Small native tack

[Kylara]

I've been thinking a lot lately about this.
I have a long term schooling pony in on livery who has all his own tack and is only ever going to be a kids pony. Bridle is fine and saddle 'fits' but I've got a rear riser under it as it's one of those synthetic kids saddles that tend to lack flocking at the back and they bounce with anything but a toddler on. Works fine but as he has been out of work he's fat and I don't really want to pop it on him until he's lost weight. Simply because he's changed shape too much for me to want to sit on the saddle.

I have a few freelance ponies of the same size with varying wither widths that I school for owners. One owner has a lovely seriously old hunting/show saddle that fits one pony like a glove and is comfy.

I'm looking for a new sec A show pony (think I've found one) who's a similar height but obviously will need a saddle. He's a baby so will also change shape once muscled up so I've been looking for saddles that would suit and be good for showing in.

I know how tricky they can be to fit saddles to as they often have very narrow shoulders but quite wide barrels or poorly defined withers. Not to mention thy are short in the back. I fit into kids saddles but I'd rather buy something nicer than a synthetic thorougood or wintec.

I'm loathe to go treeless but some people have suggested thorn saddle pad saddles as a good option as could be used on all of the ponies without problem, they don't slip or bounce etc and are less restrictive to the pony. Some people have also suggested the native pony saddle people but I'm not sure how small they go and whether they would be suitable for swapping between ponies (with suitable numnahs/padding/shims etc).

So long post! Sorry. What do people think? Would like a nice saddle that is comfy for the tiny ponies, comfy for me if possible, and suitable for showing. Bonus but much preferred if I could swap it between different ponies. Also needs to be up for lots of use so good quality essential and I'd really prefer leather... Does something exist?!

Also I have long been attuned to mix and match for native bridles but I'm always open to suggestions for good leather brands that do small pony bridle pieces!

 

[WelshD]

Ascot Shetland pony bridles are well proportioned for small heads, they are cheap but surprisingly good quality. Fylde, English Bridles and Jefferies all make small pony bridle parts

For something to fit various ponies I'd go for the Thorn Deluxe pad. It's as much of a saddle as a saddle pad gets

My sec A has a native pony saddle, at 15'' it's right on the limit of what his back can take. It also fits my larger section B so seems quite versatile. I'm sure they make them smaller. Mine is the older AH made 'Fen' model and is beautifully made and in proportion

Wintecs don't fit my ponies. The tree just isn't the right shape for them

Thorowgood fit my Welshies well but they threw the weight of an adult rider back on my sec A so I sold mine. Was a great actual fit and fine for a child though

There is a lot to be said for the very old half panel saddles, they seem to fit most ponies well but no one these days seems to be able to cope without knee rolls!

Silhouette definitely do small pony saddles as do Morris and Nolan. Both worth a look

 

[Fiona]

Our fatty Welsh a has a barnsby show pony saddle and having had it at pony club I've discovered it also fits other ponies of the same type

Fiona

 

[Hipo]

I've just ordered a thorn deluxe saddle pad for our Exmoor as nothing seems to fit. I'll let you how we get on when it arrives, fingers crossed for no slipping.

 

[sbloom]

For a tallish rider on a short back, especially if very slightly dropped (common in Section As) or croup high then look for a very short upswept panel and flat tree, going as short as you can get away with.

 

[Kylara]

Thanks guys. I'm not hugely tall (5'1") and I can fit into pretty small saddles, so happy to go with whatever a saddler suggests. Current schooling livery has a lovely K&M saddle but it drops at the back (need reflocking I think) so has a riser under it. Seems to fit the lack of withers! But quite heavy for a small pony saddle.

I await your verdict on the Thorn Hipo, I'd go for the deluxe if I did get one I think.

 

[MouseInLux]

We have a thorn deluxe pad and my 5 year old loves it. She rides a few shetlands and it fits them rather well but it does slip forward on one of them. My daughters instructor likes it so much that she's ordered 3 for the school ponies but with D rings on the back to attach a crupper. I'm taking mine to the local saddler to get one added.

 

[millikins]

I bought a Thorn deluxe for a shetland but hated it. No complaints about quality but it slipped forward and put pressure on what would have been withers if he had any. Didn't have a crupper though.

 

[sbloom]

Often with these small ponies the only reason a saddle drops at the back is that is sits up on the shoulder, can you work out where the tree points are and check they're 2-3 fingers behind the back edge of the shoulder blade? K&M saddles have decent rear gussets so if they're low at the back it's usually the reason. You would find a flatter tree, shorter possiby upswept panel would sit down in the flat area and not sit up on the shoulder.