Your First Pony Saddle: A Handy Guide

Getting your first pony is undoubtedly an exciting and meaningful experience. But along with that exciting adventure, comes a list of important decisions you’ll need to make for your new friend, one of the most crucial being selecting the right saddle.

A saddle isn’t just for you to sit on; it’s a support system for both you and your pony. It should keep you balanced, comfortable, and ensure your pony doesn’t experience any discomfort, rubs, or pinches.

Remember, it’s challenging for your pony to carry weight on its back, just like wearing uncomfortable shoes can spoil an otherwise lovely hike. Therefore, ensuring your saddle is comfortable is of utmost importance for good riding experience.

This guide will shed light on the ins and outs of choosing and maintaining the perfect saddle for your pony.

Understanding Horse and Pony Sizes

Each horse or pony, much like humans, comes in diverse shapes and sizes. A saddle that perfectly fits one animal may completely misfit its stablemates.

Often, a single saddle is used across multitudinous animals, which is far from ideal. Furthermore, a horse’s shape is subject to change over time, particularly where a horse transitions from an overweight and unconditioned state to a leaner, more muscular physique. This underscores the importance of regular scrutiny of the saddle’s fit.

Factors influencing choice of saddle:

• Size and shape of the animal: Each animal possesses a unique profile, and the saddle must be nuanced to fit its characteristics.
• Physical transitions: Horses and ponies can undergo significant physical transformations via diet and activity levels, thereby requiring the saddle to be adjusted accordingly.

Evolution of Saddles with Use

Saddles are integral components of equestrian activities and are hence subject to regular usage. Frequent use can lead to the disintegration or misshaping of the filling in the saddle panels, leading to sagging of the saddle structure or creating pressure points. Recognizing these effects is essential to avoid potential damage to the integrity of the saddle and the wellbeing of the horse. Saddlers should be consulted periodically to ensure that the saddle remains in optimal working condition.

Signs of saddle wear and tear:

• Panel squashing: Frequent use may cause the saddle’s stuffing to compress, causing the saddle to sag or form potently uncomfortable pressure points.
• Structural alterations: The saddle may undergo significant structural changes over time, necessitating service or replacement.

Exploring Saddle Dimensions

Saddles are available in various dimensions to cater to the size of the rider and to comply with the horse or pony’s shape. The length of the saddle is gauged from the pommel to the cantle. Typically, pony saddles measure about 15 inches (38 cms), while adult saddles range at about 16 inches (40.6 cms) or 17 inches (43 cms). However, larger individuals may opt for even longer saddles based on their comfort requirements.

As for the tree width, there are three standard measure fittings, designed to accommodate horses or ponies with different builds – ‘wide’ for round-barreled, ‘medium’ for average, and ‘narrow’ for narrow-barreled horses.

Additionally, riders can also select between a regular-style pommel or a ‘cut-back’ head, which provides extra room for horses or ponies with high withers.

Saddle dimensions consider:

• Length: Catering to the size of the rider, this typically ranges from 15 to 17 inches.
• Width: Depending on the horse’s barrel size – wide, medium, or narrow.
• Pommel Style: Determined by the horse’s withers, either being regular or ‘cut-back’.

Table detailing standard saddle measurements provided below:

Ensuring a Good Fit for the Rider

As a critical step towards selecting the perfect saddle, riders should set aside some time to personally try out the saddle. This can be done either by perching on a saddle horse or a real pony. You should endeavour to be relaxed, allow your feet to hang down naturally, maintain an upright posture, and get comfortable in the saddle. You should then adjust the stirrups to the appropriate length for your frame.

To ensure the optimal fit and comfort, consider the following parameters:

Key saddle fitting criteria:

• Positioning of the seat: The seat should ideally be situated midway between the pommel and the cantle for comfortable seating.
• Gullet width: An adult’s fist should be able to fit down the entire length of the gullet, to ensure enough space for the horse’s spine.
• Front and back space: You should be able to easily fit a hand’s width both in front of and behind your body, ensuring ample room when riding.
• Knee placement: At jumping length, your knees should not jut out over the front of the flaps, and when riding at schooling length, your knees should ideally be in proximity to the knee rolls.
• Leathers position: The leathers should hang vertically when you are positioned correctly, that is, when your heels align with your hips.

The following table summarizes these fitting criteria:

Ensuring a Good Fit for the Horse

Finding the perfect fit for your horse is indisputably crucial. As your pony is not able to voice their discomfort if the saddle pinches or discomforts them, it is your responsibility to ensure their wellbeing by selecting a saddle that suits their unique shape and size, whether you are purchasing new or secondhand.

Start by placing the saddle on your horse’s back, slightly forward, and sliding it back as usual. Assess its compatibility both without a rider and subsequently with a rider on board. It is important to observe your horse in motion while wearing the saddle as well, considering all gaits, and examining them again once their workout has been completed.

Key horse saddle fitting criteria:

• Level and untwisted saddle: The saddle should sit level on the horse’s back, without any twists.
• Lowest part of the seat: The seat’s lowest section should be positioned midway between the pommel and cantle.
• Gullet daylight: Make certain there is ample daylight visible down the gullet, even when the rider leans forward or backward.
• Wither clearance: Ensure you can slide four fingers with ease between the withers and the pommel, even in jumping position.
• Unhindered movement: The horse’s movement should not be restricted in any way while wearing the saddle – ask someone to lift a foreleg and pull it forward to examine whether at least a hand’s width of space separates the shoulder blade and saddle at the top.
• Loins coverage: The saddle should not extend too far back onto the sensitive loins of the horse.
• Panel stuffing: The panels, which function as shock absorbers, should neither possess too little nor too much stuffing. The panels must spread the rider’s weight over as large an area as possible.
• Withers fit: The saddle should be neither too low nor too high around the withers, and should not be easily shiftable from side to side (which would indicate too wide or too narrow a fit). You should be able to slide your fingers between the saddle and the sides of the withers with no difficulty.
• Stability: The saddle should not rock forward and back when the rider is engaged in rising trot.

The table below details the criteria for proper horse saddle fitting:

Securing an Ideal Saddle: The Role of Experts

While saddle shopping, it is highly advantageous to seek the expertise of professionals. Particularly when purchasing a new saddle, expert guidance is invaluable to ensure a snug fit for your horse. Regardless of whether a saddle was part of your pony purchase deal, this does not necessarily warrant a proper fit. In such cases, it is strongly recommended to have it evaluated by a qualified saddler or instructor.

Key steps in employing expert assistance:

• Engaging professional services: When purchasing a new saddle, request an expert to tailor it to your horse’s precise measurements. Such professionals could range from experienced saddlers to specialized saddle fitters.
• Pre-purchase analysis: If a saddle is part of your pony purchasing package, an approved saddler or qualified instructor should further inspect it. Underlying this is the understanding that even though the saddle was part of the initial purchase, it might not be the best fit for your pony.
• Annual check-ups: Even after your saddle has been purchased and fitted, annual saddle fit evaluations by a professional is beneficial. Over time, your horse’s form may undergo changes due to factors such as age, diet, and exercise regimen, necessitating adjustments to the saddle fit.

The following table summarizes the aforementioned points: