Saddle suggestions for wide flat backed pony

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sugarpuff

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Hi all, having been told by my ever patient hubby that no more creatures with 4 legs were allowed to be brought home as they eat us out of house and home and smell too much, my mum in law told me about a pony that really needed a new home as his current circumstances were not ideal. And so - I've acquired a 3.5 year old coloured cob.

Well technically hubby can't complain as he's not yet home, he's at my mums in quarantine at the mo being de- loused, de-wormed, de-feather mited and vaccinated before we complete on our new house purchase and he can be a companion for my ned.

However, he needs a job as he is the cheekiest toe rag I've ever met! (I love him, but my god he is a monkey!). I thought my kids tested my patience but he takes the biscuit and then some. (He seems to think I want to play when I'm poo picking and keeps standing on his hind legs and then gets cross when I refuse to gallop through the mud with him so instead gallops through the electric tape and then takes out the post and rail fencing beyond by half jumping it and then going for a paddle in my mums pond! ) he was not my friend that day!

I have been doing loads of handling, grooming, ground manners, meeting cows, sheep, tractors, cars, hedge cutters, etc and he's been v good and quick to learn that sheep don't kill and the drains won't swallow him up.

I want to reintroduce tack over the next month or so and need to get a saddle that vaguely fits him to start long reining and small walks up the lane but as he's going to change shape loads I'm not spending a fortune on him. So I'm looking for ideas for saddles before I start phoning saddlers or possibly getting one off eBay. (It will obviously be fitted by a saddler as I'm v aware of ill fitting saddles do to having the worlds most sensitive horse who I have a made to measure on.)

He is very flat backed, no wither at all and v wide. He has at least 1/4 Clydesdale (mum) in him plus chuncky gypsy cob (his dad) he's currently 13.1h but a bit bum high. I've tried a synthetic wintec 16in cob saddle (?) with a wide fitting gullet and it was no where near fitting him and even if it had a wider gullet the panels looked too curved. Think table top!

So anyone have any suggestions so I can start my search. I don't mind spending £200-£300 but ideally less as ill prob have to sell it again in 4 months. The ASBO pony needs to do some community service!
 
Hi,

My lad changed shape constantly as he was growing (and still does tbh) - my solution was to go treeless (Barefoot), plus we have an adjustable Genesis GFS for jumping etc. The GFS is waiting for a gullet change to a narrower one, haven't got round to it yet.

I love the treeless and prefer to ride in it all the time now, and Shy seems to love it and goes really well in it.

Hope that helps :)
 
My pony is round with no prominent withers. Wintecs did not suit her at all - they just perched on her. I am now on my second Thorowgood and have not had any problems (only changed to a second Thorowgood because of my issues, not hers).
 
Try the thorowgood. Or, you might find a decent old wh saddle, plenty of natives are a similar shape, so I imagine a native whp saddle would fit if you find one.
 
Lavinia Mitchell saddles come up much wider than normal ones, she is also a remedial fitter so is very aware of the problems badly fitted saddles can cause, I have just ordered a new one from her for my very wide arab as his last saddle was too narrow and caused muscle wastage.
 
Thanks for all the replys, I'll look into throwgood ones. I did think about treeless, I've sat in a barefoot a few years ago and felt very unstable in it (more so than bareback !!) but that was only for 5 minutes as I felt almost seasick in it!
I'll ask around some friends and see if they have any throwgoods I could perhaps just put on him to try for shape and size as a
starting point.

Thanks guys!
 
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