Help Please for friend with pony saddle issues!

[Retty]

Hey there all,
Hope someone out there might be able to offer some advice. My friend has a 14.1 native type with a very short back. The saddler has been scratching his head alot saying best thing for him is a cart, needless to say friend very upset, she is about 5ft5" and 9.5 stones. She has had numerous saddles in the quest to find one that fits both pony and her, saddler says ponys back can take about 15inch saddle but then weight too much in one place, a longer saddle creates rub marks at back. A lady came down with a treeless saddle, which I loved and promptly bought one for my horse! Friend likes the idea of treeless but worried that her weight will still be too much concentrated in one area, has anyone had any similar problems and if so how did you overcome them? Friend has tried bareback but pony does not like it at all :confused:

[nicolaj]

The saddler didn't sound very helpful!

I've heard these are quite good for pony saddles which need to fit adults as well:

http://www.saddleexchange.com/#

or, I love the Saddle Co Saddles. I have a 14hh haflinger mare and have verona cob saddle. They also do pony saddles:

http://www.thesaddlecompany.co.uk/index.php?page=3

Both Poohsmate & Ginger THing are Saddle Co fitters and may be able to give you some general advice by pm I'm sure.

Hope your friend gets her saddle sorted!

[Showjumper]

At 9.5 stone she won't do any damage on a treeless. It'll need the right padding underneath to fit the horse and she'll probably want to try a few to find the right one but it certainly sounds like the way I'd go :)

[Retty]

Thanks guys I will pass the links on to her :D

[Tots N Dots]

Poohsmate does the Saddle Company saddles and I would recommend him :) he is often down in Essex as well, I have the Verona working hunter for Pickle.
Pickle is 14.2hh and short backed, I am 9 stone and 5'4" but a long inside leg measurement, the saddle fits us both great

[sarah76]

That saddler doesnt sound very helpful!
I sell treeless saddles, and to be honest at 9.5 stone your friend will be absolutely fine in a treeless, have a look at www.happyhooves.net there is info on treeless saddles.

[CER1389]

Depending on your horses budget: WOW saddles can be good. The panels can all be changed. Some people hate them, others love them. You can always contact your local fitter and your friend can see about having one on trial. WOWs are great for odd shaped horses.

[Vicki&Milo]

I'd incline to think that the saddler was talking bulls***. I see his point, but I ride my 13.2hh NF in a 15 1/2" saddle co saddle. I'm even taller, 5ft6, and don't weigh much less and its the happiest Milo's ever been in a saddle.

Poohsmate has been to see it, and has obviously seen me, and I'd like to think he'd tell me if I was putting too much pressure in one place.

Equally I have riden him in a treeless, although I found this wasn't as good for him due to his lac of shape.

[Retty]

Many thanks for all your help. Friend had the back lady out today and she has now given all clear for friend to ride pony and has recommended a treeless saddle, same type as one I have just purchased.

[lor]

I am 5'5", 9.5 stone and ride a 13.1. We had terrible trouble getting a saddle right, even saddle exchange didnt do that well for us.

I was told by my saddler, whom i respect and has been a saddler for oodles of years that my po was too difficult, and our combination was also too difficult.

Poohsmate (saddle company saddles and on here) has had no problem and set me up a lovely saddle which is working well.
I have also bought a freeform, which i ordered because i thought i wouldnt get a treed to fit, so now have both and they are both great, so i would try either a treed from saddle company or a treeless :)

She will get something, just has to know who to ask :)

[Retty]

Hello,
Had a productive day today with friends pony, tried treeless and seems to suit them both well - has one coming before this weekend hopefully, thanks for all your help :D

[Showjumper]

Excellent, hope it continues to go well! :)

[Laura+Phantom]

Brilliant, I use a treeless on my short backed 14hh new forest and my long backed 13.1hh mare and they get on so well with it, and I am 9 stone 10lbs.

[Retty]

It's all going quite well! Have another question for you, this is for both myself and friend who are new to the treeless saddles! I am using a treeless pad with shims and also have a Gel-Eze which I was going to use first then the pad with shims and then the saddle - is this the correct way or should it be pad with shims then Gel-Eze then saddle? :confused:

[faye123]

I have had EXACTLY the same prob! Had same saddle on clippy for years who is a very wide Exmoor. Decided to get the saddler up about 6 months ago to get a new saddle. She said the saddle he already had was too long and the width was not wide enough! She done a template of him and said I will never get a saddle with a tree to fit him! All the cob saddles that are xxxxxwide have seats that are far too big for short backed ponies! And all the wide pony saddles with little seats will not go wide enough! She said he needs treeless or custom made, didnt like the idea of treeless and could not afford a custom one! So I started to look for very wide saddles everywhere! In the last 6 months I have brought 11 saddles, and none of them have been wide enough! The widest I got was 12" d ring to d ring and still no way near wide enough! I have finally give up searching, and i am currently riding him in a pony pad, as he needs to be ridden to get his weight off. I have now finally decided I have no choice but to go treeless! The treeless saddle has grown on me so I am now on the look out for one!