I Bought the wrong saddle

[Flame_]

Horse's saddle is too tight and needs replacing. I saw one on ebay in the right size and shape that might do the job. Paid reasonable money for it. Got all optimistic about it actually fitting and being able to ride again, then read the company's blurb about it and its a pony saddle, duh.

As I'm only 5'2 and horse is 15 hands on his tip-toes what are the odds of it doing the job until I source something better?

Please don't say get a saddler, I've bought the wrong saddles with their input in the past too!

 

[Lady Jane]

Have you actually tried it? At 15hh a pony saddle could be fine. Without seeing pics no one can comment

 

[Flame_]

No, it's not arrived yet. That's what my glimmer of hope is, but I've no idea if it's realistic. Glad to hear it might be!

 

[Kaylum]

What defines it as a pony saddle?

 

[Flame_]

Ideal Classic, made with young riders in mind (and sadly I am not a young rider). Some shops describe it as a pony saddle and it just appears less substantial than the other GPs on the website.

I suppose I won't know until it gets here how little it is or isn't. I expect the flaps will be a bit short, I don't know what else, but the seat is 17".

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

My 19hh warmbood is in a 17 inch saddle, a friends 14.3hh is in an 18 inch. Saddle seat size bears no correlation to height of horse, it's more how long their back is and how big your rump is
In short: you won't know until it arrives.
I would pay close attention to how wise the space between the panels is, as I would imagine the ligament each side of the spine on a pony would be smaller (narrower) than that which a horse may need.

 

[Birker2020]

My 19hh warmbood is in a 17 inch saddle, a friends 14.3hh is in an 18 inch. Saddle seat size bears no correlation to height of horse, it's more how long their back is and how big your rump is
In short: you won't know until it arrives.
I would pay close attention to how wise the space between the panels is, as I would imagine the ligament each side of the spine on a pony would be smaller (narrower) than that which a horse may need.

I agree although I would say that the saddle shouldn't extend further than the last rib and its more to do with how long your leg length is as to what seat size. A short 'round' person wouldn't necessarily be suited to an 18" saddle as they might be a bit lost in it. A 6ft 4" rider with a small bottom would need a bigger length saddle due to their long legs.

 

[asmp]

You‘re not the only to one to have done that. I bought a saddle off ebay as i thought it was exactly what we were looking for. Unfortunately I didn’t ask a certain question which would have made me know it was the wrong saddle. We drove all the way to Cardiff to collect it, about 4 hrs round trip and as soon as I took it out of the seller’s house I realised it wasn’t the right one. On the plus side I sold it for more than I bought it for!

 

[doodle]

I bought a very odd dressage saddle. Was 17.5 but even with the longer dressage flaps the flaps were really short. I sold on again without sitting in it as it was just strange.

 

[EventingMum]

Wait and try it, my 5'6" slight DiL has a short backed 15.2hh and recently got a 16.5" pannel dressage saddle with a 17" seat and it is a perfect fit for both her and the horse.

 

[sbloom]

A pony saddle is whatever you want it to be, I would never describe a 17" saddle of any kind as only a pony saddle. The Ideal Classic is a basic saddle, don't think it has a ton of leg room, flattish seat/tree if standard (Ideals are nearly always made to order so potentially have any tree in them), shallow rear gussets, usual pommel shape (slightly bell shaped IME). I am size 12-14, 5'8 and fit in some 17" saddles.

 

[sbloom]

I agree although I would say that the saddle shouldn't extend further than the last rib and its more to do with how long your leg length is as to what seat size. A short 'round' person wouldn't necessarily be suited to an 18" saddle as they might be a bit lost in it. A 6ft 4" rider with a small bottom would need a bigger length saddle due to their long legs.

Equally a round person with a big bottom needs space in the seat, and if they're heavy they need a decent panel area, and a straighter cut flap/higher set blocks, and a very tall person with a small hip measurement will swim in a big seat. Never cut and dried.

 

[Flame_]

Thanks for the replies. It actually got here early about half an hour ago. It's the flaps underneath the flaps, IYKWIM that are not full size. I know me and horse suit 17 inch saddles and horse is generally a wide fit. I am short and only about 9 stone but have a big bum. I like the flat seat thing, I also liked this one because it's buffalo and because I ride quite short and find lots of saddles have the knee blocks in the wrong place for me, but i don't jump and don't want a jump saddle.

I'll find out how it sits on the horse then if that's ok we'll see if it can work. Happily it's a very smart saddle in great condition if I do need to move it on again

 

[Lady Jane]

Thanks for the replies. It actually got here early about half an hour ago. It's the flaps underneath the flaps, IYKWIM that are not full size. I know me and horse suit 17 inch saddles and horse is generally a wide fit. I am short and only about 9 stone but have a big bum. I like the flat seat thing, I also liked this one because it's buffalo and because I ride quite short and find lots of saddles have the knee blocks in the wrong place for me, but i don't jump and don't want a jump saddle.

I'll find out how it sits on the horse then if that's ok we'll see if it can work. Happily it's a very smart saddle in great condition if I do need to move it on again

Sounds promising - do let us know how it goes

 

[Flame_]

Sadly it's not quite right. A little bit too wide at the front with not much clearance over withers. Once I'm on it could well be touching them, which is a surprise since my horse doesn't have particularly pronounced withers. After a brief sulk of the "Woe is me, I'll never solve it and don't know what do" variety, I thought "try it again with a big thick prolite pad and try and make it do until I can sort something better". I hate saddles. I own a beautiful, comfortable, adjustable, dogs-bollox of saddles Reactor Panel but horse didn't like it, it wouldn't stay in the right place and I gave up having fitting after fitting!

 

[sbloom]

I remember the RP

 

[Shysmum]

I gave up and went treeless ?

 

[Palindrome]

I have just bought the wrong saddle too. I have a GP saddle but have wanted the dressage version for ages. I finally found one local to me, bought it, brought it home and then realized it's a 16'5 and not a 17'5. My bum fits in it but my knees go beyond the flap at the front... Now thinking of eating only lettuce for 3 weeks to try to fit in it, oh well, there are days with and days without.

 

[sbloom]

My bum fits in it but my knees go beyond the flap at the front... Now thinking of eating only lettuce for 3 weeks to try to fit in it, oh well, there are days with and days without.

Good luck shrinking your femur length with lettuce (have a watch of Loves and Lives of a She Devil for the only real option )

 

[tda]

Ideal Classic, made with young riders in mind (and sadly I am not a young rider). Some shops describe it as a pony saddle and it just appears less substantial than the other GPs on the website.

I suppose I won't know until it gets here how little it is or isn't. I expect the flaps will be a bit short, I don't know what else, but the seat is 17".

Ooh I've got one of these, bought it around 2001 I think, best saddle I've had, still use it on a couple of ponies when I ever ride. Mine is a 17" wide or extra wide, I have not found the flaps to be short.
When I say ponies, largest is 14.2hh substantial dales mare

 

[Flame_]

I remember the RP

Yes, you were really helpful, thanks! Bloody frustrating experience.

Horse has been in an ancient L & R since I gave up on the RP, which was great until last year when I started thinking he might have filled out too much for it. He was off for the winter then after coming back to work it's pretty clear it's not useable this year. I used to have an Ideal Classic, I liked it, it was good and went on more than one similar horse, hence thinking one might do, but those horses were in fact ponies so I ought to have done more research

Would anyone care to vote for or against ordering a brand new L & R, I love them, what are the odds of that working?

 

[BaronSamedi]

Is L & R Lovett and Ricketts? Do they still make them?

 

[Lipglosspukka]

I gave up and went treeless ?

Same. I just don't have the patience. IMO treed saddles need to be regularly adjusted as the horse loses/gains weight or gets more muscle etc through the seasons which I frankly cannot be assed to deal with.

 

[Flame_]

Is L & R Lovett and Ricketts? Do they still make them?

Yeah, but they're really expensive now and seem to primarily sell to the USA.

I actually picked up one of their dressage saddles a year or so ago which might have been great except its the bleeding wonkiest thing I've ever come across and has had some weird, bad alterations to the girth billets. That is with the collection upstairs if anyone is looking for a beautiful saddle for a scarily wonky horse

 

[Tiddlypom]

I had a new L&R GP fitted to my horse - it was shockingly wonky. Tbf, the saddlery shop did subsequently agree that the saddle was faulty. They gave me a full refund and sacked L&R.

This was 25 years ago. You’d have hoped that they’d improved by now or gone bust.

 

[Flame_]

I had a new L&R GP fitted to my horse - it was shockingly wonky. Tbf, the saddlery shop did subsequently agree that the saddle was faulty. They gave me a full refund and sacked L&R.

This was 25 years ago. You’d have hoped that they’d improved by now or gone bust.

Right, that's a big strike against investing in that direction even if it was 25 years ago. Thanks!

 

[BaronSamedi]

I’ve recently got a second hand L&R which fits Baron brilliantly and he loves but it’s a bit tatty so I was thinking of saving up for a newer one but wasn’t sure if they still made them

 

[sbloom]

They are still made, they're just not a well known brand, and bear in mind that can go against you when selling a used saddle. Then you've got to look to the fitting, who's the fitter and do you trust them, almost more important than the brand, especially with non-specialist saddles fitted by local saddle fitters.