This is a general pondering but maybe some people can help...
Bob has had a Fhoenix since he was three. He's now rising 7. The first one I had was an 18" and was way too big for him, so when he started doing proper work I changed it for a 17".
That was much better and he was in that for 18 months but I was never 100% happy with the fit. I changed the panels in it, faffed around with padding and in the end came to the conclusion that it was just too big for a narrow 13.3hh pony - the saddle just couldn't close enough round him, and also it was still too long. I tried a Barefoot London (hated it) and an Easisit (wouldn't fit). Tried a Thorowgood and although he went okay in that he went better in his treeless so stuck with the treeless.
Eventually I tried a 16" Wintec dressage and he went as well as he did in the treeless, but it fitted better technically.
I kept both for a fortnight until I was sure he was going well in the Wintec, and he was. Had my Becky Holden lesson and he went well and all was good, so I sold my Fhoenix (to a round Highland pony who it fitted perfectly, I was so jealous).
So now, two weeks on, Bob had decided he actually doesn't like the Wintec after all
.
Been practising for the prelim dressage we are doing on Thursday, and he has taken the wrong canter lead on the right rein every single time. He never takes the wrong canter lead, so obviously something isn't right.
Yesterday the saddle, which had stayed perfectly still since I got it, decided to move 6 inches up his neck whilst I was riding.
Sigh. And then my overactive mind saw what I thought was the almost imperceptible beginnings of atrophy on his back.
So, the saddler is coming out on Thursday morning, pre-dressage, and trying to find us something to buy/borrow in the meanwhile, though she did say that a perfect saddle for a high-withered, wide-backed, slopey-sided, large-shouldered, short-backed, bum-high pony in a maximum of 16.5" might be a little difficult to find at short notice!
Does anyone have any saddle recommendations? If I could get a pony Fhoenix in 16" which was built generally smaller (narrower) that would be great, but never seen one yet! Kind of annoying that I sold one he went well in, but he did, briefly, go better in the wintec (and technically it fit better), but it was obviously just a trick.
Im watching a Bates Innova on ebay, which I can't afford but it's so lovely.... might be worth a try.... scrape together some pennies.....
Wintec was only ever meant to be a stop-gap saddle on the way to buying something good and proper, but I was expecting a couple of months to save - now my Saddle Fund is not as full as I would have hoped and I can't buy something as nice as I was after :(.
This is him in his Wintec a couple of weeks ago. So he did go okay in it at first! Though it has crept forward a tiny bit - but they all do on him, it's a problem of his shape! We were going uphill in the photo btw :p. Now he is hollowing in canter and rushing in trot (more than usual
) and I need to practise for the dressage but also don't want to ride more than necessary!
Have asked a friend if I can borrow her Vogue for the couple of days til the saddler comes and see if he goes better in it - in which case we can definitely blame the Wintec.
xxx
xxx
