I have been going through the saddle search from hell most of the summer and through the fall now. I am trying to fit 2 ponies - both in the medium wide range, one is an Andalusian and the other a fairly flat backed Morgan cross. I had a saddle fitter out who gave me some ideas and a demo to try that I didn’t like at all…felt like I was riding the saddle not the pony. I have 2 problems: the first is that the Morgan is hard to fit and many saddles tend to slip to the left on her. The other problem is that I am really small - 5’1", 100 lbs and short legs. I thought I had found the answer with a Stubben Juventus D, the youth dressage saddle, in a 32 cm (considered wide for that saddle). It did not move and fit us all well, but the Morgan hated it and bucked at the canter. Can any of you petite people share what has worked for you? I can’t afford a custom made saddle, but I am getting pretty desperate now. I can’t stand flaps that go down to my ankle bones!
How about a Thornhill? I’ve heard good things about them with widish horses, and they make a junior saddle.
http://www.thornhill-saddles.com/105Vienna2YouthLarge.htm
Just an idea 
Hi Hoser1,
I’m a bit taller than you at just over 5’3", but my legs are very short (oh so bad for dressage.) I bought a Custom Saddlery saddle, http://www.mysaddle.com/MYSADD~3/index.html, several years ago that fit my short legs and my fat pony. You might want to give them a try.
Joan
Wow, that’s weird. I’m 5’1" and ride a Morgan cross with a wide flat back. I ended up buying the Bates Innova and using the wide gullet. My saddles usually slip to the RIGHT (gosh one difference from you, LOL). I fixed the saddle slip by buying a thinline pad. I also bought a thinline girth but haven’t tried it yet. The Bates does feel bouncy at first, but then after a month or two it molds to the horses back and feels fine. If you look around hard enough you may be able to find a Bates Innova on sale.
I have heard great things from petite riders about the Debbie McDonald Trilogy saddle.
Another thumbs up for Custom Saddlery. They have the Wolfgang Solo in an off the shelf model. I ride in a custom fitted one, but its roughly a med/wide tree on a fat 15.2hh Andalusian and my 16.3hh Hanoverian - their backs trace out identical lucky me.
But, I’m 5"1 and have reallly short calves. I bought a diff. Wolfgang model with petite flaps that fits my leg great. I’ve also ridden in the Solo with the short flaps and the short thigh blocks. Very comfortable and proportioned well.
That’s a possible option for you without paying full custom price- trying one of their off the shelf ones.
Out of all the saddles that my trainer has tried/owned (she’s 5’0" on a good day :lol: ) the one that she likes best is her County WB. She is actually selling one of them… a 1999 model, wide tree, 16.5" seat.
Passier’s Youth saddle. Tree goes much wider than the Stubben, and the shortened points and tree shape are very useful for the baroque backs. Flaps are VSD, (IOW, slightly forward to shorter thighs won’t go over the front of them) while the seat and stirrup bars are still appropriate for real dressage work.
(plus, in a completely DQ way, it’s got that amazing london coloured piping around it. I would KILL for them to make that exact saddle in MY size… :sigh: Someday when I’m rich I’ll get a custom from them–same specs, my size.)
Ditto the thinline, though you might find shims appropriate if it’s a conformation thing. I use a set of thinline ‘inserts’ which run full length of the panels, then a pair of shims for my guy. I just can’t swing the cost of their sheepskin comfort pad (and luckily it doesn’t come without the rear trim–so I’m not miserable that I can’t have it 
) so I use double sided carpet tape to hold the pads/shims onto sheepskin pads or saddle pads I already own. I think it was around $40 for both sets. VERY reasonable to try, with 30 day moneyback guarantee if you buy direct, or from Arete saddlery. Or, if you buy used etc., ebay resale is excellent and about guaranteed.
I’m 4’11 and have a County Drespris that I really like… the flaps are a little shorter, and you can usually find one second hand for somewhere around $650. Not sure if it will fit your horse, of course, but if you get a good saddle fitter they can usually re-stuff, etc.
look at hdr i know they have a wide number of seat sizes think the tree is standard narrow Med and wide.
Look at the Duett Encore. Works well with Morgan backs, and it fit me very well (I’m under 5 feet tall and 110 lbs.)
PRESTIGE LUCKY
I highly recommend Prestige Lucky - its a pony/youth saddle, but made with the same craftsmanship as the “adult” Prestige saddles. Many makers who make youth saddles use lesser quality materials etc. for their youth/small adult saddles. Prestige Lucky is very comfortable and soft. It has short flaps to accomodate a shorter leg but also the design of the saddle is such that its comfortable for short people. The seat size is 16 inch (I think it only comes in this seat size) but its very roomy - I have a 17 inch butt and fit in the Lucky comfortably. It also has a wide gullet so it should fit broader backed horses. And the Prestige Lucky has a fully adjustable tree! I believe that dressage extensions sells the saddle (I got mine in Europe before it came out in the US) and also some pop up on Ebay from time to time.
I’m 5’2 and ride a wide range of horses. Totally love my County Eventer. It’s a medium tree, and has been a great fit from Morgans to TB’s. Super comfy, with just enough knee roll up front when I’m riding greenies. Makes the adjustment from jumping to dressage with no problem.
I was trial riding a few saddles until I settled on an Albion, 16.5 cantle, which I bought second hand. It is extremely comfy. I am 5-foot-2-and-a-half, 102 lbs and somehow all the other saddles were too large for me and this one is a “just right” fit, both for me and the Appy I am leasing. The tree is a standard tree but what I’m told is that Albions are fairly easy to modify for just about any horse. See if you can find something “gently pre-owned,” as they say in the car business…GOOD LUCK!
Years ago when I had a chunky pony I rode in an Albion, it fit me well, was super comfy, and fit the pony nicely. I also like the Custom Saddlery saddles, they can be made with a shorter flap.
[QUOTE=NJRider;3605624]
I have heard great things from petite riders about the Debbie McDonald Trilogy saddle.[/QUOTE]
I second that. I ride in the Armadeo myself but I heard very good things about the Debbie from petite riders (and I just love the feel/fit of the Trilogy saddles).
