Saddles for newly backed youngsters

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Berkeley

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Hi all,

I have a youngster (4yrs) who has gone through the backing stage. We have been focusing on lots of ground work and walks along the roads etc and generally bringing him on slowly. I have been using a training saddle which did fit him - but now he's grown both upwards and outwards so it doesn't fit him anymore.

Just wondering when is the best time to buy a saddle and which one is worth considering at this point of his training life?
 
I too have got a freshly backed youngster, still growing and changing shape, etc... I have just invested in a wintec with a changeable gullet, it is rather a lightweight saddle for a youngster, it will do me for a couple of years until he has stopped growing upwards and outwards! lol
Kate x
 
The best time is now and you should consider any that fit! This is the most important time in a horses education, training that will affct his whole life. It is VITAL to have a saddle that fits perfectly, even if you need to change it every few months. Any discomfort or pain and you are not only putting the riders safety at risk but you are expecting a young horse to behave despite this and learn.

Do you feel you could learn to ride if every time you did it you were in pain? Would that make you happy to continue riding?

I suggest a thorowgood saddle. they have a changeable headplate so there is a certain amount of adjustability and they do a range for different types of horses. They have changeable girthing arrangements too, which is a great help. They are about £350 new.

Whatever saddle you go for make sure that it is properly fitted and you ride in it to try it. Be prepared to check it regularly too
 
I backed lukey in a wintec, which was fine for him, but didn't put me in a very good position. I think it's just a fact of life that you may well need several saddle changes until your horse has stopped developing and growing. X
 
You will be lucky to get a wintec to fit most youngsters. The tree is shaped like a banana. Most young horses havnt got much muscle and their back would slope away from this type of saddle, creating a rocking horse effect in the saddle
 
I use Solution saddles so I can constantly adjust the fitting as required. I also find young horses far easier to back using treeless (and I've been backing horses for a great many years so have a few to compare with!)
smile.gif
 
any saddle that fits the horse and rider.

look on places like ebay for good quality 2nd hand saddles for not a lot of money.

as teddyt says, having a saddle that fits really well is so important on a youngster.

i don't like synthetic saddles so wouldn't use one on my horses.

i tend to buy 2nd hand saddles from good manufacturers until the horse is around 6 before getting them their 'own' saddle.
you can re-sell them on ebay or saddle direct when the youngster grows out of them.
 
If I were to be in this position again I think I would buy a WOW saddle straight off. I have one now and wish I'd gone for it earlier as we went through several second hand saddles during those early years which amounted to the cost of the wow in the end.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I use Solution saddles so I can constantly adjust the fitting as required. I also find young horses far easier to back using treeless (and I've been backing horses for a great many years so have a few to compare with!)
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ] My friend uses a Solution saddle, and whenever I ride her pony I always end up with cramp in my left hip and thigh...could just be me sitting awkwardly in it though!
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I use Solution saddles so I can constantly adjust the fitting as required. I also find young horses far easier to back using treeless (and I've been backing horses for a great many years so have a few to compare with!)
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ] My friend uses a Solution saddle, and whenever I ride her pony I always end up with cramp in my left hip and thigh...could just be me sitting awkwardly in it though!

[/ QUOTE ]

You need a fitting!
grin.gif
 
When I backed each of my three boys, I invested in Reactorpanel saddles. At £750 - £800 second hand (at the time) they didn't come cheap, but due to the saddles being fully adjustable, there was no need to keep having to trade in the old one and find yet another replacement saddle as each horse grew.

Each of my boys still (between 3 and 5 years later) has their very first saddle, and I am as confident as I can be that none of them have back issues. So, in a way, my initially expensive saddles have turned out to be more cost effective than other solutions.

I also have a Port Lewis impression pad (again, not cheap, but worth the investment) which I use every 2 or 3 months under each saddle to check the fit, so it can be adjusted if necessary.
 
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