Thorowgood T4/T8 - difference between standard GP and Compact model

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AppyLover1996

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Just after opinions on the differences between the standard model and the compact model of the T4 and T8 Thorowgood saddles please.

Pony in question is a 14.2hh sports type, with a short back, takes a 16.5" saddle but is surprisingly wide. Mainly does hacking with the odd arena hire and jump. Rider is 5'1, with short ish legs and is of average size. Has had a T4 Pony Club Long Leg Adult in same size beforehand and worked great, however struggling to find one so looking at alternatives :)

Saddler, vet and chiro are already involved - I'm just after a more general consensus as beyond the general spiel that I can find on the internet about the saddles, they can't advise much further as don't have any personal use with them!
 
They used to be advertised as for a short backed horse, they are now advertised as for a petite rider, your guess is as good as mine! I would go with your fitter's recommendation, though equally I'd say look at a used leather wooden treed saddle, for a similar price, in preference - from years of experience fitting wider shapes.
 
sbloom said:
They used to be advertised as for a short backed horse, they are now advertised as for a petite rider, your guess is as good as mine! I would go with your fitter's recommendation, though equally I'd say look at a used leather wooden treed saddle, for a similar price, in preference - from years of experience fitting wider shapes.
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Thanks sbloom - it's such a minefield, especially to go from it being advertised for short backed horses to then for petite riders! The saddle fitter has said that either model (T4 or T8) can be picked and either the standard or compact style can be picked, so it's one of those situations where having too many choices is actually a bad thing aha!

Regarding the wooden tree situation - where would I look for one of those please? :)
 
Barton Bounty said:
I ride in a 17 and I had a very shortbacked tb, but when I was in the saddle it felt very tight-for me even though im only 5’2. But I have a big bum. 🤣
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Was it an uncomfortable tight - I don't mind not having a lot of space in the saddle (providing that I'm not causing any pressure points with where I'm sitting) as I find that I tend to slip around if there is more space - I often prefer to ride in a seat size smaller than my maximum as otherwise I end up feeling lost 😆
 
AppyLover1996 said:
Was it an uncomfortable tight - I don't mind not having a lot of space in the saddle (providing that I'm not causing any pressure points with where I'm sitting) as I find that I tend to slip around if there is more space - I often prefer to ride in a seat size smaller than my maximum as otherwise I end up feeling lost 😆
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No not uncomfortable just my butt cheeks didnt have a lot of room but now I have a much smaller butt Id probably fit easy 🤣
 
As I recall, the long leg Pony Club saddle version was only different in the length of the panel to accommodate a longer leg, and I wasn't aware of an Adult model, so probably just means long leg. Standard Pony Club saddles in 16.5 aren't hard to come by (I have one for sale). Bum space is the same.

The normal T4 is more adult sized than the pony club and a bit different, but the standard Pony Club saddle panels would be long enough for most 5'1 riders.
 
AppyLover1996 said:
Thanks sbloom - it's such a minefield, especially to go from it being advertised for short backed horses to then for petite riders! The saddle fitter has said that either model (T4 or T8) can be picked and either the standard or compact style can be picked, so it's one of those situations where having too many choices is actually a bad thing aha!

Regarding the wooden tree situation - where would I look for one of those please? :)
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Most British made saddles are on wooden trees :). There are a couple of specialist wide horse brands out there, and some regular brands like Ideal that do models that are supposedly wide horse fitting models.

The T4/T8 thing is simply the material the saddle is covered in, otherwise, afaik, they should be identical. @poiuytrewq's experience is unusual, the seats on the R tree are quite small with high cantles, and would be especially compared to the pony tree that you rode in before. Just shows we all experience things differently, if your pelvic shape makes you more likely to be comfortable at the front over the bars then it might feel really roomy, if you end up sitting back on the widest part of the seat because it's a bit narrow for you (never a good result) then you may be slightly, or a lot, on the cantle and it may feel too small.

And yes, the "adult" version would be the long leg afaik. As an aside, the new models are now the pony saddle, no longer endorsed by the Pony Club.
 
JackFrost said:
As I recall, the long leg Pony Club saddle version was only different in the length of the panel to accommodate a longer leg, and I wasn't aware of an Adult model, so probably just means long leg. Standard Pony Club saddles in 16.5 aren't hard to come by (I have one for sale). Bum space is the same.

The normal T4 is more adult sized than the pony club and a bit different, but the standard Pony Club saddle panels would be long enough for most 5'1 riders.
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Ah right - so in essence the Pony Club long leg is slightly shorter in the panel than a T4 Compact, but the T4 compact has slightly more room in the seat and a slightly longer panel? Sounds like there really isn't much difference between the compact models and the standard models really bar the seat classed as compact. The T4 compact is certainly looking like a good back up option to have :)
 
The Pony Club (long leg or standard) has quite an open seat and waist. Because of this, it can take up a small adult bottom. It is a petite and minimal saddle. The 16.5 inch Pony Club is just generally smaller than all my other 16.5 saddles, it's made for ponies.
My experience is that if it fits the horse well it can give a lovely balance for riding but otherwise it's just, well, something for the rider to sit on.

I don't know if I've ridden in the T4 compact, unless it's just the shorter panel T4. As sbloom says, they have a high cantle, and a tight waist and seat that puts you into a position you may or may not like. I think the Pony Club saddle got the Pony Club endorsement because it gave a more open seat to help young riders develop.
I would ask the rider if they like thorogoods - I think the Pony Club rides different to the standard T4/8s, it doesn't fix the rider in position so much.
 
The flap is the bit under your leg, then sweat flap below the top flap unless you have a monoflap, the panel is the bit that contains air, flocking or foam :). The confusion arises because most British style saddles have the panel sewn into the sweat flap, with independent panel construction there's no attachment so the difference is clear and with this construction it's not a monoflap (if there's no sweat flap) it's a single flap. That's confusing 😆.

Bear in mind width of seat and panels when considering if a smaller pony saddle can carry an adult :)
 
sbloom said:
The flap is the bit under your leg, then sweat flap below the top flap unless you have a monoflap, the panel is the bit that contains air, flocking or foam :). The confusion arises because most British style saddles have the panel sewn into the sweat flap, with independent panel construction there's no attachment so the difference is clear and with this construction it's not a monoflap (if there's no sweat flap) it's a single flap. That's confusing 😆.

Bear in mind width of seat and panels when considering if a smaller pony saddle can carry an adult :)
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It certainly is a minefield aha! I'll deffo bear the width of seat and panels - luckily the pony has no issues telling us where to go if it doesn't suit him which is a blessing x
 
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