Marcel Toulouse Lexi Jr Youth Saddle with Genesis™ Adjustable Tree

The Marcel Toulouse Lexi Jr Youth Saddle with Genesis™ Adjustable Tree is the ideal choice for young equestrians ready to take their riding to the next level.  Buying a saddle for a kid who’s still growing is a bit of a gamble under normal circumstances — fit them too well today, and they’ve outgrown it by next season. The Genesis™ Adjustable Tree underneath this Lexi Jr changes that math. Rather than committing to one fixed tree width, it adjusts from narrow through extra wide using a simple in-saddle mechanism, no tools required, so the same saddle can keep fitting as your rider’s frame changes or as they move between different lesson horses.

The saddle itself is built around close-contact fundamentals: a deep seat keeps a young rider anchored and secure rather than sliding around during transitions or over fences, while the padded, slightly forward-cut flaps help position the leg correctly without a coach having to constantly correct it. Soft foam panels underneath are shaped to accommodate a range of pony and horse builds, which matters if your junior rider splits time between more than one mount, whether at home or at a lesson barn.

Seat sizes run 15″ to 16″, sized specifically for youth and smaller-framed riders rather than a scaled-down adult saddle, and it’s available in chocolate brown or Havana leather. The leather itself has a soft, grippy finish designed to hold up to the kind of daily handling a working junior saddle actually gets — tack room storage, trailer trips, and lesson-barn wear and tear.

If your rider is still small enough for a true pony saddle, our Wintec 500 Pony All Purpose Saddle is worth a look as a smaller-framed option with a similar all-purpose build. On the other end, once your junior rider graduates out of youth sizing altogether, the Pessoa® Gen-X™ Elita II is a natural step-up close contact saddle to grow into next.

And if budget is the bigger factor right now, the Henri de Rivel Club All-Purpose Saddle is a solid, lower-cost all-purpose option while your rider is still finding their seat. Browse the rest of our jumping saddles if you’re comparing tree types and price points more broadly, or check our saddle size guide to confirm 15″ or 16″ is the right starting point before you order.

Feature Bullets:

• Genesis™ Adjustable Tree — changes width from narrow to extra wide with no tools required
• Deep seat for added rider security
• Padded, slightly forward-cut flaps for correct leg position
• Soft foam panels shaped to fit a variety of horse and pony builds
• High-quality leather with a soft, grippy finish
• Suited to training, lessons, and jumping or general English riding

Specifications:

• Model: Marcel Toulouse Lexi Jr Youth Saddle
• Tree System: Genesis™ Adjustable Tree (narrow to extra wide)
• Seat Style: Deep seat
• Flaps: Padded, slightly forward-cut
• Panels: Soft foam, multi-fit
• Leather: High-quality, durable, soft grippy finish
• Purpose: All-purpose / jumping saddle
• Sizes Available: 15″ to 16″
• Color Options: Chocolate brown, Havana
• Ideal For: Beginner to intermediate junior riders, riding schools, competitive youth riders

 FAQ

How does the Genesis Adjustable Tree actually work? It uses a built-in mechanism to change the tree’s width from narrow through extra wide without needing to send the saddle out for professional reflocking or fitting — a quick, tool-free adjustment you or a fitter can make directly.

Will this saddle still fit my child next riding season? That’s the specific problem the adjustable tree is built to solve — since the width itself can change, the saddle has a much better chance of continuing to fit as your rider’s horse changes or as your child’s proportions shift, compared to a fixed-tree youth saddle.

Is this saddle better for lessons or for showing? It’s built as an all-purpose/jumping saddle, which makes it suited to both — lesson-barn use across multiple horses (helped by the adjustable tree) as well as jumping and general training rides.

What’s the difference between the 15″ and 16″ seat sizes? The half-inch difference matters more for a smaller-framed junior rider than it might for an adult — a 15″ seat suits a smaller or younger rider, while 16″ gives a bit more room as they grow. Our saddle size guide walks through how to check which is the better starting fit.

What happens once my rider outgrows the youth sizing entirely? At that point, moving up to a full adult close-contact saddle like the Pessoa® Gen-X™ Elita II is the natural next step, since youth saddles like this one are sized specifically for smaller riders rather than built to stretch indefinitely.