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Outfitting a Dressage Pony

Dressage
#1

I have officially joined the dressage pony club! A lot of the traditional “your favorite bridle” threads include brands that only go down to cob and it seems like a surprisingly few companies make small saddle pads. A lot of the items I assumed I would be reusing like coolers, saddle pads, bits, sport boots, bridles, etc. will dwarf a petite 14h pony.

What do you love or just as importantly, what brands totally let you down in these categories?

Bridle (do anatomic bridles even exist in pony size?)
Girth
Saddle pads
Ear bonnets
Sport boots
Bell boots
Boomers/quick wraps
All of the other pint sized things you love

#2

First, congratulations and welcome to the club!

I competed a 13 hand welsh cob through Prix St. George. I ordered most of my show stuff from Europe/Great Britain. I had a lot more selection and more appropriate sizing by going that route. For my every day stuff I used Just for Ponies and learned to piece a few bridles together to get the right size.

Fortunately my current pony (welsh cob) is 14.2 so I’m able to find lots of stuff on this side of the pond that works well for him.

#3

I’m in the same boat but won’t be showing so how we look doesn’t matter. Just bought bell boots; I took a few measurements of his hoof so I’d get the right size.

Most of the nicer pads are enormous on my 13.2 pony. Since I use a Thinline, most pony sized pads aren’t long enough. No Lemieux for us-- I think the Weatherbeeta version will be a better fit. I actually brought my saddle and pad to Dover to try out a few.

My girth is a tiny 18" TSF synthetic, the smallest size out there in most brands. My bridle is buckled on the very last holes. Turnout sheets seem to have neck openings for full size horses. My old cooler will cover him completely. My previous horse was 14.2 and I thought he was difficult to fit.

My BOT pad should fit ok for the winter. Don’t want to even think about fly masks!

#4

Are there certain brands or websites you would recommend? My instagram is full of tiny bougie ponies wearing the most beautiful jewel tone satin saddle pads and anatomical bridles. Things that I cannot find pony sized on any of the typical websites I would search.

#5

For anatomic bridles in pony size, try Flexible Fit Equestrian.

LeMieux does some gear in small/pony size, although you may need to order from UK.

#6

For pony stuff I usually buy from The Collected Pony and Just for Ponies. Also make friends with your closest leather guy, they can customize whatever you want. I don’t use boots often, mine prefers to be naked, but the Back of Track wrap boots is small fit the best. Marys Tack has a girth that comes in 14". This is the smallest sheepskin girth I’ve been able to find. https://www.statelinetack.com/item/horze-harleigh-skeepskin-dressage-girth/E029298/

If you want basic rubber bell boots look at hackney stores ie. Fennells and World Champion, thats where I get all mine in size xs.

For sheets and blankets, Weatherbeeta or Amigo fit the best. I buy almost exclusively from justforponies.

1 Like
#7

When I used to buy pony sized items I bought a lot of Eskadron and Lemieux. They both have pony sizes, usually both have ear bonnets, pads, polos, boots, coolers, and halters. Shires also has boots and other items for ponies.

#8

When I was showing a 14hh Arab, I also ordered a lot of stuff from the UK.

Bridles - Otto Schumacher comes in pony. Look at classic dressage for options. Micklem cob runs small enough that it may work. Agree with potentially cutting down the cheek pieces on a cob if everything else fits. It will be a relatively low cost fix.

Saddle pads - Lemieux makes a medium as does Mattes. You can get Mattes with or without sheepskin as a custom order. Try www.horsehealth.co.uk for Lemieux and Hufglocken for Mattes.

Girths - I ended up with a mohair endurance girth because everything else rubbed :). County Logic goes down to 18” if you need an anatomical shape. TSF does as well, but I have very mixed experiences with their girths.

Boots - N.E.W. and Premier both make pony sizes although you’ll likely need to order for the UK/EU.

#9

A few more bridle options…

Elevator - https://www.elevatorequestrian.co.uk…cts.html?cat=3

Schneider’s - Their Joseph Sterling line is “Arab size” and cob may fit a larger pony. https://www.sstack.com/joseph-sterli…ridle/p/40920/

Kavalkade has their anatomic in pony - https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Kava…iABEgKDSPD_BwE

You may also want to sign up for an account on eBay UK. I got good deals on pony sized tack there that I couldn’t find in the US.

#10

For my FEI gear - bridles and bits I ordered Stubben because that is what I found fit the best and had good luck with the brand with my Arabs as well in terms of quality. Saddles I usually purchased through a welsh cob breeder in Wales if I couldn’t find the same thing here (which I did occasionally through a welsh cob breeder state side). Saddle pads I usually purchased through just for ponies or the dressage pony store for schooling and went straight to PRI for show pads.

#11

I use PS of Sweden for anatomical pony size bridles. They offer pony, cob and you can mix the sizes to create a custom bridle. For example, my pony with a long skinny head has cob size crown and cheek pieces with a pony size noseband. I use total saddle fit 18’’ girth. Smartpaks regular medium diamond dressage pads are a great fit for my pony and offer cute embroidery. Equestrian Stockholm offers most things in cob or pony size so that’s my go to for fancy saddle pads, matchy matchy boots, bonnets, etc. USG also has pony size bonnets.

I have hard time finding pony size sport boots in white. I use the woof wear in small and they do the job. I just ordered a supposedly more breathable pair from The Collected Pony though so I’m excited to try those! Thats a great company to check out! Eskadron has pony size bell boots, again found at The Collected Pony.

#12

Google Equestrian Stockholm and make all your Instagram dreams come true ;).

#13

My arab pony wears an 18 in dressage girth, I use this one. It goes down to a 16 as well. I like it because I have a spazzy fit with billets that stick out and flap. This has a sleeve you tuck the billets into so they stay neat.

https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Wint…page-WIEG.html

All my dressage pads are just all purpose pads.

Smarpak and Just For Ponies have wraps that go down to 10 inches, and you can purchase 9 foot long standing wraps or just cut the last few feet off!

I found it much harder to buy dressage stuff than jumping stuff, since jumping ponies are such a big market, and the pony stuff tended to be expensive since all dressage ponies are FEI or something.

He’s a 66 so most of my 69 stuff fits him a little big, but Schneider has a nice line for ponies due to their big arab market.

#14

Thankfully my pony is of the cob build type (fjord), so I don’t have the normal pony problems, except for reins. I even found some pony reins in the UK and they are still almost too long. I actually overlap the ends of my favorite reins (soft leather with extra stops) and secure the ends with the rubber replacement keepers.

But I still have my challenges. I finally found a bell boot (overreach boot technically) by le mieux that looked like it might actually fit. According to the size guide he should be a medium. Yeah, no. Large, we’ll get large. That should work. Sigh… Had to replace them with an extra large.

Also, you can change your country on Amazon to the UK, that may give you some more options.

#15

Don’t be so sure you need pony size for certain things. For example my 14.1 Connemara is a full or even oversize browband, cob headstall and noseband, and depending on the size of the loose rings either cob or pony cheekpieces. Now dressage boots even most XS are a bit large on her and she wears an 18" Passier or a 20" TSF Stretch Tech girth. I do like the shape of the USG dressage pads they seem to have both a short spine and a short drop.

LetItBe

1 Like
#16

My 14.2 ConnemaraX, 14hh Welsh/Canadian and 13.2 chunky boy all wear Cob.
Pony bridles…especially browbands … are very small. I have 2 ‘small horse’ size Micklems.
We use Ogilvy baby pads.
My saddle (Prestige Lucky) has short flaps so I actually need a 26" girth. Same with our HJ saddle…we use a 48".

#17

The Dressage Pony Store or Just for Ponies

#18

I have to mix&match for a lot of stuff. My 14.1 cob needs small boots - and a lot of the brands start at medium. He wears a 20 inch girth (I had to import one from Europe, nothing here available that worked). Agree with the comment on the USG saddle pads -they tend to be just a bit shorter all the way around.

Bridles are a real nightmare - my guy takes a cob noseband, cob browband, cob throatlatch, but needs pony cheek pieces - and those are hard to find. ANd REINS - pony reins are too short, regular reins are too long. Then there is saddle fitting - most saddles have gusseted panels, which are a nightmare for ANY shortbacked horses - and even worse for a pony.

And I find the pony stores cater to small ponies, but not large ones - so we are often “in between”. I was just looking for a blanket for him - and pony blankets seem to go to size 64 or 66. Some horse brands start at 72. What about those of us in between? Rambo is too deep - comes down past his knees! Luckily, the Weatherbeeta fits pretty well, and comes in the in-between sizes.

OTOH, nothing is cuter then my pony:lol:

PonyShow18-11.jpg

1 Like
#19

I find a plethora of 68 inch blankets at the western tack stores …

#20

Those brands don’t FIT right😵

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