CRACKED IT!I
recently wrote an article entitled "Overfed and Under worked" in which
I outlined the hitherto almost insurmountable problem of pony saddles
sliding forward up the neck and I said that no one whether a member of
the Society of Master Saddlers, riding instructor or saddle maker had
any idea of how to cure this problem. I also said that we were having a
saddle made that we thought would overcome the problem. I am now
delighted to report that the ALL NEW "MINSTER WHIPPY" pony show saddle
has achieved the impossible.This unique saddle specifically designed to overcome the "sliding up
the neck" problem and aimed at the pony showing fraternity is available
in 14", 15" and 16" sizes and all will be made to a template. The
saddle will have all over suede seat, skirts and flaps built on a close
contact beech wood tree with a Whippy short felt panel. The benefit of
the Whippy short or half panel is twofold. Firstly, a felt panel is
much thinner than a conventional flocked panel and does not bounce on
the back when ridden and it is this bounce which causes the instability
which in turn causes the saddle to slide forward. Secondly, with a
conventional saddle the flocked part of the panel extends down the
underside of the sweat flat which stops the flaps being able to lie
close to the pony's flanks. However, a saddle with a Whippy half or
short panel does not have a sweat flap as such and consequently the top
flaps lie directly up against the pony's flanks giving the rider much
closer contact and this in itself helps prevents the saddle moving
forward. In addition, we fit four girth straps each side, including
point and balancing straps, which pull the saddle down more evenly and
bring a greater area of the panel into contact with the back. We also
recommend the use of a 5" wide Stubben cord girth that grips the belly
and prevents the saddle moving from side to side and gives greater
stability generally.A well-known firm of London saddlers, Messrs Whippy Steggal and Co of
36 North Audley Street, London W1, invented the Whippy panel. They made
the panel in either a felt or flocked version, the felt panel was
leather covered while the flocked version was usually serge covered.
The panels were previously designed for use with riding or polo ponies
to give closer contact and greater stability, although I don't believe
sliding forward was a particular problem in those days because seats
were much flatter and panels much thinner. In any event no-one had a
problem with using a crupper in a time when most horses were under
harness where a crupper is always used.Whippy Steggal's premises in North Audley Street were bombed in 1942
and shortly afterwards the firm was taken over by Champion and Wilton
whose London premises were nearby. During the early part of the
twentieth century many pony saddles were made with Whippy panels but
this practice seems to have died out. However, we are pleased to
re-introduce the panel for use in our new Minster Whippy pony show
saddle which we are sure will be greatly appreciated by the showing
fraternity. This saddle was designed by Keith Jenkin, who is a Society
of Master Saddlers qualified saddle fitter, in close co-operation with
our colleague Ted Lawrence master saddler, late of Champion and Wilton,
whose historic knowledge of the saddlery industry is truly
encyclopaedic.
