[Finallyownhorse]

Since my youngest son has shown an interest in the horses recently, I would like to get a saddle that will fit him.

I wanted to buy him his own pony, but he didn't want it. So now I am looking for a saddle that will fit a full size horse and an 11 year old.

I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, but I don't want a cheap saddle either. I have learned my lesson on buying cheap saddles!!! (For those that don't know, I put a cheap saddle on my horse. It pinched, he bucked, I had surgery.)

Since he is 11 and only a few inches shorter than me, I am 5 feet 1/2 inch. Don't forget that 1/2 inch!!! LOL

I don't know if I should look at an actual childs saddle or get a 14 inch saddle. He is a really skinny kid, but he is almost as tall as I am and a 15 inch saddle has short enough leg fenders for me.

Do childrens saddles have good resale value? Compared to a 14 inch saddle?

[HoofPrints11]

He doesn't want his own pony!!!??? Crazy kid!

Anywho. uh... 14" adjustable tree maybe?

[Anxious1]

I would take him to a saddle shop and see what fits him. That is the best way to be sure.

[Rhythm 'n Blues]

You want to be sure that no matter what seat size you get in a saddle that it fits the horse. I would image that once you find a saddle that fits the horse, the saddle company will be able to tell you how small they are able to go before it affects the fit on the horse. If you're looking to buy second hand, then I would look at both, try as many on the horse as you can, and then have your son sit in them and see how he does. 2nd saddles - you'll likely have less *options*, it may end up being "well this one fits the horse, it's not 100% perfect for my son, but it will do for now" kinda deal. Remember, your son will also grow, so you don't want something that totally fits him now, as next spring it won't fit anymore!

[Tack Collector]

I'd say get a 14 or 15 and pad it down temporarily. It's about $250 + shipping+ delays to have a saddler do it with a permanenet pad. But, there's a seat cushion called Seat Shrinker that straps on and is meant to take up the slack at the back of the seat. It's kind of a half circle and does the same as padding a seat down to say, make a 15 into a 14 or such.
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...0-d8a3ca190183
http://3forkssaddlery.com/seatshrinker.htm
http://www.valleyvet.com/seats-cushions-overview

A good thick western "bump pad" will also take up about 1" or so of excess seat and will move you forward. Works for 5'1" me to get my vintage 15" Billly Royals to fit more like 14".

That Cashel seat pad that extends up the cantle might also work. Western Luxury Seat Cushion

[Horsegma]

I just went through this problem myself this spring. My one grandson is 7 and is showing interest in riding.

Up till now I have just been putting all of my grandsons in my saddle and walking them around.

I started my grandson in my 16" saddle and he didn't feel secure in it at all.

So, I bought a cheap one on Ebay. Yes, it was cheap, but not the cheapest by any means. It is ok. But, it was way worth it too. He can put his feet in the stirrups, and the seat fits him now, and will most likely fit him for several years yet.

Your advantage though is that your son is older, and coming right up on your size already! I would take him to a tack shop just to see what size does fit him. If he is only one size less than you, I would pad the saddle as was mentioned.

The most important thing would be for his feet to fit the stirrups correctly.

As for your question about children saddles holding their value. Yes, they most certainly do. There are a lot of used childrens saddles out there that you could resell for the same price after using it yourself for a few years.

[luvs2ride79]

If you're looking for a Western saddle, I would go with a 13" Youth saddle. You shouldn't have a hard time finding one and they are usually made to fit horses (with either Semi or Full QH bars). My daughter's 13" still fits her and she's 5' now and is not really skinny.

If you're looking for an English saddle, I would go with a 16"-16.5" Wintec or other changeable gullet saddle.

[Finallyownhorse]

I like the idea of the youth size, although if I go with a 14 inch, if I ever lose my big bum I could use it too. I have short legs and a 15 inch barely fits my legs.

I have been thinking of getting a barrel saddle instead of a trail saddle (western). My thinking is that a barrel saddle has a higher back and a more secure fit. But are barrel saddles comfortable enough for the horse/rider to trail ride in?

We are not die hards. Usually a couple hours and we are done. Except me when I finally get to endurance ride. I'll be a ridin' fool then.

[luvs2ride79]

Well, a 14" might work, but I would want him to sit/ride in a few to see how he does. When we were saddle shopping for my daughter originally, the 14s were just too big. They put her in an awful chair seat, which is not a good habit to get into when they're young. It's really hard to break as they get older. A 13 was roomy enough for her and she could still keep her leg back. Three years later it still fits her pretty well. We'll have to upgrade to a 14 next year though, lol.

You know, she's not really riding in it much anymore (she prefers her English saddle now). If you're interested, I'll take some pictures of it. It's a very high quality saddle that was custom made for its last owner. She rode in it until she was 15. It's an all around type saddle, suitable for gaming and trail riding. It's medium oil with a suede seat, floral/acorn spot tooling (corners and fenders), and QH bars (which fits most horses we tried it on). I bought it for $350 and it's still in good shape. I'd be willing to part with it for $275. Here's a photo of my daughter riding in it just this past February, before her massive growth spurt, lol. She was about 4'8"-4'9"" in this photo. You can see she's still got plenty of room in it, even with her poofy jacket, and the stirrups had room to go up and lots of room to go down. The blanket under this saddle is an oversized 32x64 wool blanket, which makes the saddle look smaller than it really is.


Yes, she literally grew 3" in about 5 months! wow... lol Here she is from just two weeks ago on the same (15.2h with a DEEP 34" cinch heart girth) horse...


Anyhow, back on topic, yes Barrel saddles can be comfy for trail riding, but the high pommel can get in the way if you have lots of hills. Bending over a tall horn can get you jabbed in the ribs in a hurry, lol.

[scottielass]

Hi: How long is your son's leg from the crotch to the heel? I have a pony saddle 12" 5" gullet wide and 14" youth 6" gullet wide. I wanted $200 for either. Carol