How To Find A Good Fit For A Pony

[Mechanical Cowgirl]

Alright, there is tons of info on how to best fit a saddle to a horse (and all the complications therein...), but what about fitting a pony? I have to laugh at all the ads for 14-14.2 hand ponies that people are selling due to their kids outgrowing them and needing/wanting a bigger horse, I'm an adult and ride a 13.1 POA and think she's a lovely size (I'm not very big though). But with that ease of mounting and the feeling that you are going mach 3 when she canters, then you look at the ground going by and realize a horse would barely have to break into a trot to keep up, I've had a hard time finding a saddle that fits her. I have a decent one now, an old 14" Billy Cook barell saddle from the 70's. I'd like to start breakaway roping with her (team roping is out as the steers are bigger than she is...) but I'd like to find a bit stouter saddle first. But as you get into saddles that I'd feel comfortable roping in then they are too long in the bars and skirts for her.

So... Does anyone have experience with ponies and finding saddles that fit short of having a custom one? I have a Fabtron 'roping' saddle with a Ralide tree that is short enough for her, but the saddle itself doesn't fit her that well (or any other horse I've had it on) so I don't want to be subjecting her to yanks on the horn. I bought her as a project this fall and only plan on having her for a year or two, so everything that I get specifically for her probably won't ever be of use to me ever again. Unless I go into the pony training business, hmm...

Edited December 13, 2010 by Mechanical Cowgirl

[Huntet02]

  On 12/13/2010 at 11:10 PM, Mechanical Cowgirl said:

Alright, there is tons of info on how to best fit a saddle to a horse (and all the complications therein...), but what about fitting a pony? I have to laugh at all the ads for 14-14.2 hand ponies that people are selling due to their kids outgrowing them and needing/wanting a bigger horse, I'm an adult and ride a 13.1 POA and think she's a lovely size (I'm not very big though). But with that ease of mounting and the feeling that you are going mach 3 when she canters, then you look at the ground going by and realize a horse would barely have to break into a trot to keep up, I've had a hard time finding a saddle that fits her. I have a decent one now, an old 14" Billy Cook barell saddle from the 70's. I'd like to start breakaway roping with her (team roping is out as the steers are bigger than she is...) but I'd like to find a bit stouter saddle first. But as you get into saddles that I'd feel comfortable roping in then they are too long in the bars and skirts for her.

So... Does anyone have experience with ponies and finding saddles that fit short of having a custom one? I have a Fabtron 'roping' saddle with a Ralide tree that is short enough for her, but the saddle itself doesn't fit her that well (or any other horse I've had it on) so I don't want to be subjecting her to yanks on the horn. I bought her as a project this fall and only plan on having her for a year or two, so everything that I get specifically for her probably won't ever be of use to me ever again. Unless I go into the pony training business, hmm...

I don't have the answer to your question but I just had to pipe in that I thought this is an n excellent question.....loads of folks looking to also buy pony saddles and the general consensus is that because they are buying a kids saddle that it will automatically fit whatever smaller horse or pony they find.....