 inch saddle, tried a 16 in and it was too long on him, it mustn't go past the ribcage.
He really is a georgous neddy, good luck showing him.
 
I really like him! His hind leg looks a little straight but other than that he is lovely, he looks very 'presency' on those pics :). Definitely get him out showing. Unless you are tiny a 15 inch saddle will be very difficult to ride in, how big is he and what is his breeding?
 
Thanks for the lovely replies.

He is 13.1hh and a brookhall pony by Eeabrook democrat.

I am 5ft1 and just shy of 8 stone so I feel ok in a 15 inch luckily.

Someone suggested hillwork for the back end if he muscles up it will help him look a bit less straight?

He does have a lot of prescence he is quite sharp I bought him because the lady who had him had bought him for her 6 year old daughter and he wasn't really a first pony, athough he's not naughty really, he's totally bombrpoof but he is very forward thinking which is probably a bit off putting for a tiny child. He is also quite a 'big' 13.1hh so she looked like a pee on a drum. I think they did the classic where they want to buy their child the prettiest first pony they can find regardless of suitability! He's so incredibly good natured he's an absolute love to handle. I think even if we stick to local he'll do well. These pics are him roughed off and only having been used to plod around on the lead rein so he's pretty flabby. i think when he's fit and had a good brush and been suitably fed he'll scrub up well. :D

I have since tried a farrington WH lovely saddle, 15 inc looks good. All looked set to fit until i got aboard and it sank too low just one finger fit above the withers. I am saving for the NP silhouette, stunning and I love my NP my arab/welsh wears but he's 14.3hh so it's much too big for this little guy. :p
 
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