Firstly, if you have an instructor, it can be helpful if they are present at the fitting! They can help you choose what sort of saddle you need, and will give you confidence if you are inexperienced. A third pair of hands is also helpful if the horse is fractious, although don’t be worried, I am very hands on!
You will need to allow a couple of hours for a saddle fitting appointment, along with the use of an arena or a suitable area to ride. Ideally your horse/pony will be ready, clean and dry, and you will need to have your bridle, girth, stirrups and numnah to hand. (I do have spare stirrups and girths on the van).
I normally start with having a good look at your horse or pony, checking for sore spots and asymmetries, and assessing the conformation; so that I can consider which of the saddles I have may be suitable for both horse and rider needs. Either now or at the end I will take templates (tracings) of your horse’s back and ask you to help me fill in the details of yourself and your horse. Then I will sit some saddles on your horse’s back from which we can narrow it down as to which you should ride in. Any adjustable saddles will be adjusted at this point.
It might be that you only ride in one saddle, but more often than not it is three or four. Nowadays I always try the saddles with a numnah to make it more comfortable for the horse. Although I will tell you if I think a saddle is unsuitable, I hope you will tell me which one feels the most comfortable and suitable for your purposes. You will need to walk, trot and canter on both reins, and even pop a fence if you like! Most people ride in a saddle more than once to make sure it’s the right one.
Once you have made your decision, we can proceed with the purchase along with the necessary paperwork. If your saddle needs to be ordered, e.g., what stock I have is the wrong colour or fit; this can sometimes take a couple of months. Once your saddle arrives, I will arrange a convenient delivery date with you. Then, when I deliver the saddle, I will usually ask you to ride in the saddle to make sure all is well and both you and your horse are happy and comfortable. New saddles normally need to be checked after a couple of months of use when the flocking will have settled; you will need to contact me to arrange this.
If you would like to book a saddle fitting appointment, please do not hesitate to get in touch 07941 512933.
