SADDLE-youngster

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redshoes

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i wonder if i could find some advice on here, as i have tried all over the Internet.

i have a 3 1/2 year old, sec D, and i was wondering, when is the best time to start looking for a saddle. at the moment hes living out for the summer, to be brought back to the yard to further his education and breaking late autumn.

also with him being young, what saddle to buy???? as obviously his shape will change.

i have had a few different points of view, buy treeless, buy cheap 2nd hand to start with (worried about damage to his back) also quite a few have recommended saddle company.

helllllllllllllllp
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There are some saddle comanies that rent out saddles. I've never tried them but it might be a way for you to go. Otherwise I would buy a cheap 2nd hand saddle but make sure that it is checked by a qualified saddler.
 
I wouldn't start looking until you are ready to ride him - he'll change shape a lot between now and late autumn. I would go for a really good quality second hand saddle fitted by a qualified fitter, if you get a popular make in good condition, you should be able to sell it on for about the same as you paid for it, you might have to change it several times until he has finished growing. It's not worth the risk of causing problems later in life taking chances when they are young.
 
thanks for that,
i have looked at a few to rent before you buy, that works out at about £500 deposit and £50 a week, which is OK to try out for a week or 2, but not really while breaking.

to buy 2nd hand is a cheaper option but unless its adjustable, by the time Ive got the fitter out and found a saddle that may only be used for a year or 2 seems a bit of a waste, i would rather spend a bit more on a saddle that will last.

i have spoken to a few saddle fitters but they haven't had much advice either they don't seem to want to commit to anything because no one can say how his body will change shape. which leaves me wondering whens the best time to buy one?
 
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How about a wintec as you can change the gullets there not that expensive new but you could try e-bay for a second hand one?

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i always use these on young horses, bought 2 now from ebay to back and break with!!
 
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How about a wintec as you can change the gullets there not that expensive new but you could try e-bay for a second hand one?

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im sure many people who use that make get on great, but for me personally ive seen a few damaged backs from bad fitting saddles so they are not an option for me, but thanks anyway
 
When I first got my youngster I refused to get a wintec (I hate them!!!!) I got a Collegiate "convertible" saddle instead. Basically it was of a VSD cut and it was leather. It wasn't cheap but it had a changeable gullet system. However the saddle wasn't long enough for me in the end so I sold it for a 2nd hand Ebay saddle.
However If you are looking for a GP type saddle I am sure Collegiate must do a leather GP with a changeable gullet system.
Hope this helps.
 
I would recommend a wow saddle.

If you get the correct fitter then they will come out and fit the saddle at the start. You can then be trained in how to alter it yourself or you can have regular check ups and have the saddle altered.

Obvioulsy it will depend on how quick your horse alters. The head plates are £20 each and then it is just a case of altering the air.

I rode a horse for someone and in the first 6 weeks of the wow she went up 4 widths as the saddle allowed her to muscle up correctly.

Whatever you buy will have to be monitored regularly but the wow will be able to change with your horse the whole way through its career. The other beauty of the wow is that if you buy it new yoyu select exactly how you want each part of the saddle (it comes like a flat pack!!) so it can be fitted to suit you and your horse.

Good luck in your search.
 
I have just bought a thorowgood T6 general purpose for my 3 yo. Fully adjustable so can change saddle when she changes shape. Hopefully should last her untill she has finished growing and maturing and they dont break the bank to start with. My saddler hates the wintecs as they dont allow enough adjustment but he was very impressed with the T6.
 
I went through half a dozen different saddles with my last youngster before biting the bullet and buying a reactor panel saddle.
That last youngster bit the dust, but the RP saddle has been adjusted to fit my new horse and has been able to keep up with her many changes over the last 4 years.
 
A Wintec will not fit your welsh sec D - the tree is too banana shaped. You need something designed for the flat back of a cob. I would look at second hand saddle company saddles as they can be adjusted, and also native pony saddle company. Thorowgood models designed for cobs are also good.
 
Had Wintecs. Brilliant except for the cob. Try Shires Highlight Elite . They automatically adjust to the horse, come in normal and wide, are very light for breaking and you can buy new for less than £150 on ebay. Buggers to clean mind, particularly if you have a grey but ideal while your horse is changing shape a lot and you can buy a good leather saddle, properly fitted when he's ready.
 
I'd hang on until you're actually ready to sit on him - he will change shape / muscle up from lungeing alone. I think it would be worth ringing up a local saddler and see if they have something second hand that they can fit. Yes, it will be a bit more expensive than ebay but at least you'll know that it definitely fits your horse.
 
Please dont. I have seen inside one of these and you do not want to put it on your horse's back. Physio and Chiro will cost more than saving a couple of hundred pounds on a saddle which actually has a proper fitted gullet and sound tree construction ... and isnt flocked with something resembling carpet fibres.
 
I started my youngster in a Maxam synthetic - very light, and wide fitting (suitable for a barrel-shaped Arab). As it was very cheap it wouldn't have mattered much if he'd had a complete tantrum and thrown himself in the sand with it on - but luckily he was good as gold.
 
well hes been backed, and apart from being in a borrowed saddle twice, everything has been done bareback, because im just not ready to stick any old thing on his back,

he is 3 1/2 and by the time i bring him back from the feild he will be nearly 4, i was thinking about buying a saddle around xmas time, so thats why i wasnt sure if he would change much more with him nearly being 4?????

i will carry on bareback untill i feel ive found the right solution, as im new to the area its more difficult, but i have used a saddler before who i do trust, so i may give him a call and ask his advice, they have many 2nd hand saddles, but after reading all your advice i think im more
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lol. i will talk to the saddler. i defo will not be buying from ebay or getting a wintec. this much i have decided on. this is my 1st youngster and id rather wait and make sure i have the correct fitting saddle right for his age.

if i go and try and buy a 2nd hand one myself i think ill get it all wrong, so i think id rather pay out more from the start than be left with bills for a bad back.
 
i have looked into the thorowgood and i really am not a fan of synthetic, but i will ask the saddler, but im am a bit fond of leather. id miss the tack cleaning sessions lol, dont tell the hubby about them tho. i like giving him heart attack with prices lol
 
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Correct decision IMHO
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haha thanks maybe soon i can change my name to all-the-gear-with-some-idea-and-a-expensive-saddle-
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i think id rather pay out more from the start than be left with bills for a bad back.

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Absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!!

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thanks for that i can show that to the hubby lol
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You have the right attitude to this, which is nice too see. Far to many people out there decide they like a saddle and buy it, it doesn't fit and they just stick a riser pad under it..
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You will have loads of options regarding saddles. Like I said I HATE synthetic saddles, and so did my mare! But I found a leather one (colligiate) with a changeable gullet, and it can also be reflocked so it can really be adjusted to your horse. Just bide your time and find something that you and your horse both love! If you REALLY want to be fussy, and are not sure of the fit (if you are using a differant saddler) you can always get a back person out to double check that the saddle will not cause any damage.
I hope all of this makes sense and helps you!
Izzi x
 
hiya, resonably new to this all but reading this is like going back 6 months ago for me! i have a 4yr welsh sec D mare who is so wide we couldn't find anything that actually fitted her! Saddle fitter tried a wintec with xwide plate and it just perched a good 6/7 inches off her back! if you have the same trouble go treeless, but do plenty of research, there are some out there that claim to be wonderful, when they are actually 20 times worse than a badly fitted conventional saddle! look out for details about pressure points (preferably lack of them!!) hope this helped
 
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