I have been wanting to review the Wintec Kids Saddle for a while. I’ve had it for about a year and a half, and it’s my favorite leadline saddle for my kiddo and also for my DIY packsaddle setup. What’s unique about this leadline saddle, is that it is well designed with the horse and rider in mind. There are a ton of kid’s saddles on the market that are little more than bareback pads, and I like that this is designed like a real saddle, but smaller.
Wither Clearance and Spinal Channel
First and foremost, this is the only kid’s saddle I could find that had adequate wither clearance and a good sized spinal channel. The cool thing about this saddle is that it has adjustable panels that velcro on. This can give you as close to a custom fit as possible for your horse or pony.
We all know that kids can sometimes bounce around when they’re riding. They don’t have the core strength yet to ride in true partnership with their horses. Thankfully, small children are much lighter than adults! That being said, I think it’s still important to think about saddle fit and comfort for your horse.
I also know that many children’s ponies don’t have withers, so the “bareback pad” style leadline saddles might be a fine fit for those horses, but my Miniature Horse absolutely does have withers and would probably be very sore if I strapped down some of the leadline saddles I’ve seen on the market.
The Wintec Kids Saddle Works on All Sized Equines
I use the Wintec Kids Saddle on my Miniature Horse Jasper McTavish, but I could put it on any size horse. With the adjustable panels, you can fit it on just about anything. It has standard English billets, so you just need the right size English girth, and you’re ready to swap it from horse to horse. This could be a good feature for people with lesson horses or more than one good kid’s horse.
The saddle also has a D-ring for a crupper, which could help to stabilize the saddle for those mutton withered equine like round ponies or even donkeys. My only gripe about the design of the saddle is that I would love for it to have rings to hook a breast collar on. If this is a deal breaker for you, you could easily have your local saddle maker or shoe-repair person sew some on. I may end up doing that myself, as it would be really nice to have the option for a breast collar!
The Wintec Kids Saddle Offers Kids a Secure and Balanced Ride
In addition to being very horse-friendly in design, the Wintec Kids Saddle also offers children a secure and balanced seat. My kiddo has been riding in this since right after he turned two, and from ride one, he had a very secure and balanced seat. I didn’t feel like I had to hover or that he might just fall out of it or slip off. I have another popular leadline saddle, and it’s just a flat piece of leather. (I’ll be doing a review on that saddle next month).
There is a whole spectrum of toddler leadline saddles. There’s the popular British one, the Inky Dinky, which basically sandwiches your child in with sturdy panels. On the other end of the spectrum, there are vaulting surcingles and bareback pad style saddles, where there’s not much between your child and the horse.
It was a huge priority of mine when shopping for a saddle for my toddler that it have a balanced and secure seat. I like that the Wintec Leadline Saddle has a high cantle and pommel. It’s like a real saddle but smaller. It has a decent twist, so I think it must be comfortable for little hips. The biggest test that the saddle passes for rider comfort is that there is no whining or complaining from my little one!
Girth, Stirrups, Leathers and Saddle Pads
I’ve had a few questions about everything I use on my Miniature Horse Jasper, so I’ll make a list below.
- Wintec Kids Saddle
- Wintec Elastic 16″ Short Girth
- 4 inch Centaur Weighted Peacock Stirrups
- Wintec Kids Webbers
- Christ Lammefelle Half Pad (DIY re-sized for my mini horse setup)
- Anti-Slip Pad (DIY cut down for size)
- Paw Patrol Skye and Everest Saddle Pad – Sewn by me!
Wintec Kids Saddle as DIY Pack Saddle
It’s so hard to find good quality tack and equipment for mini horses, so I’ve had to get creative! I love taking Jasper for hikes, and decided to just DIY a pack saddle for him. It’s essentially the Wintec Kids Saddle with a bicycle pannier attached on top. You can read my blog about it here!
I hope this blog was helpful in your search for the perfect leadline saddle! I will be doing another blog next month about the Shires Aviemore Pony Pad, so check back for that, and until next time, Happy Trails!