what saddle for starting youngster?

L

lisa_lou

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 July 2009
Messages
292
Visit site
What saddles do people think are good to start a youngster off in, also wants best for the horse.. Fish, cair etc?
 
Lol, I only want a cheaply and been advised to get a changeable gullet one, just wondered what people had used and thought was best, thorowgood, wintec etc?
 
Just had a saddle fitted for my 4yo. Got a bates cair SJ saddle. Its adjustable so should last ( hopefully) hes very happy in it, also got him a lovely girth thats lined with sheepskin. He was a bit girthy before, but happy now.
 
I used a Wintec for all my warmblood youngsters although I believe the tree is not such a good shape for cobs. One of their biggest advantages is that they are very light and not too expensive.
 
I started my youngster in a lovely light Black Country monoflap jumping saddle which holds me securely in a good position. I never worry about a saddle getting trashed as if it is introduced correctly then there is no chance of that! :)
 
Cortez said:
One that you don't mind being trashed...........
Click to expand...

I know someone who regularly spouts this and it makes me wonder. How on earth is a youngster going to damage a saddle?!
And, surely, if it does, it's not ready to be backed?

My guy was backed in a synthetic Wintec as that was all I had at the time, and has been brought back into work with an expensive leather WH saddle. He's thankfully not destroyed either.

I dunno, I just have visions of horses pulling tantrums and slamming themselves onto the floor :D
 
Wintec 2000 was good for mine, changable gullet and a nice suede effect seat that helps keep you in the saddle.
Didn't stop me hitting the deck though :D
 
Well, i started mine in a Kent & Masters Cob as that was my horse's saddle. But once I started hacking out properly, we really could do with horse being able to come out as well. So, as my youngster is quite wide (so the physio and instructor tells me) I got a Wintec Wide so i could change the width and I figured I didn't want to spend a fortune on a saddle until he;d stopped growing.

Aanyway, all was going ok although he was still shaking his head everyso often indicating maybe some discomfort but i put it down to tiredness. I then got thrown off him twice but put that down to the situation I put him in. Instructor rode him (I'd hurt myself when i came off!) and although he was ok she felt he wasn't comfy. She still thought saddle was too narrow (even though is the 2nd step up in gullet bars).

Since then he has absolutely flipped out majorly when having the saddle on, grith tightened and askedto move. Mctimoney guy treated him yesterda, said he was really sore (he was previously fine when I first started riding him) and that the saddle is still too narrow - the actually gullet as he has a very wide spine!!!

So, I am on the hunt for something else - therefore I will have a Wintec Wide with Cair going begging!!! :D
 
MileAMinute said:
I know someone who regularly spouts this and it makes me wonder. How on earth is a youngster going to damage a saddle?!
And, surely, if it does, it's not ready to be backed?

My guy was backed in a synthetic Wintec as that was all I had at the time, and has been brought back into work with an expensive leather WH saddle. He's thankfully not destroyed either.

I dunno, I just have visions of horses pulling tantrums and slamming themselves onto the floor :D
Click to expand...

No, I've never had one trashed either, though I have had horses try to chew them on occassion. I have used the wintecs for a long time, but also had a thoroughgood once that I used on the thoroughbreds. (The synthetics also stand up well to being chewed;))
 
I've had one chewed too lol, pushed off the stable door and picked up and thrown around. Once out of reach on their back, no problem :)
I liked a tg maxam for my cob.
 
I wouldn't worry about them being trashed, more that you may not want to spend fortunes on a saddle fitted for a horse that will change shape. But of course need it to fit / be comfortable.

I always like Ideals for being good value for money and easily re-sellable once they are outgrown. Personally I would try buying second hand (something like an ideal event, in the right width) but of course get a saddler to check and fit. I would do this being willing to sell on immediately if it doesn't fit. I prefer this to buying synthetics, which although they are apparently adjustable, just aren't nice to ride in. And changing the width of the front doesn't change the whole gullet, which is often as important.

I found that saddles direct are very good for advice - you can send them a template and ask them to suggest which makes / models will suit the horse, and go on to try them if they have them in stock.
 
I have a wintec GP synthetic for mine. I picked it up from ebay for about £40. Its done the trick for my cob and is now being used by the welshie for long reining sessions.

He does like to turn round and give it a chew now and then and also likes nibbling it whilst is on the fence :rolleyes:
 
I use a Reactor Panel. Comfortable for me and the youngster and can be adjusted as muscles develop......the only thing that has trashed this saddle is the sharp clawed terrier using it as a stepping stone to get up to the cat food!
 
We always break in using a half tree racing saddle. They fit everything, are lightweight and don't pinch where a normal saddle may. Although some people say they don't feel particularly secure whilst riding in one, we like the close contact feel. Never had any problems swapping to a well fitting 'grown up' saddle when the youngster is ready. We also find that they are easier to 'slide' off if something is really kicking off in the early stages ie) laying over etc.
 
The wife said:
We always break in using a half tree racing saddle. They fit everything, are lightweight and don't pinch where a normal saddle may. Although some people say they don't feel particularly secure whilst riding in one, we like the close contact feel. Never had any problems swapping to a well fitting 'grown up' saddle when the youngster is ready. We also find that they are easier to 'slide' off if something is really kicking off in the early stages ie) laying over etc.
Click to expand...

A good friend of mine does the same, and seems to work really well (like you say it is often useful to be able to whip a saddle off at a moments notice ;))
 
The wife said:
We always break in using a half tree racing saddle. They fit everything, are lightweight and don't pinch where a normal saddle may. Although some people say they don't feel particularly secure whilst riding in one, we like the close contact feel. Never had any problems swapping to a well fitting 'grown up' saddle when the youngster is ready. We also find that they are easier to 'slide' off if something is really kicking off in the early stages ie) laying over etc.
Click to expand...

Interesting idea that,
I like to back initially without a saddle but of course you do lose security - tootles off to look at racing saddles...
 
We had a pony that use to go down to roll when you put the saddle on so I think that's how some get trashed. Also my baby wants everything in his mouth.

I have a Kent & Masters GP - I've used it on 2 horses and will use it again on the 2yo next year. I have 2 gullets and make sure it's fitted correctly and change as they change shape. I personally don't like synthetic saddles.
 
lastchancer said:
Interesting idea that,
I like to back initially without a saddle but of course you do lose security - tootles off to look at racing saddles...
Click to expand...

Personally we have never found a loss in security but then both the sister and I have ridden racehorses so possibly feel more secure in a racing saddle than say a dressage saddle, as we have both found that we find them too bulky and restricting so if we do find ourselves in trouble, one has a wider range of movement without having to grip and dig into knee rolls, which in turn can sometimes effect the stability of the lower leg and for within the stirrup (I may have worded that wrong but know what I mean!) We have recently helped a friend re-start her 4YO filly and she was offered the use of the racing saddle and turned it down as she likes knee rolls for above mentioned security. :) I guess it's completely up to the individual combinations preference but for us, a perhaps slight compromise on conventional security vs a potentially ill fitting saddle on a rapidly changing shape of a youngster is worth it's weight in gold as to have a saddle that fits correctly 100% of the time on say a 3 1/2 year old breaker, especially during the spring months means that saddle fitter should be visiting every 4 weeks - in theory. I'm in no way pushing the racing saddle for breaking all the time as plenty of people do start very successfully in a conventional saddle but for us, with a yard of very different shaped animals, in a variety of sizes (literally from a 12hh Dartmoor to a 18hh Percheron) it works!
 
Last edited:
Really sorry Lastchancer, didn't realise you were referring to lack of security bare back until I re-read your comment! Having a blonde day + tired. Doh! You're braver than us starting saddleless!!!!! ;)
 
It's a bit of a fine balance isn't it? You want one that fits but nothing too special. I started my youngster in a very old but very sound English leather saddle, we did all the lunging and long reining in it and the walks out in hand so I knew he was comfortable wearing a saddle and girth but by the time it came to backing it was too narrow.

I took him to the saddler who fitted a prestige gp. This was 7 months ago now and it is now too narrow so going back to saddler this week to either get it adjusted or swap for something else.

I thnk you just have to be prepared for the fact that youngsters change shape and the saddle may have to change too, even the adjustable gullet ones won't necessarily fit long term
 
Current baby ned has an old, rather tatty leather saddle to get used to the feel of one - doesn't matter if he does trash it. When it actually comes to getting on him, he'll go into my Solution saddle. Nothing to pinch, hurt, and will keep up with him as he changes shape.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top