Saddle for reaaaaly short horse - help!

QueenT

QueenT

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Looking for a dressage saddle for a really short back fjord horse - tree length only 38 cms/15” (I can fit into a 16” seat). Chamber MW/adjustable. Any recommendations on brands/models are welcome - local fitter doesn’t have any on hand that short
 
Landcruiser said:
Strada?
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Strada are all 17" afaik, I think they used to be but not sure if that still stands. They do have short panels.

@QueenT this may ultimately come down to what fitters you have access to, as these sorts of saddles often have specialist fitters. I would consider specialist wide brands which are experienced with shorter backs, and also treeless, which have really come on with lots of options for a good, stable fit for horse and rider.

I would say to be very aware that shortening the panel is not a net sum gain as it were, you can't just go, oh shorten it by 1" or more. The SMS themselves recommend only 1/2" shorter, and you will find that the depth of the panel at the back has to decrease too. If your pony is croup high, sloping directly under the saddle too, then that may be fine or even helpful, but on more level backs it will make fitting the saddle in balance almost impossible. A flexible treeless type of saddle has slightly different fitting rules hence my suggestion.

I would also say than MW is very narrow for a Fjord, I've only fitted a few but they average somewhere between XW and XXW I'd say, some are even wider, so there's a chance your horse is lacking muscle and is a bit compromised in its posture. Groundwork is a really good idea if you can, before getting a new saddle otherwise you may find that they improve quickly and the new saddle no longer fits. There's a thread on "slow walk work" posted on here recently which might be a place to start.
 
Cowpony said:
If you are aiming to compete BD I don't think you are allowed to use a treeless saddle
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You are, as long as it has a pommel and cantle, so Shetland pads, TCS etc are banned. For Ghost (the one I know about) you just can't order the extra, external, front arch and you'd probably want to err on the side of it looking reasonably traditional (I think you can have black, brown, navy or grey).

Roxylola said:
Would you consider a show saddle? Straight cut and might give you more options?
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I generally would advise against it. For some it might work but actually it can give less room than a dressage or GP - the lack of knee space can push the rider back in the seat, or the knee comes over the front. Dressage saddles often have higher set blocks allowing the knee more space, and of course GP flaps are more forward cut full stop.

They also are almost always a mid to rear balance point which reduces options (see https://stephaniebloomsaddlefitter.co.uk/blog-and-resources/the-search-for-knee-room) and a forward set, GP position, stirrup bar. If fitting correctly to a healthy back then the straight cut offers no benefit in terms of fitting the horse and its shoulders. They do have a more open seat but that's literally the only thing going in their favour as a style of saddle for this purpose, sorry!
 
A TCS plus their saddle seat, which has a pomel and cantle, is dressage legal. Or was about a year ago, they'll tell you before you buy.

Its not for everyone but I love them and definitely better than a saddle which doesn't fit.
 
Jambarissa said:
A TCS plus their saddle seat, which has a pomel and cantle, is dressage legal. Or was about a year ago, they'll tell you before you buy.

Its not for everyone but I love them and definitely better than a saddle which doesn't fit.
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I thought it was something they're working on, that a TCS can be used for jumping but not BD? Not something I've looked into closely so you may be absolutely right
 
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