Premier Equine Tack

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AppyLover1996

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Hi Guys,

I'm posting on behalf of my friend who doesn't have the internet :)

She is currently looking for a saddle for her 3 year old that she can use to back him and begin his ridden career. He is roughly 16.1hh, medium boned, has some wither but not a massive shark fin type, he isn't a slim horse but equally he isn't a round barrel type horse either. She is a size 16 in clothes and can fit in a 16.5" saddle upwards. Her 3 year old can take a 16.5" saddle no problem and can go up to a 17" saddle if ever needed. She will primarily be hacking so comfort is a big factor, but she would also like to do dressage and potter around a few tests so is open to the idea of a dressage saddle or a GP saddle.

She has come across Premier Equine saddles, loves that they are adjustable and seem to be a good value price point for their money, however we are struggling to chat to anyone who has experience with the Premier Equine saddles, so I said I would pop a post on here to you lovely lot!

So hit me up with anything and everything to do with Premier Equine saddles - what are they like to fit, how do they wear, any pros, any cons and anything else you think my friend needs to know :)

She of course is getting a saddler to come out and check the fit of the saddle once she has brought it before she even considers using it - also she is open to other brands of saddles as long as they are below the £1,200.00 mark - bonus points if they offer a synthetic option :)
 
Can she definitely fit into a 16.5 inch saddle?

I've not heard the best things about the premier equine saddles and honestly I would get a saddle fitter out first to measure up and suggest a saddle, then buy one through saddlebank and get the fitter back out in the 5 day trial
 
TBH it’s not just the seat size and tree adjustability to consider but the tree shape some saddles have flatter trees some more curved. I’ve no idea what premier equine saddled are built on. I agree get a saddle fitter to come assess the horse maybe one that does secondhand. I’d rather have a secondhand I know is the right shape than a brand new that might not
 
AppyLover1996 said:
Hi Guys,

I'm posting on behalf of my friend who doesn't have the internet :)

She is currently looking for a saddle for her 3 year old that she can use to back him and begin his ridden career. He is roughly 16.1hh, medium boned, has some wither but not a massive shark fin type, he isn't a slim horse but equally he isn't a round barrel type horse either. She is a size 16 in clothes and can fit in a 16.5" saddle upwards. Her 3 year old can take a 16.5" saddle no problem and can go up to a 17" saddle if ever needed. She will primarily be hacking so comfort is a big factor, but she would also like to do dressage and potter around a few tests so is open to the idea of a dressage saddle or a GP saddle.

She has come across Premier Equine saddles, loves that they are adjustable and seem to be a good value price point for their money, however we are struggling to chat to anyone who has experience with the Premier Equine saddles, so I said I would pop a post on here to you lovely lot!

So hit me up with anything and everything to do with Premier Equine saddles - what are they like to fit, how do they wear, any pros, any cons and anything else you think my friend needs to know :)

She of course is getting a saddler to come out and check the fit of the saddle once she has brought it before she even considers using it - also she is open to other brands of saddles as long as they are below the £1,200.00 mark - bonus points if they offer a synthetic option :)
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If horse is only 3 it’s a bit young to be doing all those activities. Should really still be doing ground work & in hand activities. Also size 16 in clothes means nothing. What weight is she? Which 16,5” saddle does she fit in? Best to get a saddle fitter to assess horse & rider & recommend which saddles might suit them both, then look for a second hand one as young horses change shape very quickly so a saddle that fits now won’t fit in 6-12 months time.
 
There are more well known choices for that price point- it would be worth getting a saddler out that keeps a stock of different saddles, as 16.5" in one brand will ride very differently to 16.5" in another.
As said above, tree shape (not just width) makes a huge difference.
Thorowgood, wintec etc are all around that sort of price new and more of a known quantity.
If you can find a saddler that sticks second hand saddles (they're getting rarer these days) then that can also be a threat way to get a good saddle a bit cheaper. They also generally hold more value if you need to sell them on as the horse changes shape
 
if she is a size 16 she will not fit in a 16.5 saddle, sorry! maybe a typo and you meant size 6?

these have a fairly flat tree, will fit horses with fairly straight back profile, similar to wintecs.

they were too straight or my compact TB and bridged badly.

if the horse more suits K&M/throwgood these are unlikely to fit
 
Mari said:
If horse is only 3 it’s a bit young to be doing all those activities. Should really still be doing ground work & in hand activities. Also size 16 in clothes means nothing. What weight is she? Which 16,5” saddle does she fit in? Best to get a saddle fitter to assess horse & rider & recommend which saddles might suit them both, then look for a second hand one as young horses change shape very quickly so a saddle that fits now won’t fit in 6-12 months time.
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Hi,

Thanks for your reply, just a small heads up - the young horse isn't doing any of these activities and will be taken through the process EXTREMELY slowly - it's a long term goal of hers to do dressage etc. He does plenty of groundwork and in hand activities and will continue to do so until he shows that he is ready for ridden work - she absolutely adores all her animals and they get the best of everything. I promise you he won't be doing anything remotely strenuous until he is at least 7 or 8 and fully matured in body and mind :) She's also going to get the vet out and do a full and thorough work through before she starts the backing process, and is planning on having the vet out (alongside chiro and physio) at various stages of the backing process to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible for everyone involved. My friend likes to plan ahead as she's quite an anxious person so having a plan in place etc helps keep her grounded and feeling ok.

She is just under 14 stone and fits in a 16.5" Thorowgood pony club long leg saddle but she got rid of it, as she wasn't going to be using it for a long time and there was a little girl who needed the saddle more than she did, so she kindly gave the little girl her saddle.

As per my original post, she's deffo getting a saddle fitter out - it's the saddler who has asked her to gather opinions on what saddle brands and types she likes, and yes she will deffo be getting second hand :)
 
quiteniceforacob said:
Can she definitely fit into a 16.5 inch saddle?

I've not heard the best things about the premier equine saddles and honestly I would get a saddle fitter out first to measure up and suggest a saddle, then buy one through saddlebank and get the fitter back out in the 5 day trial
Click to expand...
Hiya,

Yep she can deffo fit into a 16.5" saddle - it was the same size as her old Thorowgood and she's ridden mainly in saddles between 16.5" and 17.5" but prefers the 16.5" for the security as she finds anything bigger too much area in the seat room if that makes sense?

Ah right - I'll tell her that and let her know it's best to go for a different brand - they don't have a lot of reviews on them which I did find a bit odd to be fair.....

Yeah she is deffo getting a saddler out - it's the saddler who's asked her to compile a list of brands etc that she likes :)
 
unless she carries all her weight in her boobs, a 16.5 saddle will mean she is sat on the back of it and is putting all her weight over a tiny area of the horses back.

i am just over 8 stone clothed and use a 16 saddle.........................being able to sit in it doesn't mean it fits.
 
She might be able to physically fit her backside into a 16.5” saddle, but the weight won’t be distributed sufficiently IMO. I am 9 stone and I can just about get away with a flat seated 16.5” on my compact WB

Anyway, that’s a bit beside the point. No, I wouldn’t use a PE saddle, and yes, I would get a fitter to take a proper look and fit something second hand that will work well for the horse for the most important rides of its life.
 
I know this isn’t what you asked but hey, it’s the internet, I’ll join the unsolicited advice queue.

Someone who is size 16 will be too heavy to be backing a 16.1hh 3yo. I’ve been there and I lost the weight to be able to get on them at 4/5. Furthermore a size 16 will be too big to fit in a 16.5’ saddle.

Back to the question, ignoring the above.

I have no experience of PE saddles so won’t comment on them. But from years of experience pretty much all horses won’t stay in the same saddle as the get older. I like an adjustable saddle, and have one as my main breaking saddle (a bates sj) but there is only so much it can be adjusted and that will apply to the PE too. I would strongly advise buying a commercial brand, secondhand. You will get less depreciation and easier to sell on as and when you need to change it.
 
SpeedyPony said:
There are more well known choices for that price point- it would be worth getting a saddler out that keeps a stock of different saddles, as 16.5" in one brand will ride very differently to 16.5" in another.
As said above, tree shape (not just width) makes a huge difference.
Thorowgood, wintec etc are all around that sort of price new and more of a known quantity.
If you can find a saddler that sticks second hand saddles (they're getting rarer these days) then that can also be a threat way to get a good saddle a bit cheaper. They also generally hold more value if you need to sell them on as the horse changes shape
Click to expand...
Hiya,

Thank you - I'll be sure to let my friend know - she's deffo getting a saddler out, it's the saddler who's asked her to compile a list of brands etc that she likes the look of :)
 
i am under 13 stone and size 14/16 and there is no way I could get myself in a 16.5 saddle it would literally jam all the pressure into the cantle and create huge pressure points. . I ride in 18 inch and always have even when down to 11.5 stone …. Though I am also fairly tall.

You need to get some decent advice for horse and rider. Not just but what you think might work.
 
ihatework said:
I know this isn’t what you asked but hey, it’s the internet, I’ll join the unsolicited advice queue.

Someone who is size 16 will be too heavy to be backing a 16.1hh 3yo. I’ve been there and I lost the weight to be able to get on them at 4/5. Furthermore a size 16 will be too big to fit in a 16.5’ saddle.

Back to the question, ignoring the above.

I have no experience of PE saddles so won’t comment on them. But from years of experience pretty much all horses won’t stay in the same saddle as the get older. I like an adjustable saddle, and have one as my main breaking saddle (a bates sj) but there is only so much it can be adjusted and that will apply to the PE too. I would strongly advise buying a commercial brand, secondhand. You will get less depreciation and easier to sell on as and when you need to change it.
Click to expand...

Hiya,

Thanks for the advice :)

In response to your first point - Just to add that she's got no intention of getting on him when he is 3 as she is aware that she needs to loose the weight in order to back him safely and correctly and also make sure that everyone is happy. She's got a physio and chiro who work in conjunction with her vet and they will be coming out every 3 months (all 3 of them) to check over the 3 year old and she will be having him regularly checked in order to make sure that he isn't sore anywhere :) If needed she will be getting her instructor (we share the same one) to do the entire backing process if she is still too heavy after a year or so. She's aiming to drop at least one size if not more. She absolutely adores all her animals and wants only the best for them and won't let her pride get in the way - I promise :)

Currently she's doing a ton of in hand work and ground work - she's more looking into a saddle just to pop on his back to get him used to it etc and maybe have a small sit here and there once she's lost the weight (we share the same instructor who will be doing the first sit etc and she's about 8 stone fully soaked as the old saying goes aha!) - and also the in hand work and groundwork has the benefit of helping her to shift the weight too.

I'll steer her in the direction of an adjustable saddle brand that is well known and get her to forget the Premier Equine saddles - she did mention the other day that she quite likes the Bates saddles so I'll gently redirect her towards one :)
 
LEC said:
i am under 13 stone and size 14/16 and there is no way I could get myself in a 16.5 saddle it would literally jam all the pressure into the cantle and create huge pressure points. . I ride in 18 inch and always have even when down to 11.5 stone …. Though I am also fairly tall.

You need to get some decent advice for horse and rider. Not just but what you think might work.
Click to expand...

Hiya,

She's getting a saddler out and following all veterinary advice (including shifting some weight before she considers sitting on her youngster!) - it's the saddler who's asked her to compile a list of saddle brands that she likes etc :)

She had a 16.5" Thorowgood Long Leg Adult saddle fitted to her and her old horse and they didn't have any issues regarding sore points etc - but I'll be sure to pass on to her that she might need to consider a bigger seat size to avoid any problems :)
 
Hallo2012 said:
unless she carries all her weight in her boobs, a 16.5 saddle will mean she is sat on the back of it and is putting all her weight over a tiny area of the horses back.

i am just over 8 stone clothed and use a 16 saddle.........................being able to sit in it doesn't mean it fits.
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Hiya,

She had a 16.5" saddle professionally fitted and checked every 3 months with her old horse until he retired and there were never any problems regarding the saddle fit, where she was sitting etc. The vet, physio and chiro also gave her now retired horse a clean bill of health at every check.

I delicately suggested about her saddle fit and she happily invited me along to a fitting to see what the saddler said, along with a vet appointment, chiro appointment and physio appointment. She also asked me to get a saddler neither of us knew and asked them to check the fit of her and the saddle and they said it fit her fine. I do agree though it is a tad bizarre! She is very well chested too so I think that is where some of the weight is :)
 
Hi guys,

Just wanting to pop a little something before closing the post as I've seen that quite a lot of you guys are saying to go for a better branded saddle second hand, which is what I'll be advising her to do :)

She understands that she is too heavy for her young horse at the moment and both are going to carry on doing plenty of groundwork and in hand work before she even contemplates sitting on him. Our instructor will be doing the first sit and first few steps and then that will be it for my friend's 3 year old until he turns 4 - at which point she'll be going through the whole process again and carrying on with ridden work. She has the chiro and physio out every 3 months and will continue to do so for the entirety of her 3 year old's life and she will be getting regular vet checks done on him too (including x-rays etc) to make sure that he is developing safely and correctly with no adverse effects or issues. She's also spoken to our instructor and has said that if she isn't light enough to ride when her 3 year old turns 4, our instructor will be doing the rebacking work and riding him until she is at a safe weight.

I'll also be sure to gently mention that she might not be able to find a saddle to fit both her and her young horse given the seat restriction on her young horse and her weight (she's aiming to eventually be a size 12 and about 12 stone max) and that she might have to go down the made to measure route or at worst sell her young horse (selling would kill her but she always puts her animals health first no matter what she feels).

Thank you all for your help :)
 
That is a decent budget for a saddle she will have no problem getting one. Just stick to the saddle fitters advise and don’t be swayed by adjustable as they sometimes are not the be all and end all. An older one that fits well all over for 3 months then is changed will be better than just changing a gullet and forgetting the rest of the saddle. There is no point getting a forever saddle until he is backed and in work a while and she’s at her target weight.
 
AppyLover1996 said:
Hiya,

Yep she can deffo fit into a 16.5" saddle - it was the same size as her old Thorowgood and she's ridden mainly in saddles between 16.5" and 17.5" but prefers the 16.5" for the security as she finds anything bigger too much area in the seat room if that makes sense?

Ah right - I'll tell her that and let her know it's best to go for a different brand - they don't have a lot of reviews on them which I did find a bit odd to be fair.....

Yeah she is deffo getting a saddler out - it's the saddler who's asked her to compile a list of brands etc that she likes :)
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Without being rude, she needs a different saddle fitter.

I don't know what brands I like because I have one horse and ride him in the saddle that fits him and me. If I went to my saddle fitter and said "I would like a Harry Dabbs long leg high wither" (or whatever), I'd be told politely that I can want all I want...

My saddle fitter doesn't stock second hand and I can't afford new so if I want a new saddle she comes and checks and then recommends. It's not down to me to research because she is the expert?
 
quiteniceforacob said:
Without being rude, she needs a different saddle fitter.

I don't know what brands I like because I have one horse and ride him in the saddle that fits him and me. If I went to my saddle fitter and said "I would like a Harry Dabbs long leg high wither" (or whatever), I'd be told politely that I can want all I want...

My saddle fitter doesn't stock second hand and I can't afford new so if I want a new saddle she comes and checks and then recommends. It's not down to me to research because she is the expert?
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Hiya,

I have also politely said the same thing in so many words - I would have loved to have a Bates Artiste on my retired lad but there was no way on earth it would have fit him or I.

I've mentioned a few times but she is determined to stay loyal - hopefully showing her this thread will be enough to sway her mind.
 
ihatework said:
Nice to see non defensive responses to posts OP, whether we agree or not 👍
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Hiya,

I can't stand it when people ask for advice and then get horrid to people who help them - not everyone is going to agree but that is the beauty of the forum - you'll have different opinions but nearly always will be able to find a solution :)

I've spoken to my friend who agrees with you all and has said thank you for your help :)
 
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