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Post by pollycrystal on Dec 14, 2016 18:47:06 GMT
Hi. I have a Section A mare, very flat backed and wide. My jockey is 10 in February. I always used a 15'' Fylde Hayden, which I found didn't give the rider enough support, so bought a Saddle Company saddle, again 15''. I wanted to check that the saddle fitted well so called a saddle fitter, who told me that all my saddles were too long for the pony's back and I would need a 14'', which could be difficult to find. The saddle which actually fitted best belongs to my other pony, so she said use that one, a Silhouette 15'', in the meantime and she would look out for a 14''. Sorry this is very rambling! Anyway she came back with a 14'' saddle which has a deep seat , and this fitted the pony very well, but my jockey hates it, because she says it is too small for her bottom. She is pushed forward on to the pommel, and there certainly isn't much room for manoeuvre. I told the fitter this, but she said it would be very difficult to find another saddle which fits as well, and the child must persevere. Has anyone else had this problem , and how did you overcome it? I really don't want to spend a considerable amount of money on a saddle which may only last a few months, on the other hand I don't want to cause my pony any back problems by having a saddle which is too long. Everyone else I have spoken to say that they think the Silhouette saddle looks ok, but they are not saddle fitters, just people with many years of experience. Any suggestions very welcome.
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Post by hazeysunshine on Dec 15, 2016 20:27:57 GMT
Do the saddles go past the last rib? I'd maybe see if there was another saddler who could fit both the child and the pony?
Doesn't sound right that they should persevere in a saddle that doesn't fit them, can cause just as much damage as a saddle that's too long because it distributes the weight wrong.
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Post by bigmama on Dec 16, 2016 16:36:11 GMT
I guess it depends on height of your child rider and the build of your Welsh A pony ... for example, if the pony is compact with not much saddle room on it's back yet rider is a bit leggy then this can cause problems finding a show saddle to fit both pony and rider (the rider will be sat on or towards the back of the saddle making for an uncomfortable ride for both pony and jockey).
When my kids were on the lead rein, we had 14" haydens for Welsh A's. When my daughter was eleven or twelve, she was still tiny, a little waif, and we had a 15" hayden saddle on a small open ridden/whp Welsh A mare.
Haydens are pretty flat, I wouldn't have used a deep-seated saddle on a small native.
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Post by pollycrystal on Dec 19, 2016 18:08:55 GMT
I had a Hayden when she was on the lead rein and just off, but she isn't very good, so I thought something with a little more depth in the seat would help her to feel more secure. Anyway the saddle fitter said my 15'' Hayden was too long, so I sold it. I'm going to try the new saddle at the next Pony Club event and see how we get on, but I think it's maybe going to go back. It looks like it would be more for a 6 year old. Will see.
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Post by catkin on Jan 27, 2017 14:56:09 GMT
I always try to respect specialist, professional advice, but I too sometimes question the advice of saddle fitters vis a vis small pony saddles. If your saddle does not go past the last rib and gives enough freedom of movement/space/padding where required, I would not change it. On little ponies, the key think is often finding one that doesn't move, which is why the Haydens work so well. I too have moved onto a more 'supportive' saddle from a Hayden on occasion and found the Fylde Samantha works very well.
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Post by kateanne0 on Feb 14, 2017 12:05:27 GMT
I had a Hayden when she was on the lead rein and just off, but she isn't very good, so I thought something with a little more depth in the seat would help her to feel more secure. Anyway the saddle fitter said my 15'' Hayden was too long, so I sold it. I'm going to try the new saddle at the next Pony Club event and see how we get on, but I think it's maybe going to go back. It looks like it would be more for a 6 year old. Will see. When you say 'she isn't very good' do you mean the jockey is unbalanced? The child needs to have confidence on what she is sitting on, i.e. the saddle and the pony. If she feels her bottom doesn't fit in the saddle then she is probably right. Persevere to look for the right saddle, a 14" does sound very small. It may be that a little more knee roll is needed? Over the years I've found there are long 15" sales and shorter 15" saddles, it all comes down to the style and shape of the saddle. This works across all sizes! |
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Post by bigmama on Feb 15, 2017 13:45:00 GMT
Agree with Catkin .. Fylde Samantha saddle may fit the bill
Many years ago, the Hayden was the most popular saddle ... then along came the Samantha and it was sought after saddle, probably as it offers more rider support than it's predecessor
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Post by gillwales on Feb 15, 2017 16:23:40 GMT
Can you post some photos, one with the saddle and no rider, one with the rider sideways on and one viewing the rider from behind. Then you will get better advice  |
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Post by lucynlizzysmum on Feb 15, 2017 18:22:01 GMT
Interestingly I took my daughter's cob to a lesson yesterday for a bit of fun. The pony is compact and we did struggle to find a saddle, however she has a davina which does fit her. But - I felt so unsafe in it yesterday as it has no (or very little) knee roll. I usually ride in a GP! So I could well be like you Pollycrystal and back to the drawing board.
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