What size saddle for a 13.3hh pony?

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Lovelyhill Lion

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We are currently on a search for a new saddle for our 141cm (13.3 and a half hands) new forest pony. The saddle we have been using is a 17" compact gp/jump in medium wide, by BJS saddle co, which we don't believe are made anymore. We have had the saddler out and been told that the pony now needs an extra wide gullet. :eek: We are off the mainland, based in the Channel Islands, so the saddler sent us a Kent and Masters 16.5" pony long leg gp. It fits the pony okay, although does rise up and down a little in trot, but is too small for me, and i have no room for my knees - 14 year old, and 5'7 with all the length in my hip to knee. The saddler said nothing about a 17" being too big for Leo, but said a 16.5" would be best. Leo has an average back length, and has happily been in a 17" saddle for years with his previous owner with no problems. Does anyone have an suggestions on what might fit both of us. We would like it to have a changeable gullet incase pony muscles up. Would a 17" compact be too much for him to take?
His old saddle is one in which the gullet can be heat treated to change the size, but nobody where we live can do this and we don't know where to send it, does anybody know any saddlers who could help us please?
 
Not a saddler but 17" saddle seems quite long for a 13.3" pony. We struggled to find a jumping saddle to fit our 14.2 pony and my daughter who was tall and also long from the hip to knee, a 17" was too long for the pony and we couldn't find a 16.5" that fitted daughter so we ended up having one made which was more "forward cut" so it took up her thigh better. Personally, I'd check with your saddler that a 17" saddle isn't too long and take it from there.
 
I also would be surprised if a 17" saddle fitted him. If the K&M is rising up and down in trot the it does not fit.
 
My 13.2hh is in a 16in thorowgood pony club saddle with longer leg flaps. He is short backed though and with very flat withers which is why we opted for the thorowgood. I am short though, at 5ft 2!
 
My 13.2/3 newforest pony is in a 17inch in both dressage and gp saddle, farrington and Black Country. He has a slightly long back anyway and is rather wide at just over 10inches D-D
 
My 14hh NF is in a 16" XW Thorowgood pony dressage saddle. She is quite short backed though, my young 13.2 is using the same saddle but I am looking at getting her a 16.5". I would imagine for a pony that size, they would need to be fairly long backed for a 17" to fit.
 
Thats some really good feedback. Leo was in a 17 inch for about 4 years and didn't seem to have problems with it although we think it is a "compact" GP so cut smaller through the saddle as a whole. He is a chunky boy with a flat and wide back and the pony 16.5 looks out of proportion on him and sadly is too small for my daughters leg too, its an extra-wide gullet which the pony loves and he is really moving freely in it. Another saddler has suggested a kent and masters s series 17 compact GP but we have not ordered this yet. I am getting confused as I am receiving differing advice! I really want to do the best thing for the pony but want my daughter to be secure in the saddle too, her leg is very close to the front of the knee roll in the 16.5 and almost over the top when she jumps. We are thinking maybe a more jump-style saddle?
 
Saddle footprints vary a lot so one 17" can be up to an inch longer on the horse's back than another, plus panel designs can vary which can make even more difference. A really full on upswept panel, which i personally find very useful for fitting natives, can take up to 1.5" off the footprint, if a suitable shaped panel for that particular shaped back.

I totally agree that a saddle lifting at the back does not fit. With a very flat back you're going to struggle to find a changeable headplate saddle to fit properly, we've been trying to find such a tree for a long time, plastic trees curve up when the seat it put on so even if the tree starts out flat it ends up curvier. Then the makes put on a big panel trying to flatten the fit and you can end up way off the horse's back and perched. A flatter tree will give more room even if you can't go up in seat size, and going to a jump flap, or a higher placed block, should give you more leg room. If the stirrup bars are in an okay place there is no reason not to go for a jump saddle if you need the leg room, you can do dressage even in a jump saddle.
 
I used a 17" M-W GFS saddle on my 14.1, and also a 16" M GFS for a short time. Both fitted fine! The 17" was also used on a stocky 13.2 Connie.
 
The best saddle I found for my NF x cob who is 14hh is one I got off ebay! It's a Teversal saddlery 16.5" GP saddle. It's a very generous seat size for 16.5" - seems to have been made for an adult. I'm 5'6" and no skinny Minnie, but the flaps take up my legs well as does the seat. I'd never heard of Teversal saddlery before - I don't even know if they still exist, but I love this saddle. :)
 
Have you measured his back?
Ask him to stand square, and then move to his shoulder. Have a piece of chalk handy. Feel the top of his shoulder up towards the wither, then move behind the scapular where the gullet would sit. Mark this spot. Then ask a friend to lift the ponies' leg, mark where the scapular is now (the edge of it), as it would have rotated back. This is where the scapular moves when your horse moves (no point fitting a saddle to a stationary horse!). Now move to the flank, and gently find the last rib. Move your hand up to the top of the last rib where it attaches to the shelf of ribs. Mark this spot.
The distance between the first point and the last point is the length of back the saddle can safely sit on. Anything longer will be sitting in a 'no support' zone over the lumbar. The second mark shows how far back the shoulder moves, so when you do choose a saddle you want to make sure that it's clear through the area to avoid pinching and damage to the cartilage of the scapular.

Also look at the back space. At the top of the spine, place two fingers down and mark. Then mark the top of the shelf of ribs. You don't want the panels of the saddle sitting any wider than this (over flowing onto the ribs or pinching at the top of the spine), this can cause discomfort and pain.

These are just a couple of things when choosing any saddle. The more saddles you can look at and try, the better. Make sure the saddle fits the rider too - remember that there is no point fitting the saddle to the horse if the rider doesn't sit centered.
 
Squishee said:
Have you measured his back?
Ask him to stand square, and then move to his shoulder. Have a piece of chalk handy. Feel the top of his shoulder up towards the wither, then move behind the scapular where the gullet would sit. Mark this spot. Then ask a friend to lift the ponies' leg, mark where the scapular is now (the edge of it), as it would have rotated back. This is where the scapular moves when your horse moves (no point fitting a saddle to a stationary horse!). Now move to the flank, and gently find the last rib. Move your hand up to the top of the last rib where it attaches to the shelf of ribs. Mark this spot.
The distance between the first point and the last point is the length of back the saddle can safely sit on. Anything longer will be sitting in a 'no support' zone over the lumbar. The second mark shows how far back the shoulder moves, so when you do choose a saddle you want to make sure that it's clear through the area to avoid pinching and damage to the cartilage of the scapular.

Also look at the back space. At the top of the spine, place two fingers down and mark. Then mark the top of the shelf of ribs. You don't want the panels of the saddle sitting any wider than this (over flowing onto the ribs or pinching at the top of the spine), this can cause discomfort and pain.

These are just a couple of things when choosing any saddle. The more saddles you can look at and try, the better. Make sure the saddle fits the rider too - remember that there is no point fitting the saddle to the horse if the rider doesn't sit centered.
Click to expand...

Try doing this OP.

I also think that 17" may be a bit too big for him. I also have a 13.3hh NF, and she's in a 15.5" Eric Thomas saddle (I'm 13 yrs & 5ft2), and it fits her fine.

If the saddle fitter says that the 17" is OK on him, and he seemed to move well, then I would try a 17" again, if it suits your daughter.
 
My 14.2hh TB x is in a 16" saddle - I am 5'2" and not particularly petite, and I find the saddle really comfortable to ride in :) It is a GP Saddle Company saddle...
 
13.3 short backed, deep girthed, wide barrelled witherless Newfie in a 16.5 Wintec dressage and a 17 GFS GP Genesis, the Wintec is the older flatter tree version and the Genesis come up small length wise, nice flatter tree again, both changeable gullets. Riders 5ft 2 & 5ft 4

14.1 long backed, withered, totally different shape Newfie to the 13.3, GFS full leather 17 dressage, swept up tree at the back, deep panels, 17 GFS GP Genesis for jumping.

Two totally different shaped New Forests but they have a Genesis each as I find they fit both equally well for jumping, one has an XX Wide Gullet no padding and the other has X Wide gullet with my own wither pads to lift it very slightly.

I have had them both in Saddle Co saddles and both caused far more trouble than they were worth to be honest.
 
Measuring is a nice idea but you still need to know the panel length and exactly where it will make contact for any saddles you will try. On an upswept panel saddle the panel will contact more of the back on a croup high horse than it will on a flat back, back shape and panel shape can both make a big difference. Also it is the tree points that need to sit behind where the shoulder blade rotates to, not the whole saddle. I think it's a tough call for a regular owner-rider and I'd recommend relying on a good fitter to check off any fit.
 
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