Pet Doctor

Rockwall Veterinary Hospital says when finding the right western saddle for any child there are many choices to make. Quite a few children acquire a fascination and love for horses at an early age. Who knows the reason why. It is just a inescapable fact. Children tend to be entirely unafraid and mesmerized by these kinds of large, gentle animals. This particular relationship is one which could last a life time. The old saying that “horses come between toys and boys” for girls may perhaps be some parents wishful thinking.

Children frequently begin riding the moment they’re able to sit up on their own in a saddle. The saddle is the most expensive piece of equipment you will buy right after getting the horse or pony. The saddle really should fit the horse as well as the child. It’s best to have the horse or pony your child will be riding ahead of obtaining the saddle. A good quality saddle can last for several years. Unfortunately, a child may quickly grow out of a small saddle. Keeping this in mind, you’ve got to decide the amount of money you are prepared to invest in a saddle. In the event that there are quite a few children in the family that could be using the saddle might help ease the financial pain.

A few factors to take into account before buying your saddle are:

1. Leather of excellent quality lasts a very long time. Watch out for very poor quality of leather.

2. Synthetic (man made materials) includes canvas cloth, cordura or neoprene among other forms of materials. Synthetic saddles tend to be light weight saddles and come in a number of bright colours.

3. Used or new.

4. Type of Saddle. Will this saddle be made use of for pleasure or shows.

5. Cost – Amount of money you intend to spend.

One feature which is extremely important when looking for a western saddle for your child will be the height of the cantle. The actual cantle is the raised rear part of the saddle seat. The taller the cantle, the deeper the seat, the better with regard to helping the child stay seated in the saddle. Look for a 5″ cantle height. Barrel racing style western saddles typically have deeper seats. There are normally a larger selection of small child size saddles any time looking at the barrel style western saddles.

To measure the western saddle, take a ruler or tape and measure from the back of the swell-pommel, just beneath the horn base and go straight across the seat to the inner rim of the cantle. Western saddles that can actually be used on a horse or even pony can be as small as 7″ and as large as 20″.

Beneath is a general Western saddle size guideline.

7″ to 8″ for the Very Small Child, Toddler under 3 years

10″ for an Average Size Small Child, 3-6 years old

12″ for an Average Size child, 7-10 years old

13″ for an average Youth size or large child

14″ for a Small Adult size

15″ for an Average Adult size

16″ to 20″ for Larger Adults

A number of small riders have a hard time reaching the stirrups. All of the leather, padding and skirts on Western saddles cause it to be harder to raise the stirrups short enough for little, short legs to reach them. Measuring the child’s inseam provides you with an idea of how short you need the stirrups to go. On the saddle, measure from the center of the seat right down to the location where the foot rests within the stirrups when the stirrups are pulled up as high as they will go.

A typical rule of thumb for the 10″ western saddle is 20″ at the shortest. Any shorter and the stirrups have difficulty turning and so the child’s toes are pointed forward. The 12″ western saddle stirrup length is normally 22″ at the shortest. There are numerous different “stirrup helpers” available. These consist of nylon webbing with stirrups attached. The nylon webbing normally wraps round the saddle horn and the stirrups can be adjusted to match the shorter legs.

By using good care and maintenance, a saddle can last for countless years. The Western saddle’s design and fit might have a big affect on both the horse’s performance and the rider’s position and comfort. An ill fitting saddle could potentially cause the horse considerable discomfort along with physical damage. The perfect situation is if you can try the saddle for a couple of days. Always make sure it fits your child as well as the horse or pony it’ll be used on prior to making ones final choice.

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