If, like me, you love a project and enjoy getting a younger horse and developing a long relationship with them, then this topic will be of special interest to you.
How do you buy a saddle for the growing and changing body of your new friend?
There are various philosophies on saddle fit and how to deal with the various challenges that face horse owners when investing in a saddle for a young horse. Some saddle fitters will tell you that you should buy an old saddle and use it until your horse outgrows it and then shop again. Some fitters will tell you that you can have your dream saddle now, and just keep buying new versions of it as the horse grows up. Some sales reps will tell you that your horse is done growing and that this saddle fits and you will never need to see them again. I disagree with all of these approaches that I see frequently suggested to clients so I thought I should put my own information out there.
Understanding the Changes
1) Understand which saddles have adjustability and changeable balance/widths/sizes.
Your horse should be getting bigger/taller/wider and changing shape frequently from the age of 0-7.5 years old. The last growth plates to close on your horse are their withers and the crown of their head. So a 5 year old with no wither YET does not mean your horse won't get one!
2) Ch-ch-changes!
All horses change all year at all ages based on diet, exercise, work level, climate, etc. In my area, spring grass comes in, everyone gets fat for a couple weeks and then by summer everyone is riding regularly and has gotten fit after the winter breaks and slow down, and has slimmed back down. Some horses come out of a super cold, icy, rough winter with no muscle or topline, and some stay fluffy and fat. Each horse is different and each year is different. Each of these circumstances requires a saddle check. If you are working on making sure your horse is comfortable this is a requirement.
3) Skeletons
Horses close their last growth plates at 7.5 years of age. And their bodies are constructed of a series of pulleys and levers, and balance points, and soft tissue holding the whole machine together. Your horse having good posture, good farrier care, supported angles, correct work, and regular bodywork will ensure that your horse is growing and developing in all the correct directions as they grow.
Even with everything correct, young horses will still get butt high, or out of balance, or long legged before their barrel catches up. This is all normal and to be expected (In fact, I love a good photo submission of some butt high baby horses. They make me giggle). But these skeletal changes have to be expected and accounted for in the management and fit of your saddle. If you don't, you will stunt growth, damage structures, create improper postures, and put your baby horse in pain that may limit their success and life path.
4) Fitness matters
When your baby horse is just figuring out where to put their legs and balance with a human on their back, they are wiggly, and weak, and squirrelly, and still learning. But as they get used to life as a ridden horse, and gain strength, and have a diet that supports that growth, they will add muscle.
As their level of work changes (flatting to jumping, to running distances, to jumping while running distances, to collected work, etc) all of these differences should be gradual and progressive, but they will each increase the muscles and body shape required to support the work. If your horse goes from a couple of 20 minute rides a week on the flat to figure out steering, to jumping some small courses, they are going to develop a WHOLE new set of muscles and strength as they do so.
So, How Do You Saddle an Ever Changing Body?
Glad you asked! Here are your options. Note: all of these approaches exist and apply to any style of saddle you are wanting to buy: Jump, XC, Dressage, AP, Foxhunting, etc.
The Shopaholic Approach
Buy a different saddle every few months/2x a year. You can hit the consignment shops every few months as your horse grows and buy a different used saddle every few months selling the old ones as you go.
Unless you are a saddle fitting expert who knows all the brands out there and what their saddles have/use/are, this sounds expensive and frustrating and will ultimately end in you hating the process and likely getting it wrong and potentially damaging your horse's development. I don't know about you, but I would rather spend the time with my horse than running around looking for new saddles all the time.
The Ostrich Approach (Head in the Sand)
You can put them in something you already have or buy your dream saddle and will them to stay the size they are when you buy them.
This is a fool's errand. You will end up with a horse who is far too young with a damaged back, scar tissue, and behavior problems from being in pain. What a terrible idea. The mantra of this group is: "I already own a saddle that I love. It was expensive, and I love it, therefore I have to use it on this new horse."
The Historic Preservationist Approach
You can invest in a used saddle that is old and adjustable, with moderately adjustable panels that may not have the newest technology and hope that the angles and widths and panels continue to match up with your horse.
The more modern adjustable saddles have much better panels, more adjustability, and greater clearances for horse bodies. Saddle brands have learned more, and therefore some are really trying to do better. The mantra here is "These used to fit all the school horses, I have always used one of these on growing horses, and I know this one is adjustable and cheap."
The I Know Better So I Am Doing Better Approach
You can invest in a newer adjustable saddle, with a good tree shape for the horse's skeleton, AND that has adjustable panels that will allow a saddle fitter to continue to work with you and your horse to ensure comfort and proper development.
The best solution by far! Wool flocking is the most common and popular option here. Various panel depths and gussets will continue to match your horse, or can be changed out as your horse changes. And adjustable trees come in a few different styles and configurations, from dials that control tree points, to replaceable gullet bars, to traditional trees that can be pressed by a skilled saddler.
Between wool flocking and a good adjustable tree, you can be mostly assured that the saddle will be the only one you will need for the time that your horse is developing.
Mantra: I have my horse's and my best interest at heart and while it isn't fancy or my dream saddle, we are safe and balanced and secure and comfortable in it! And when the horse is done growing, if I still want the fancy brand name saddle that all my friends have, then I can invest in one then.
If you want to learn more about good adjustable saddle options that can grow and change with your horse, follow along for more posts in our Saddle Fitting Philosophy series!