Saddle for Connemara. Tight budget!!

atlantis

atlantis

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I've got rid of my T8 dressage saddle as, although 2 saddles said it fitted, pony told me otherwise and it moved far too much for my liking, even with shaped girth.

I'm currently riding her in a flexee, which she seems comfortable in, but it's so wide it's making my back agony. I'm tight in the hips, left very tight and I'm seeing Physio and doing exercises but this saddle is simply making my back hurt!! So nice idea but back to the drawing board!!

I like the look of AH saddles (I know they're not native pony saddles any more etc etc) but I simply don't have the budget for one brand new. Do they come up second hand?

So any recommendations for my wide barrelled some wither (but not much) Connemara? Second hand I suppose. Or I'll keep hacking out in the flexee and save save save!!!

Thanks.
 
adam ellis saddles are cracking on connies, fit all of ours at the dealers even the barrel 1s !! if you ask him he will make the gullet wide all the way down they aren't too expensive either :) or you can pick them up 2nd hand
 
If you join AH's FB page second hand ones come up on there, and occasionally pre-loved and eBay.
If you post a pic of pony on the page, Steph or Andrea will normally advise what might be a good fit. Then it's just fingers crossed!
That being said if it is a DR saddle you are looking for then I wouldn't hold your breath, never seen a second hand AH one, I have one and I don't think I could ever part with it!!
 
It sounds like the DR saddle might be a plan though if your back is bothering you? The DR saddle has a nice narrow (ish) twist, and even on a wide horse it is very comfortable - I love my horse but I don't want to feel like I'm sat astride a dinner table!
 
Keep saving for an ah saddle. Just had our Conny fitted by the lovely steph bloom with a new jumping saddle. It's perfectly stable & instructor was very excited about the mares beautiful canter on the weekend.
 
If it's an old Native Pony saddle then I have the 'Glen' on my connie, love it, they do come up second hand sometimes, now they are AH saddles.
 
Check out the forum Horse Gossip and the Facebook group 'Show gear for sale and wanted'

Although you aren't necessarily looking for a showing saddle you do see a lot of working hunter saddles come up as well as the odd dressage and GP and some showing saddles these days have a decent seat and knee roll. people will often say 'used on a X type of pony' which helps (though of course not an exact science!)

I find the people in those places not to be too over the top with pricing and very helpful when it comes to questions
 
Thanks all for the replies. I really need to sort this out and I will continue to save for a AH saddle. I've seen they're at YHL so I'll go see them there.

For buying second hand saddles... With my last horse (last saddle shopping over 10 years ago) I called a saddler and he brought a van full of second hand saddles that might fit. That doesn't seem available now do people really buy saddles one at a time, check it, doesn't fit do sell and buy another? It seems mad!!!

I'll keep a look out for show saddles that's a good plan.

I did see a Fiona cork saddle at YHL last year. That was gorgeous and she has connies. But again you get the saddler out for that one make and if it doesn't fit then you're £50 down and still no saddle!!!
 
I have had a number of Connemaras and tried various saddles, my Jeffries falcon hawk event saddle seems to be the one that fits them all the best, it has a flatter shaped tree and panels so sits very well on their native flat backs . It also helps that it is very comfy and secure! also pretty easy to come about 2nd hand I believe.

Try Nicola Barry at vale view (buckaroo equine), she turned up to mine recently with a van full of 2nd hand saddles for my sister's pony :)
 
Hoof_Prints said:
I have had a number of Connemaras and tried various saddles, my Jeffries falcon hawk event saddle seems to be the one that fits them all the best, it has a flatter shaped tree and panels so sits very well on their native flat backs . It also helps that it is very comfy and secure! also pretty easy to come about 2nd hand I believe.

Try Nicola Barry at vale view (buckaroo equine), she turned up to mine recently with a van full of 2nd hand saddles for my sister's pony :)
Click to expand...

Oh did she. It's a bit far over from me now but they do come out this way. Thank you!!!
 
Defo ring AH or comfort saddles for a 2nd hand or a demo saddle. Had a fab Glen with gel for my hipo from eBay! £400, otherwise try ideal Ramsey.
 
I'm the Steph that fits for AH Saddles, the sport pony tree is the classic Connie fit, not all sellers know what they have but we can usually help from photos or the near side flap ID, it's available in models from showing, through WH and GP to jumping, and more recently has come in an upswept panel design that works especially well for croup high shapes.
 
On my Connie mare I have and Ideal Ramsey, wide, my Highland and Newforest and old GFS working hunter which you should be able to pick up for about £200 if you can find one.
I think a lot of fitters have no idea how to fit natives which often have a wide barrel and low withers so the saddle appears to sit too low of the withers but actually the fit is ok. I would go to one of the bigger showing shows were they carry a lot of pony saddle stock SH or new. Happy hunting.
 
Thank you all so much. Lots to think about.

sbloom how might I know what width my pony would be? I have (somewhere) a wither measurement from a recent saddler visit. Could you (or I) tell from that so I don't go miles wrong? It seems that xw in one make is w in another and xxw in something else.
 
We judge from photos or of course best of all from a hands on fitting. If you really don't know that (and not everyone does of course) then you really do need the help of a fitter, not sure if you're planning on getting one out and no time to recap thread. More than happy to help in any way I can if you have seen one of our saddles and want to know if it will fit, there's more to even the fit at the front than the pure tree width (pommel width therefore arch shape, depth of panels etc). I find that tracings are only a very rough guide to the width that actually fits best, it just adds to other evidence rather than being reliable on its own.
 
Only thing that would touch my connie was a kent and masters GP. Thet tend to mearue up short so i ended up with a 17.5 ut fits him like a 17. The changeable gullets and girthing options are great as ou can tailor them for the pony. I paid 900 euros new but you could get second hand much cheaper
 
Ideal working hunter saddles all the way.

My Connie has been successful in flat showing, working hunter and is now doing dressage with results in the 70s - all with the Ideal!!
 
I have an Ideal for my connie, can't remember the exact model. It's super comfy and not too pricey. I paid 700-800 brand new about 5 years ago.
 
I have 2 (very barrel-shaped ones) in Thorowgoods and change the gullets as and when required, 1 in a Hastilow (again with changeable gullet) and one in a Wychanger - no i'd never heard of it either, but my saddler had a 2nd hand one in stock! Prior to that they were all in Cliff Barnsby PC saddles, but the children grew out of them!
 
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