Saddle suggestions for a youngster and CC

Katd66

Katd66

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My youngster (4 next June) will be going off to be backed over winter but dont know what to do about a saddle (I presume they will want one!).

He is quite fat/barrell like at the moment - but he doesnt really have much of a wither anyway. Best pic I have of him at the mo.

He will be unrugged unless the weather turns arctic so he will drop the summer fat but he is quite cob like so some cheapish saddle suggestions would be great until he finishes growing and then ill get him a decent one.

Or do I rug him so when he is backed Jan time he wont get too hairy and hot???

Not sent a horse off before to be backed so any other advice/help would be great.

CC on him below would be great too!

304777_10150765429200125_833000124_20320321_5512316_n.jpg
 
Hi,

My horse is a similar shape to yours (Welsh D) and I have him in a wintec gp flock, fits him very well and he is flat backed barrel like too. I bought mine for £350 brand new but you could probably pick up a cheaper one.

I would personally rug him just to keep his coat down slightly specially if your not going/able to clip him :)

I think he is a good weight going into winter and very cute!
 
Lovely head! Very pretty.Can't really see to CC him. If you want a cheapish saddle that will change with his shape try a Wintec Cair, loads of people hate them but I love their ability to change with the horse. Of course there are now a lot of saddles with interchangeable gullets.
FDC
 
Thanks both - I do love Wintecs and have a dressage but not ideal for breaking.

Will have to look around for a cheap second hand GP one. Just thought he may be too flat backed/round for the normal wintec even on widest gullet - perhaps ill just have to try it out.
 
Well he's a great colour, looks in proportion from what I can see and looks fairly mature and well developed :)

As far as saddles are concerned, Thorowgood do a cob saddle which isn't great quality IMO but I have used one as a breaking saddle and they are not too bad to ride in. Otherwise look at 2nd hand saddles from the arabian saddle company or the native pony saddle company as in my experience they can be a good fit for cobby types. Ask the yard first though, you may find they have a few saddles.
 
Katd66 said:
Thanks both - I do love Wintecs and have a dressage but not ideal for breaking.

Will have to look around for a cheap second hand GP one. Just thought he may be too flat backed/round for the normal wintec even on widest gullet - perhaps ill just have to try it out.
Click to expand...

They do Wintec Cair x-wide, again has inter changeable gullets.
FDC
 
Thank you Rhino - will look into those makes.

I have sent them an email this evening asking what he would need to go with but will need something for when he is back too!
 
I know they are alot of money,but do consider a reactor panel saddle. They can be adjusted as the horse grows and they allow and encourage movement through the topline. (They occasionally apprear on fleabay:))
With regards to rugging. Avoid it if you can. (And horses do survive arctic temps,and wind and rain,without rugs.) If your youngster has never been rugged then he should not need one. IMO rugs do considerable damage to horses,so if yours is not old,weak,clipped, conditioned to rugs,then don't rug,just make sure he's got ample room to keep moving and warm and ample forage to warm him from the inside.Simplez!:cool:
 
I fit both ReactorPanel and Native Pony. An RP could be great but he is very flat, so not all models would work. NP saddles do fit very flat and I'd be happy to advise you on finding a used one - we hardly get any in but the odd one comes up on ebay, though more 15-16" than adult sizes :(.

A new wooden/spring tree saddle CAN be adjusted by a willing fitter - I will adjust them up or down a size or so, and ahandful of times. This is enough to see many horses through to their adult shape, along with flocking adjustments of course.

If you go for synthetics, TG are flatter than Wintec and don't have that kink in the headplates, which not all horses object to, but makes the fit feel wrong in my mind. Though I have to say even the TG cob is not flat enough for half the horses and ponies I see.
 
He looks like my NF- in shape- no wither flat backed. I have to say I didnt want him to give any excuse for being naughty so I bought a brand new saddle to be fitted to him- a King's WH saddle- it has a nice straight cut shoulder as my boy has a huge shoulder and flat pannels which is the most important thing for the roly poly no wither type- Otherwise the saddle will feel as though it 'perches' on top.
This is my boy's shape
howie3yearsold.jpg

The first time I ever sat on him tacked up
IMG_4053.jpg

you can see the straight cut and flat panel shape in the picture- It cost me £600 brand new but I have seen 2 on ebay second hand for about £250-£350
 
I would use something that has an interchangeable gullet, because youngsters will change so much especially when they start working and building up muscle etc so I dont see the point in getting one without interchanging gullets.
 
I like the Kent and Masters saddles reasonable quality saddles and adjustible gullets...but I'm not sure if they do one that will fit your boy.

I would call a local saddler out to try and fit a 2nd hand as well as possible without riding in it and then have them out again once he is backed to have them re-fit it or another one.
 
If he's going off to a professional yard to be backed I would, at the very least, consult with them before you purchase. They should have a selection of saddles and a regime for fitting new arrivals so may very well be able to provide for him initially. It's also important that the rider doing the initial training is comfortable in the saddle - don't underestimate what a horse can learn in the first few rides and even a good rider won't do his/her best work (or be safe) with substandard tools. You might require a differently shaped saddle than the initial rider.

Also, his shape will change a LOT in the first few weeks of his working life so getting him a saddle now almost guarantees it will need changing/adjusting almost immediately. I'm always a bit leery of fitters who say they can fit an unbacked horse in such a way that it won't need to be refitted almost as soon as it starts work. I also think it's almost impossible to accurately assess the horse's comfort if you can't sit in the saddle and the last thing you want is to buy him something and insist they use it if it makes him uncomfortable, but there's no way of really knowing that until you're along in the process a bit.
 
Like TarrSteps says, it may well be that whoever you send him to will want to use their own saddle on him. It's not unusual for this to be the case. I'd wait until they get back to you before you buy anything!
 
TarrSteps said:
If he's going off to a professional yard to be backed I would, at the very least, consult with them before you purchase. They should have a selection of saddles and a regime for fitting new arrivals so may very well be able to provide for him initially. It's also important that the rider doing the initial training is comfortable in the saddle - don't underestimate what a horse can learn in the first few rides and even a good rider won't do his/her best work (or be safe) with substandard tools. You might require a differently shaped saddle than the initial rider.

Also, his shape will change a LOT in the first few weeks of his working life so getting him a saddle now almost guarantees it will need changing/adjusting almost immediately. I'm always a bit leery of fitters who say they can fit an unbacked horse in such a way that it won't need to be refitted almost as soon as it starts work. I also think it's almost impossible to accurately assess the horse's comfort if you can't sit in the saddle and the last thing you want is to buy him something and insist they use it if it makes him uncomfortable, but there's no way of really knowing that until you're along in the process a bit.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your advice. I have popped them an email so am waiting to hear back re saddle and go from there.

Thank you for all the suggestions in makes - will wait to hear what yard say and may be able to go down the route of getting one fitted properly but with the changeable gullets to change with how he changes.

It must be the welsh d and angle arab in him which makes him this shape!!
 
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