saddle fitting?!

[Leyahs2003]

hi everyone so I’ve owned my pony for over a year now and I’ve been riding in a gp/jump saddle which was given to me with him. Only recently, I’ve been told by my aunt (who gave me him) that the saddle is too long and is probably hurting his back! So I’ve been searching and searching for a saddle and have finally found one a couple days ago, but we’ve decided to trial it and try and get a fitter out to make sure it fits. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find one and I was wondering if anyone on here would be able to help me? We were told that he would suit a 16/16.5 saddle, to which we did try one and it fit his back but it was farrr to small for me. So we went back and that’s when we got a 17” gp saddle which fits me perfectly but I don’t know if it’s too long for him?? Here’s a picture. Any comments would be really appreciated )

 

[SpotsandBays]

Difficult to tell from a photo. I’d get a saddler out that stocks various types that you can try/buy to make sure you get the correct size for him and you. Then you can look for second hand (or new if you can afford it) and get the fitter out once you’ve bought it. A fitter will be able to guide you on what style/brand might suit you both, good luck!

 

[Leyahs2003]

Difficult to tell from a photo. I’d get a saddler out that stocks various types that you can try/buy to make sure you get the correct size for him and you. Then you can look for second hand (or new if you can afford it) and get the fitter out once you’ve bought it. A fitter will be able to guide you on what style/brand might suit you both, good luck!

yes, we have tried looking for a saddler but none can come down within the time limit because we’re trying the saddle on trial, unfortunately. I do love this saddle and I want the best for him since he’s an ex school pony and has probably had a life of ill fitting saddles!! thank you for your advice though, Rosie x

 

[Wheels]

Send it back and then get a saddle fitter out with a good choice of different saddles to find the right one, otherwise you do risk hurting your horse and you do risk wasting a lot of money on something that isn't right

 

[holeymoley]

You need to have him more square on in the photo, I think it does look like it will be too long for him though I’m afraid.
A good tip for the length is to follow the rib up where the hair joins together at the flank. Ideally you shouldn’t be longer than that.

ETa - it looks overly big for him in general, looks like the knee roll will interfere with his shoulders

 

[Leyahs2003]

Send it back and then get a saddle fitter out with a good choice of different saddles to find the right one, otherwise you do risk hurting your horse and you do risk wasting a lot of money on something that isn't right

yeah.. it’s just such a shame because he seems to have such cobby shoulders but then his back is much finer than a cob so he’s quite difficult to fit. We have also been trying to find a fitter but obviously we haven’t got a lot of money to spend on multiple consultations as well as a more expensive saddle. It really is a shame though because the saddle fits perfectly everywhere else other than the length apparently? x

 

[Leyahs2003]

You need to have him more square on in the photo, I think it does look like it will be too long for him though I’m afraid.
A good tip for the length is to follow the rib up where the hair joins together at the flank. Ideally you shouldn’t be longer than that.

ETa - it looks overly big for him in general, looks like the knee roll will interfere with his shoulders

I have tried to sort of measure his back rib and go up and the saddle doesn’t seem to go anywhere near?? One thing I have noticed when I ride though, is that the bottom part of the panel can allow his shoulder to freely move but going up to the d rings, there’s not much room? X

 

[Wheels]

Yes it might cost you a bit more in the short term but could save you a lot in vets and physio fees further down the line.

Some fitters dont charge if you buy a saddle from them but you do need to budget for having it checked every 6 months or so.

What area are you in? Maybe someone can recommend a fitter for you that carries a range of affordable / 2nd hand saddles

 

[Griffin]

Yes it might cost you a bit more in the short term but could save you a lot in vets and physio fees further down the line.

Some fitters dont charge if you buy a saddle from them but you do need to budget for having it checked every 6 months or so.

What area are you in? Maybe someone can recommend a fitter for you that carries a range of affordable / 2nd hand saddles

I agree with Wheels. A well-fitting saddle is going to save you money and your horse pain in the long run.

Near me, saddlerys have just started doing interest-free credit on new saddles, so that may be an option to look into.

 

[poiuytrewq]

A saddler would be able to find a compromise, something that will fit you without being too long for him. There is for example a compact Kent and Masters now, possibly a Thorowgood version aswell. They are designed for shorter backed horses and longer legged rider combo’s. There are probably lots of ideas that someone qualified could come up with. It’s not just the length, in fact that’s probably the easy bit!

 

[Leyahs2003]

You need to have him more square on in the photo, I think it does look like it will be too long for him though I’m afraid.
A good tip for the length is to follow the rib up where the hair joins together at the flank. Ideally you shouldn’t be longer than that.

ETa - it looks overly big for him in general, looks like the knee roll will interfere with his shoulders

I have tried to sort of measure his back rib and go up and the saddle doesn’t seem to go anywhere near?? One thing I have noticed when I ride though, is that the

Yes it might cost you a bit more in the short term but could save you a lot in vets and physio fees further down the line.

Some fitters dont charge if you buy a saddle from them but you do need to budget for having it checked every 6 months or so.

What area are you in? Maybe someone can recommend a fitter for you that carries a range of affordable / 2nd hand saddles

im in the Surrey area x

 

[bubsqueaks]

Try AH GP Jump Saddles - they do a 17" upswept panel which means its basically a 16.5" on the horse but a 17" seat with more room for you - you can get them secondhand on facebook used native pony saddle site - their fab saddles - weve got 2 for our natives.

 

[Leyahs2003]

Try AH GP Jump Saddles - they do a 17" upswept panel which means its basically a 16.5" on the horse but a 17" seat with more room for you - you can get them secondhand on facebook used native pony saddle site - their fab saddles - weve got 2 for our natives.

ooh ok, I’ll try and look for some then. Thank you x

 

[Ellietotz]

I agree that it looks too big on the shoulder and the wrong shape like it will be digging in at the back but it is hard to tell from the photo. My mare is croup high and short backed but I need a 17" seat. The main thing I looked out for was the panel not coming out further than the end of the cantle as some can be quite long compared to the seat.
I would recommend a saddle fitter before spending any money though as you'll need to know what tree you need and some upswept rear panel saddles have a curved tree which may not suit your horse.
Good luck.

 

[Leyahs2003]

I agree that it looks too big on the shoulder and the wrong shape like it will be digging in at the back but it is hard to tell from the photo. My mare is croup high and short backed but I need a 17" seat. The main thing I looked out for was the panel not coming out further than the end of the cantle as some can be quite long compared to the seat.
I would recommend a saddle fitter before spending any money though as you'll need to know what tree you need and some upswept rear panel saddles have a curved tree which may not suit your horse.
Good luck.

yes, I agree. Thanks a lot for your advice x

 

[sbloom]

Send it back and then get a saddle fitter out with a good choice of different saddles to find the right one, otherwise you do risk hurting your horse and you do risk wasting a lot of money on something that isn't right

This, 100 times. One saddle, picked out by a rider and not a fitter, has a good chance of not fitting. You can't go beyond the back rib, the saddle MUST be right for the horse, you come second I'm afraid and can compromise, though obviously the aim of saddle fitting is to get as close to perfect for you too. Work with a fitter, some will bring saddles, others will advise on what to look for yourself, cheaper headline price but you'll potentially have to pay for two visits and adjustments.

The front edge of the tree points, no matter the flap cut/shape, must be 2" behind the back of the shoulder blade, and it must have suitable girth strap locations to keep it there, ie to drop the girth down into the girth groove. Only then can you assess whether the saddle is okay on the back rib, even then it's a judgement call, some say the tree itself can end at the rib but the panel go beyond (I don't go with that theory), or that the weight bearing area (but who defines that?!) doesn't go beyond the back rib. Then you need to extrapolate where that back rib is, as it goes under the long back muscle. All entirely possible for a rider to do but if you've not been shown by a saddle fitter, or equine anatomy expert, who you trust, then you might get it wrong.

The AH upswept panel can work on some shapes but not all, it's best where the back shape under the back of the saddle is already sweeping up. Your horse may be a candidate, hard to tell from such a photo.

 

[Leyahs2003]

This, 100 times. One saddle, picked out by a rider and not a fitter, has a good chance of not fitting. You can't go beyond the back rib, the saddle MUST be right for the horse, you come second I'm afraid and can compromise, though obviously the aim of saddle fitting is to get as close to perfect for you too. Work with a fitter, some will bring saddles, others will advise on what to look for yourself, cheaper headline price but you'll potentially have to pay for two visits and adjustments.

The front edge of the tree points, no matter the flap cut/shape, must be 2" behind the back of the shoulder blade, and it must have suitable girth strap locations to keep it there, ie to drop the girth down into the girth groove. Only then can you assess whether the saddle is okay on the back rib, even then it's a judgement call, some say the tree itself can end at the rib but the panel go beyond (I don't go with that theory), or that the weight bearing area (but who defines that?!) doesn't go beyond the back rib. Then you need to extrapolate where that back rib is, as it goes under the long back muscle. All entirely possible for a rider to do but if you've not been shown by a saddle fitter, or equine anatomy expert, who you trust, then you might get it wrong.

The AH upswept panel can work on some shapes but not all, it's best where the back shape under the back of the saddle is already sweeping up. Your horse may be a candidate, hard to tell from such a photo.

gosh, that’s a lot to take in but I want to learn! I will deffo look for a saddle fitter though and not ride in the saddle until we can get a new one x

 

[Melody Grey]

A saddler would be able to find a compromise, something that will fit you without being too long for him. There is for example a compact Kent and Masters now, possibly a Thorowgood version aswell. They are designed for shorter backed horses and longer legged rider combo’s. There are probably lots of ideas that someone qualified could come up with. It’s not just the length, in fact that’s probably the easy bit!

@poiuytrewq - do you know what the compact Kent & Masters is called please? I’m having a short- backed, long legged issue at the moment and I might look at this.

 

[SpotsandBays]

@poiuytrewq - do you know what the compact Kent & Masters is called please? I’m having a short- backed, long legged issue at the moment and I might look at this.

It’s called the Kent and Masters S-series compact. I have one and really like it!

 

[sbloom]

Deleted.