showing advice

[horseymum1976]

Hi

After many years out I am going to a show with my 5 yr old son in a few weeks time. He will be riding a palomino shetland. Some advise please re tack. I am happy with the type of bridle ( flat noseband as M & M) but re saddle what is the current requirement? would we be frowned upon for using syntactic GP or should I go for a straight cut leather. Trying to find a 13/14" saddle as he currently rides in a cub saddle but would rather have a "proper" saddle for showing. Also I take it that protocol still calls for a hacking jacket rather than plain?

Thanks for your help!

 

[sbloom]

Not a showing expert but I know a bit from fitting showing saddles . It all depends on the level - local shows a cub saddle might be fine though others might be able to input on whether it is allowed as and "english style" saddle. At upper levels you definitely need a leather saddle, but a shetland pad, I like the Zoe Snape ones, are also suitable. Depends on how much security your rider needs. I find our straight cut 14" saddles fit some larger shetlands but not all. 12" and 13" trees are not made often, and makers generally wait for enough orders to come in to make a batch, so smaller makers such as ourselves struggle to supply them. A larger maker might be able to help, or of course you might pick something up second hand.

 

[FMM]

My son had a 14" saddle when he was 4 years old and he was very tiny. I think it is good to get them into a proper saddle as soon as they can. Tweed jacket is correct for M&M - you can get some good second hand ones on ebay or horsegossip - and they tend to hold their value if you look after them, so definitely not a waste of money. I believe under current BSPS rules you can have a handle on the saddle.

 

[horseymum1976]

Thanks so much for feedback I think I'm getting more excited than my son!