Youngsters and Saddle Fit...(also in Breeding)

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I am in the process of backing my boy and riding him away... all going pretty well but the saddle I have isn't a great fit (17.5 inch medium wide (I think) seems wide enough but the back tips up) and doesn't help our 'schooling', so I have a saddle fitter booked to rectify the situation.

Apart from Second hand saddles all the ones saddler has are slightly outside my budget (by about £400) which isn't a big problem, I'll pay it if I have to for his (and my) comfort and overall benefit BUT I was just wondering if I will be pouring money down the drain? a grand seems a fair bit to pay for a 'first' saddle...

i.e. is he likely to grow / widen to the point where I have to trade the 'new' saddle in for a newer one? He's 3.5 years old (4 in October) 17hh cleveland bay. I personally think he will widen but how much I don't know as he has really filled out this year already.

Experiences please?

I'm such a worrier!
 
I've just bought a Thorowgood saddle for my 4 yr old, it has changable gullets, and can also be re-flocked, so in theory could be altered to fit most shapes. I just have to find the 'right' place for the 'knee rolls' that sit under the flap, my riding is pretty rusty and I feel a bit like I'm tipping forward with nothing to dig my legs into. But I have only sat in it for 15 mins so far, so hope to get that sorted. Saddle cost £400 plus £50 to get it fitted.
 
Your horse will change shape - and fairly rapidly at times. A good second-hand saddle that fits well would be absolutely fine - I have done this with my various youngsters, none of them had a 'permanent' saddle until they were well over 7 years old, just a series of second-hand ones PXed for the next as they grew out of them. A good saddler fitter should be able to help you find the right one - nice saddles are out there for sale second-hand. Would rather do this than have a youngster in an expensive badly fitting saddle that sours them for riding and worse.
 
Just bought an oldish english secondhand saddle for my youngster, has done us a treat backing and was less than £200.Will recoup most of that when I have finished using it.As Catkin has said I can then either part exchange it or sell and get another secondhand one. With the way they change shape I would rather wait and then splash out on a new made to measure saddle.
 
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Thanks... this is my gut instinct too... I may have to go with a saddler with a wider range of second hand saddles... the saddler I have booked seems to mainly deal in new. I just want the best for my boy so fit is paramount. As already said, I don't want him going sour due to poor saddle fit.

Thanks again.
 
Am getting a throwgood for £400 fitted for my 3yr old, changeable gullets so hopefully it can alter shape as she does :)
 
As others have said don't get new yet, I recommend to all my customers not to even bother thinking about a brand new saddle until their horse is 5-6 years old at least. They change so much that what fits them one month won't fit them the next month.
I have refused to sell people new saddles for youngsters and walked off the yard advising them to get a decent secondhand, they weren't happy as their daughter has set her heart on my new saddle!
Surprisingly I wasn't asked back!

Youngsters very often (and some older horses too) get on the forehand when young, this over develops the trapezius muscles making fitting a saddle a nightmare (pardon the pun).
You may find this with yours in the next few years.
If you can, keep your old saddle, it may be needed yet!
If his traps do build up too much then you'll need a slightly wider tree than he actually needs to allow for room for his traps to move freely.
Your saddler willl advise you on this.
Oz :)
 
Unicorn Leather. Thank you so much! You have given me the reasurance I need. The saddle fitter I have coming out is very well regarded and has assured me that she will bring all her second hand saddles but I am a bit worried that she might be angling to sell me a new one as when I mentioned my budget (maximum £600) she said didn't sound too positive that she had anything...and was talking about brands that sell for a grand... I might try another also well regarded fitter who I know has a pretty good stock of second hand saddles and see what they say.
 
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