Can Groundwork Replace Early Ridden Fitness to Save Saddle Fitting Costs?

Sharing expert knowledge helps everyone, emphasises Fellow of the Society of Master Saddlers, Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter Kay Hastilow, hence I thought it would be interesting to discuss a recent question in more detail, as it is both seasonal, and in these days of rising costs in every area of life, topical too….

Question - ‘Can I do just groundwork with my horse to start him back into work, so that I don’t have to have my saddle fitted now, and then re-fitted again quite quickly once he starts to gain fitness? It would be helpful to avoid the costs of two fittings if it is a sensible option.

Kay replies - I must say I was impressed that the enquirer had realised the horse’s saddle would be unlikely to fit when first starting back into work, and also that there would be sufficient changes to his shape to necessitate a second fitting in a relatively short timeframe. It seems that there is a much greater understanding of the importance of correctly fitting saddlery to the horse’s soundness and wellbeing and nowadays, for which we must all be grateful, as it is definitely a positive scenario.

If a horse has been out or work, the first thing to ask is why? Was it because of injury or lack of time / opportunity to ride? The answer to the former will be different to the latter, as correct and effective rehabilitation for an injury often requires the horse to be ridden. If this is the case, then it is imperative that the saddle is checked before the horse is ridden, which will include the saddle fitter checking that the saddle will stay straight and be balanced, as injuries often alter the horse’s way of going and can send a saddle over to one side. I expect that rehabilitation work will have included walking out in hand, but perhaps, if the saddle fit doesn’t look ‘too far out’, sit on for a couple of minutes before the saddler’s visit, just for safety. If the saddle does move when the saddle fitter sees it ridden in, steps must be taken to keep the saddle straight as the horse works, or there may well be further damage caused. Its also well worth noting that in most cases of injury rehabilitation, lungeing can be harmful because of the forces exerted on the leg, muscles or joint when working on a circle on a manmade surface, which might not be ideal in depth or consistency.

Should the break just be that the horse was turned away for convenience, so just purely unfit, it might be possible to do some preliminary work on the lunge and on long reins, provided you have a safe and secure area to do this. If using a roller, with or without attachments such as side reins, I suggest that you read Russell McKechnie-Guire & Mark Fisher’s research on pressures from rollers, which I shared recently. It makes you think - and no, just putting a pad under it doesn’t solve the problem.

It will be necessary to start to ride sooner rather than later though, as although you are getting the horse fitter, his back is not being prepared by groundwork to carry the saddle for any length of time. I am not talking about top line and shape, but the actual physical ability of the skin and coat to accommodate the normal wear and tear from saddle movement. Even with the very best fitting saddle there is always some movement side to side, and possibly a little back to front, as you are strapping a rigid item onto a moving surface. The skin needs to be prepared as much as the rest of the body. Also, the horse will almost certainly move differently when ridden, so the all the different muscles, ligaments, tendons and other tissues used to support this ridden shape need to be prepared and strengthened as well.

So, would this approach of groundwork to gain fitness be sensible? Possibly, in the short term, but my feeling is that, beyond a couple of weeks the horse really needs to be ridden – and unfortunately, this will lead to the need for the saddle fitter to call a couple of times during the period of increasing fitness, to get the saddle fit established. The risks of taking the alternative route could lead to the horse being injured and unrideable for a while. Just what we don’t want.

Like many riders and trainers, you've probably thought at some point that understanding more about saddles and saddle fitting would have the potential to help you improve your horse's comfort, performance and also long-term soundness - and not only are you right, you can now do that online, whenever and wherever fits into your busy lifestyle.

With online learning and training now much  more familiar to us all, Kay's highly acclaimed and informative 2-part video series continues to sell around the world since its launch in 2019. Aptly titled Saddle Fitting Know How - For Riders and Trainers, the two videos distil her 50 years of experience into over an hour of what is an unrivalled go-to resource for all Riders and Trainers interested in saddles and saddle fitting. They contain a wealth of information that will be of practical relevance to everyone serious about improving their riding, competing with more success or at a higher level and for those whose career is focused on training riders to develop their horses correctly.
Watch a brief trailer and buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/saddlefittingknowhow

If you are working as a saddle fitter or in training for a career in saddle fitting, Kay's 8-part video series titled Fitting Saddles: The Essential Guide will support your learning and help you develop a more in-depth knowledge of the subject and include invaluable insights into running a successful business as an SMS qualified saddle fitter.

Watch a trailer and invest in one or more of the series that together form a definitive resource to enhance your understanding of saddles and saddle fitting.
Buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/fittingsaddles

 

You Don't Have To Ride Your Horses To Enjoy Them!

Recently there has been much discussion around rider weight and along with my own post ‘The Elephant In The Room’, there have been several interesting replies, writes Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter Kay Hastilow, pictured left.

 Many have recognised the problem and have taken steps to remedy this, which is a perfect example of the mantra ‘RECOGNITION, RESPONSIBILITY, ACTION, SATISFACTION’ and my congratulations to all of those that have acted on this and succeeded in shedding weight and getting fitter, to their own benefit as well as that of their horse.

Many though have said that they simply found it impossible to lose weight despite having tried just about every diet known to man. It certainly isn’t easy and as several have said, sometimes it just isn’t possible as health issues and conditions can mean it is unachievable. I have felt a great deal of  sympathy for such people and have the greatest respect for those who have stopped riding, having recognised that this is a welfare issue for their horse. Heart-breaking, but you don’t have to ride your horses to enjoy them as there is much that we can do that will give pleasure to both horse and rider.

Let us think about horse ownership and what it entails. Yes, there is lots of boring stuff like poo picking, mucking out, turning out and bringing in but you can get great satisfaction and pleasure from grooming your horse. Most  horses will enjoy it as well, so long as it isn’t rushed and you do the job well. It can really build a bond with your horse that is equally as strong as any that you could have built by riding him or her - and the horse will look fantastic.  

I had one client who didn’t ride at all (I fitted saddles for him so that others could ride his horse occasionally so that she didn’t get out of the habit) but he and she would go for long walks together. Good and enjoyable exercise for both as they walked over hill and dale, through woodland and fields. A pause so that she could pick at some grass and admire the scenery. I don’t think that any of my clients have been happier than this pair.

There are many games that you can play with your horses, training them to be very responsive to your voice. So long as you have a safe, enclosed area (a small field if you don’t have an arena to use), you will find that horses just love playing with large balls, rather like yoga balls, and will play tag, learn to come and back away from you, move away or towards you, all to voice command. It really is amazing just how much horses recognise and respond to voice commands. The possibilities are huge.

Some will mention driving, but this will have a number of safety-related factors to be considered. I wouldn’t consider driving where I live because although this is a country lane, we have so many drivers going too fast, cutting blind corners with no thought that a horse and trap might be just around the bend. Likewise there are many tractors and a lot of farming machinery and whilst the drivers are great when I’m riding and we get out of each other’s way, this really wouldn’t be possible with a horse and trap. Also, this can be a very costly pursuit as you need safe harness (synthetic is fine if well-made but it’s still expensive) and some form of cart or trap. You also need to learn properly how to fit and put the harness on, put to (that’s attaching horse to cart) and actually drive. Your horse will need to be suitable too, as I don’t think that an ex racer would take kindly to this but if of a suitable type, your horse will also need to be taught– two novices together in this setting is a recipe for disaster. This would ideally mean the horse going away to be broken to harness then some training for both of you at that yard.

If you have the money and suitable facilities to do this, then go for it and I believe that both of you will enjoy it, which should be what this is all about, but it really is not the easiest option.

I am certain that there are many more things that can be enjoyed by both parties in this partnership and I hope that you will mention what you enjoy doing in the comments but be assured that horses can be enjoyed and enjoy life without having to be ridden - and so can you.

Like many riders and trainers, you've probably thought at some point that understanding more about saddles and saddle fitting would have the potential to help you improve your horse's comfort, performance and also long-term soundness - and not only are you right, you can now do that online, whenever and wherever fits into your busy lifestyle.

With online learning and training now much  more familiar to us all, Kay's highly acclaimed and informative 2-part video series continues to sell around the world since its launch in 2019. Aptly titled Saddle Fitting Know How - For Riders and Trainers, the two videos distil her 50 years of experience into over an hour of what is an unrivalled go-to resource for all Riders and Trainers interested in saddles and saddle fitting. They contain a wealth of information that will be of practical relevance to everyone serious about improving their riding, competing with more success or at a higher level and for those whose career is focused on training riders to develop their horses correctly.
Watch a brief trailer and buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/saddlefittingknowhow

If you are working as a saddle fitter or in training for a career in saddle fitting, Kay's 8-part video series titled Fitting Saddles: The Essential Guide will support your learning and help you develop a more in-depth knowledge of the subject and include invaluable insights into running a successful business as an SMS qualified saddle fitter.

Watch a trailer and invest in one or more of the series that together form a definitive resource to enhance your understanding of saddles and saddle fitting.
Buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/fittingsaddles

Busting Myths 6 - All Medium Fit Saddles Are The Same Width

 

 

There are many myths that have been going around with regards to saddlery and the use thereof. In this series of posts, I endeavour to show most of them are without foundations and can, in some cases, be the opposite of the actual facts.

 

Pictured left is author Kay Hastilow, Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter.

 

I have said medium fit, but here the same is true of all width fittings, whatever they might be.

I hear people say, ‘my horse is a medium fit’ and they expect that as a saddle fitter, you will pull out a variety of this width for them to chose from, expecting them all to fit the same; in fact expecting them all to fit! Nothing could be further from the truth. In British standard BS 6635/2015 a ‘medium fit’ is between 85 to 94.9 degrees – a massive 10-degree difference in one width fitting! It’s the same for all other widths as well. This is very helpful to a saddle fitter as all horses vary and it may be that a slightly wider ‘medium’ will fit the horse better than a slightly narrower ‘medium’ one.

If only this was all there is to it! The front of the tree, the head, incorporates the points, which is the part that comes down either side of the back just behind the shoulders. These tree points can be of different length and they can even be lengthened if necessary if you are having a saddle made for you. Why is this important? The longer the points, the more support there is for the saddle, so if you have a horse with a high wither you will need more length and a deeper cut panel to keep the saddle up off the spine. If you put this saddle on another horse with an identical width measurement but who has more development behind the shoulder, this same saddle will sit up miles above the horse and be totally unsuitable.

We also have to take into consideration the shape of the horse’s back and what shape (not width) of tree would best suit him. Open, U, ‘hooped’ tree? Fine if your horse has a very rounded back, all be it that he still measures ‘medium’, but if he is more V-shaped then such a shape of tree will be a disaster. It will only follow his back shape in a couple of places so not support the saddle in its side-to-side movement. Often it will drift over to one side and stay there, which will be really uncomfortable for him.  Conversely, a V head on a rounder backed horse will likewise only follow his shape in two small areas either side, causing excess pressure in these areas of his back. It is also likely to be pretty unstable – not a nice thought!

These are just some of the factors that a SMS qualified saddle fitter will be taking into consideration when fitting for you, so it may well be that they have a van full of medium fit saddles but only bring out one or two for you to see and try. It may also be why, when you ask for a particular make of saddle they refuse to fit that make for your horse. For what ever reason, they know that it will not fit. Don’t be offended if such a thing happens – they aren’t just ‘trying to sell you a dearer / their own/ different saddle’ for their own benefit. Rather, they know that such a saddle will lead to discomfort and loss of performance, possibly poor behaviour or injury to your horse. Would you really want or expect them to do that? I, and I know many other SMS saddle fitters, have walked away from a sale in such situations. We refuse to do anything that could cause pain or discomfort to your horse. Would you want it any other way?

Understanding more about saddles and saddle fitting has the potential to help you improve your horse's comfort, performance and also long-term soundness - and you can now do that whenever fits into your busy lifestyle.

With online learning and training now credibly established as 'the new normal', Kay's highly acclaimed and informative 2-part video series continues to sell around the world since its launch in 2019. Aptly titled Saddle Fitting Know How - For Riders and Trainers, the two videos distil her 50 years of experience into over an hour of what is an unrivalled go-to resource for all Riders and Trainers interested in saddles and saddle fitting. They contain a wealth of information that will be of practical relevance to everyone serious about riding, competing and training others.

 
Watch a brief trailer and buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/saddlefittingknowhow