06/08/2026
There are so many kids riding in saddles that don’t fit them or their horse. I know it’s hard to want to invest in a saddle that your kid is going to grow out of, but it really is a safety issue for your child and makes a big difference to their success in riding. A poor fitting saddle does not put your child in a balanced position. The saddle needs to fit the horse and the rider to have a secure rider seat. This is my daughter in her Portos Junior from many years back. Was it an investment? Yes. Did it seem a little bit of a splurge knowing that she was going to outgrow it in a couple years? Yes. But look at her position. She is in perfect balance and vertical alignment and was very secure in this saddle. The good news is that a good junior saddle will hold its value. When it came time to put her in an adult size Portos, I had people lined up to buy this saddle from me. I could have traded it in to Stubben for a new saddle, but, I ended up actually selling this one out right for more than I bought it for. Stübben no longer makes the Portos Junior, but they make the Ascend Junior, and for dressage, the 1894 Junior. I have two junior saddles in my lineup if anyone would like to take a test ride. You can get into a brand new junior saddle that I fit to your child and horse starting at $3395.
