I have a couple soft leadline saddles which are great for kids at that are just sitting up there... And a couple of saddles (which were very kindly donated to my farm) which are the right seat sizes but are MUCH too narrow for any of my "kid suitable" horses and ponies (they start at a wide and then go wider from there LOL)
Now I have some students who are ready to move beyond leadline and the next best option I seem to have for seat size is my 17" saddles and am finding that some of the smaller kids are really struggling with that as far as maintaining a correct seat goes.
So... This year I have decided to invest some money in making sure my younger students (and their mounts) are comfortable and set up as well as possible for correct learning... But am lost as far as which saddles are best for what I need.
I do not want to spend a thousand dollars on lesson saddles, since (especially with kids) accidents happen and I'd hate to shell out a huge amount of money and then have to write off the saddle... But they need to be quality enough to place the rider in the right position and fit the horses well.
Anyone have any great suggestions on which makes and models might suit what I need?