saddle for shetland and very young rider... ideas?

Bowen4Horses

Bowen4Horses

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Hi all

We're getting the little shetland on monday (whooppee!), so i'm cruising the mean streets of ebay... looking at saddles for shetlands...

having never owned a shetland... i'm in a bit of a saddle minefield...

so, it seems i can have felt pad, or treeless, or a cub saddle...

the main 'jockey' is a two and a half year old. so i was looking at the cub saddles as they seem to have a good amount of security (handle, high cantle etc) for small people...

there seems to be too much choice. can anyone recommend one please? are the wintecs any good? it has to be CHEAP... as we're totally skint until we move house...

also, what size am i going for? 12inch? or 14inch? i thought 14inch sounded a bit big (rider is normal 2yr old size, pony is 10hh).

thankies xxxx
 
When mine were small we had a thoroughgood?sp safari cub on a roly poly shetland. It has a handle for them to hang on and was great for lead rein mounted games.
The difficult part was getting a short enough dressage girth for it and eventually we had to have one altered.
This was some years ago however
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so there may be better things out there now
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We had a 12" cub saddle like this for my daughters shettie--- with an 'emergency handle'..

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She still uses it on her new larger pony as it pretty much fits anything being treeless, even though she has a leather saddle for showing...I think she likes the security of the handle.

They cost about £40 I think....you should be able to get a second hand one for less on e-bay.

ETA...sozz the pic turned out mahoosive......yes you can get loads os small girths for them these days, very cheap too. Also- I think 14" would be too big as well.
 
How cute - she looks an absolute doll (both your daughter and her pony). My daughter is 18 now so past gymkhana games etc... perhaps thats why I made the decsion to have another one - Evie is 5 months so a little way to go yet - doesnt stop me from looking though!

OP we got a synthetic treeless for our sec A x shetie, I think it is an auckland - not a brand I had heard of before, second hand at an equestrian jumble sale for £15. I think that is 12 inch, my daughter used it on her horse instead of a lunge roller and has used it for beach riding - god knows how she squashed her butt into it!
 
Thankyou!

Auckland, yes- thats the saddle in the pic.....it has taken some hammer and still wipes over and looks presentable. In fact, she used to do local shows in it with no saddle cloth before we found a leather one small enough, and no-one commented on it.
 
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How cute - she looks an absolute doll (both your daughter and her pony). My daughter is 18 now so past gymkhana games etc... perhaps thats why I made the decsion to have another one - Evie is 5 months so a little way to go yet - doesnt stop me from looking though!

OP we got a synthetic treeless for our sec A x shetie, I think it is an auckland - not a brand I had heard of before, second hand at an equestrian jumble sale for £15. I think that is 12 inch, my daughter used it on her horse instead of a lunge roller and has used it for beach riding - god knows how she squashed her butt into it!

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oooh, there are a couple of 'auckland' ones on ebay...
 
I wasn't 2. but I learned to ride on a felt saddle and I am sure that it gave me a good secure, natural seat. I never seemed to fall off when the pony spooked like other people. Some of these junior saddles look like boards with the children perched above the pony.

My daughter started off on an ordinary leather saddle, but if I did it again I would start on a sheepskin pad which is nice and comfy and the rider can feel the pony move underneath them.

But for a 2 year old obviously safety is paramount, and she isn't going to be on board for very long. I think a treeless might be a good idea, if you can stop it sliding round a fat pony. Maybe a sheepskin on top to be nice and warm for the rider.
 
I'd highly recommend the safari Cub saddle, really are made for shetties and little children.
 
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Pop please please please tell me that you've bought that gorgeous beautiful 10hh shetland from hertfordshire over there >>>>>>>>
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nope, not him... but one IDENTICAL to him! little 10hh black fluffball. called iggle piggle. bombproof. my 2 yr old can catch and handle him. he's like a very gentle dog. Raff is going to LOVE HIM. they are sooo similar in personality. really laid back and a bit stoopid. picking him up on monday... not sure how to travel something so small... esp in the lorry... hmmm.... i'm sure it'd be easier to put him in the back seat of the car... ?
 
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