would western be better?

[Anja]

we have a pony ((he is about 14hhs palomino we think he is a qh X)) he cant be ridden english due to he is got a big wither (( I think)) none of our saddles fit him and I think it maybe why he bucks from saddles he is such a nice pony would a western saddle be better for him?? he also has a talent he can jump he can jump 4 ft from a slow trot!!! but he would do well in western i recan(( hes got lotts of guts)) so would a wetsern saddle be better or worse for him?

[Epona UK]

It really depends on want you wish to do with him, jumping anything over 2ft 6ins is not to be recommended in a Western saddle, believe me, I've tried it !!! However, if you want to ride him on the trails, or even take up Western seriously, then I see no reason why not.
On the other hand, if your heart is really in riding English, and you think that not being able to jump is almost the end of life as you know it, I'd think again. There are English saddles specifically made for QH types, or you could have one Custom Made. It really depends on how you feel about the situation that you have found yourself in and for whose benifit you will be spending a great deal of money, yours or his.

[hunters4ever]

If your horse's withers are so high that an ordinary english saddle rubs them, then you will probably need a custom made saddle, whether you ride english or western.

[Epona UK]

if Anja meant width or height, think we may need clarification on this one .

[Anja]

what do u mean high /width

[Epona UK]

Hi Anja,
I was wondering if your pony had exceptionally high whithers, in which case finding a Western Saddle to fit him could be equally difficult. Or, whether he has very little in the way of whithers, and is also broad across his shoulder, i.e. classic QH conformation, in which case you would stand a better chance of finding a Western saddle to fit him. If you look elsewhere on this site, you will find an excellent article on fitting a Western saddle.
Hope this makes things a little clearer.

Epona

[Anja]

ok he is built like a 44 gallon barrel drum with a bit of a wither and four legs and a tail and a neck and a head does this help?? he is 8 years old a rat-bag thinks he is a stallion (( he even mounts our mares))

[Epona UK]

Hi Anja,
you will possibly need to be looking in the general direction of Full Quarter Horse Bars, or possibly an Arabian Bars saddle, which is wider than the QH one. A good idea is to make a template of his wither and shoulder area with some stiff wire, or a flexible curve ( obtainable at most art & craft shops) and trace it onto stiff card, which is then cut to shape. It's a lot easier to cart a bit of card around the tack shops than a horse !! Hopefully, you will then be able to buy a saddle with a much higher degree of certainty that it will indeed fit your horse.

Epona.

[Anja]

Ok we do have a flexi cerve so I will goto the saddle shops and find a good saddle I have one qeuston when you put a navajo (sp i think) under the saddle doesnt it
(er how do I explain this) fill it up?!?!

[Outrider]

A navajo is just a thicker blanket. If you have a horse with a high withers and your gullet of the saddle sits down on them, you need to at least use a full pad under the saddle, but I would recommend getting a different saddle that has a good amount of room between the withers and the top of the gullet. That the fork of the saddle beneath the horn. Happy Trails!

[Anja]

Thanks Outrider, this lady we know brought her son out yesterday and he rode flicka (( she used to be his pony)) and we where doing pole bending ( I won hehe) and the lady said I should try western (( ok i got a compitative streak)) she also said that I would be great at barrel racing and pole bending can anyone tell me how meny poles you use for pole bending and I know how to do barrel racing ;)

[Outrider]

Depending on where you go, you use 5 or 6 poles, set about a horse length apart. Lots of fun! Happy Trails!

[Anja]

Thanks again outrider once the weather fines up il be in the saddle againtobad I have to rdie in a english saddle for now and the pony is getting sick of me grabbing onto his mane :rolleyes: well get better once i get a horse (( hopefully wither a clyde X or a qh )) I will ba able to train him I also found this awesome site which tells you a bit about western riding