Saddle advice

[Mikec80]

I am looking for some help in choosing a saddle. My daughter has a small section a pony who we are about to get organise getting fitted for a saddle however my daughter is very keen on getting into showing him when the shows resume. She intends to start with some first ridden to gain some experience but her real interest is in the m&m working hunter showing. Is anyone able to point us in the direction of what type of saddle we should be looking for, can a gp saddle be used for all of the above ? I know brown is the preferred colour for showing but really don’t want to be having to purchase a second saddle for showing at a later point.

 

[Wheels]

You can use a gp yes, brown preferred! If it is county level though most horses will be wearing a show saddle. There are also working hunter saddles that are more straight cut than a GP but have a knee roll to assist with the jumping.

Many ponies will have a normal saddle for every day activities and a show saddle just for the show ring as some of them are not suitable for daily use

 

[Mikec80]

I believe she just wants to do a few first ridden local shows to gain some experience and then after that move on to the working hunter as this is where her main interest seems to be. Would a working hunter saddle be practical enough for daily use as well as showing as its not just the cost of purchasing a second saddle but also storing 2 saddles would be a real pain.

 

[Wheels]

it depends on the saddle itself and the brand to some extent. Some are better made than others but if it's only local level then a gp would be fine anyway

 

[Baywonder]

OP, have a look at Fylde Saddlery - they specialise in showing saddles and will happily answer any questions you have.

 

[sbloom]

It depends on the riders leg length relative to the seat size the pony can take too, I fit GP saddles to ponies that do workers all the time but the designs are very neat, some GPs are too bulky and won't look right in the show ring apart from at the lowest levels. However a rider with a shorter leg relative to saddle size will find a straight cut saddle absolutely fine for jumping, those with a longer thigh or who ride shorter, will likely want something more forwards cut and in fact in many "plaited" workers classes (as opposed to M&M which your Section A would compete in) they actually use jump saddles in many cases. As long as the fitter fits correctly back off the shoulder it'd be fine.

 

[jnb]

I'd aim for a Working Hunter or VSD/Straighter cut GP - definitely brown.
Personally I wouldn't touch Fylde, try Jeffries, Fiona Cork, older Black Country, Ideal unless the sort that aren't flocked.
Unless they're jumping over 3ft 6 -then maybe consider a jumping saddle!