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Post by ammevo on May 21, 2010 8:36:06 GMT
I am looking for a shetland pony pad and would love some feed back to the best makes ones on the market and those to stay well clear from. I have a lovely 12 inch saddle and my daughter finds it very differcult to ride in, and has previously ridden on a pad and loved it.
Many thanks.
Emma
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Post by bunny on May 21, 2010 8:54:20 GMT
I think its dependant on the size of your pony. We have had both Milners and Zoe Snape pads. If you have a pretty much full up pony and a larger jockey then possibly the Milners is the one to go for. We however only have a Zoe Snape one now and they also do make them larger now, have seen the bigger one and it looks good. My ponies are 39/40 and chunky and the other 40/41 and still maturing. The Zoe snape one is just right on them with my 7 and 11 year old riders. Good luck with the new pony he looks cracking.
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Post by ammevo on May 21, 2010 9:36:03 GMT
Thank you bunny, the pony is 41 and six years so will not grow any more as for the riders, I have a 8 year old that I am hoping she will learn to jump him as her own pony has a big jump and will ping her out of the saddle as they are both green !
I also have a 6 month old boy who will grow into him. As it will be a saddle that has to last for more than a season I want to get it right.
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Post by dancer on May 21, 2010 10:12:08 GMT
We had a Zoe Snape one - thre suede was great for keeping kids 'stuck' to the saddle!
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Post by Milners on May 21, 2010 13:21:50 GMT
I have 2 Milner's pads and love them. Great for jumping in too as they have slight knee rolls. You can get them made to size or you can buy them straight off the shelf. I've never tried a Zoe Snape one so can't comment on them. I have a Shire's one too but can't use it as the integral girth would fit a shire!
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Post by bunny on May 21, 2010 13:34:05 GMT
Prob either then really, I would go for the larger Zoe Snape pad but thats my personal choice I just think they look neater for showing and are slightly cheaper. My daughter thought they were more comfortable as they are slightly padded They last for years, put a numnah under to keep the underside clean and give it a regular suede brush to keep the dirt out, we have a sheepskin rug cut to size under ours. A lot of the shiny stuff on suede saddles is caked on dirt.
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Post by nici on May 21, 2010 18:44:39 GMT
We use the Shires pads on our little Shets. They're too long, but then so is everything unless I get it M2M and I couldn't afford that at the time. They're cheap ,cheerful and have knee rolls. My daughter has ridden happily on one from age 3 to 6. The only thing she's struggled with is riding without stirrups as they offer no help to keep her in the saddle lol!
We bought a Native Pony Saddle Co pad for our standard Shetland (about 40", 5 yo, still very immature). It fitted him lovely, but then we tried our Section A's suede saddle on him, and that suited him even better, so we've stuck to the saddle since, and I sold the pad. He's not a typical table-top though - he has clearly defined spine and withers. The Native Pony Saddle Co pad was shaped over the withers and padded underneath, and didn't work so well on our flat backed Shets.
The thing that puts me off the Zoe Snape pads is the exposed girth buckles, like a dressage saddle. With such small ponies, I think it looks a bit bulky and messy.
I really like the look of the Thorn pad from pictures, but don't know what it's like in the flesh. If either of my big lads ever develop a table top back, I'd be tempted to try one, but Sammy really needs something with spine/wither clearance and it's too soon to say with Teddy, who won't be backed properly til next summer.
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Post by nici on May 21, 2010 18:46:06 GMT
I have 2 Milner's pads and love them. Great for jumping in too as they have slight knee rolls. You can get them made to size or you can buy them straight off the shelf. I've never tried a Zoe Snape one so can't comment on them. I have a Shire's one too but can't use it as the integral girth would fit a shire! Our Shires pads have removable girths so we don't have to use the girth that came with them. |
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Post by sheltie on May 21, 2010 22:41:12 GMT
Thank you for all the positive comments regarding the suede pad. The design is so for safety, comfort and cut to be flattering. In defense of the dressage type girth, I so designed it that there was no" bulk"of straps, buckles or girth interfering with the riders contact or comfort. The other important reason is, being able to tighten the girth equally from both sides does have a profound difference in keeping the pad straight and still. My pad is now worn by many of the top Shetland ponies, and I am thrilled every time a pony does well wearing one. Ponies so far this season who have excelled, and wear the pad are Blackertor Rhonda who now has her HOYS and Olympia tickets, Horninglow Derwent, qualified f/r HOYS and RIHS and HRE Bigton Res Champ Olympia Qualifier and off to HOYS, and the summer season has just started. Take a look at my winners page,( though I am updating it to include the ponies above)   www.shetlandshowingtack.com/index.php/Winners-Gallery.htmlwww.shetlandshowingtack.com/index.php/Saddle-Pads.html |
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Post by madcatspinster on May 22, 2010 9:17:08 GMT
I have used a Zoe Snape pad on both our shetlands, one a miniature and the other on a standard, I think they are great and my daughter, who is 11, thinks they are really comfy, they don't move & they look really neat and tidy for showing, should get commission as loads of people comment on them & ask where they are from!!!!! We have even used the pad to help break a horse who was very sensitive to the saddle at first - with a longer girth of course! - and he is doing really well now with a normal saddle on!
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Post by bunny on May 22, 2010 14:13:48 GMT
We have shown a welsh B quite happily in one and quite succesfully use them to start young ponies off of all types, no worries about fit of the saddle just use a thicker pad. I agree with Nici in that our 4 year old shetland was not right to begin with in one as he wasvery immature and did have withers and spine. We had a Milners at the time which has a bar through and he wasnt happy in it
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Post by tabbyx on May 23, 2010 18:14:05 GMT
rode in one for woman at shows and loved it! not sure what make but going to find out and try and get one for my section A
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Post by sheltie on Jul 6, 2010 14:20:40 GMT
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