Busting Myths 11 - A Saddle Fitter said they couldn't come and fit my pony when told my budget; surely that's just being greedy?

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.

When a prospective client contacts a saddle fitter, there are many questions that they will ask. Details of the horse or pony, your height and weight (to bring the right sized saddle for you as well as for your horse), what you do with him, checking that there are suitable facilities for them to work in, such as a school or enclosed field for you to ride and – yes, budget. How much are you wanting to spend?

This is as necessary to know as all the other facts, as if you have unrealistic expectations of cost then the fitter cannot help you. They may ask you if you can ‘up your budget’ and give you a figure where they believe they will have saddles to offer you.’ It may be that you ‘only’ want something second-hand, but it is our responsibility as fitters to ensure that every saddle that we sell is safe and sound. No broken trees, crooked saddles or iffy girth straps. No over-flocked or lumpy panels, in fact nothing that will cause your horse pain or injury nor risk your safely. This is the least that you would expect I believe.

Saddles that pass this test have a reasonable value and most fitters will have a standard and price below which they will not sell a saddle.  The Society of Master Saddlers is committed to improving the welfare of the horse and selling saddles that are faulty in some way is the very opposite of this aim. Yes, you will see saddles on ebay or Gumtree at £75 or £100 new, or second-hand ones at these sorts of prices, but what are they? The former is usually of foreign manufacture and very poor quality, often uneven in make – twisted trees, uneven panels stuffed (you really couldn’t describe these as flocked) with torn up carpet or the poorest quality of synthetic flock possible and of overall very poor design. The plating on the tree is the thickness of a baked bean tin, riveting holding the stirrup bars on is very poor. If you want to risk your life and risk crippling your horse go ahead, but don’t expect a qualified fitter to fit one. If we were to do so we might be held responsible for any future consequences as we should have advised against it from the start.

Now the second-hand saddles. You might be lucky and pick something up that is good, straight and sound but how will you know? Do you have enough knowledge to assess the tree? That the panel is straight and sewn in correctly? That the flocking is suitable for your horse? Many people ask fitters to come out and fit a saddle that has been bought online, but personally I am reluctant to do this because of one incident. Asked to check a saddle bought this way I was horrified to find that it wasn’t anywhere near a fit. The pony was a medium fit with a reasonable wither and shape to its back. The saddle was extra wide with a flat seat and a shallow panel, suitable for a cob. When I refused to squeeze the tree in the owner was very abusive – ‘you are just annoyed because I didn’t buy the saddle from you’! So very untrue and unfair. I would never have sold her such a saddle in the first place.

There is nothing worse than finding yourself in this situation even if you have pre-warned the client. “Sorry but I can’t make this fit. Here is my bill.” doesn’t go down well but is the truth of the matter. Those that have tried to make an unsuitable saddle fit the horse often find themselves in trouble - “you fitted this saddle and it has damaged his back / made him lame / made him buck and rear.” You see our problem?

We really aren’t all just out to make money – you don’t see saddle fitters owning yachts or really posh cars, nor living in manor houses. Most of us do this job because we love it. It is very hard work, but it is the greatest feeling in the world for us to fit a saddle that results in a horse going beautifully and the rider happy and comfortable. That’s why we do it.

 

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 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 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 9 – “The saddle fitter should be prepared to come and measure my horse so that I can buy a saddle cheaper on line”

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 was recently made aware of yet another saddle fitter receiving abuse for refusing to come out and measure a horse so that the client could buy a saddle on line at a cheaper price. “I’m prepared to pay you for the visit. You just want to have the profit for yourself.” Is a phrase often heard.

NOT TRUE!

Yes, of course we want to sell saddles – that is a big part of our business after all, but it really isn’t why we refuse this service. The client will either want templates to send off to someone to ‘make a bespoke saddle’ or they will expect us to say ‘you need a medium fit’ or in some cases expect us to specify the make of saddle that will fit. If only that was all there is  to it.

I learned my lesson many years ago. In those days I always gave the client a copy of the templates that I had taken and in this case said client used these to order a saddle on line ‘bespoke for your horse’. It was a horse with a high wither but when the saddle came it didn’t have a suitable panel. It was actually quite skimpy so totally unsuitable. I was told in no uncertain terms that the fact that the saddle came down onto the horse’s withers and tipped back badly was my fault as I obviously hadn’t measured the horse correctly! I was then told to make it fit. No chance! As I was told once when asking directions to somewhere “well, if I was going there I wouldn’t be starting from here!”

When your Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) qualified saddle fitter comes to assess your horse for a saddle they will look firstly at his conformation, then muscle development, asymmetry of the body and at his movement. They will also look at you, as it is just as important that the saddle is a good fit for you as for your horse – an uncomfortable rider will be constantly moving about trying to find somewhere to sit and this really unbalances the horse. He won’t work well for you in this situation.

All of this is so that the saddle fitter will know what type of tree the horse needs, both in width and shape at the head and the shape of the rest of the tree, the cut and depth of the panel, position of girth straps, size and shape of flap and seat for you and many other factors that you probably never thought of or knew about. This is before they have even taken a saddle out of the van, let alone tried one on the horse.

It is because all of these factors are important in achieving a good fit that we won’t help with these requests. For sure, the minute there is a problem with the saddle that the client ordered, they will be on the phone to the person who measured the horse, and they will be told that they are to blame, they are responsible! But who is responsible? Who would you turn to? Do you now understand why we won’t offer this service?

It’s the same if you ask what saddle to buy. We really can’t tell what saddle will fit unless we’ve done a full fitting and even if you have done this, it doesn’t mean that the saddle that you order elsewhere will be the same. Many fitters have a supposedly standard saddle made with slight differences that they find helpful. Also, most saddles are still bench made to some degree and all will fit slightly differently. We cannot take responsibility for that.

Also consider who is going to service the saddle? Give it the first check and lift? Come to that, check that its right in the first place? Not the fitter that you were rude to for sure, as I doubt that they will want to know. Good saddle fitters regularly have a long waiting list for visits so understand if they prioritise existing clients over you. 

Yes, a saddle fitted by an SMS qualified fitter might be a little dearer than one bought on line, but you have the comfort of knowing that a) the fitter has spent a minimum of three years and a lot of hard work to achieve their qualification, b) that they will come and check and adjust the saddle once it has settled, c) that they are looking to care for the fit of the saddle in the long term, d) that to be a RQSF with the Society you must hold insurance, not always the case with other fitters out there and e), provided they are registered as well as qualified with the SMS (always check this – all registered qualified fitters are on the SMS website) the Society will be there to try and sort any problems in the unlikely event that there should be any.

Worth the little bit extra I would have thought.

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 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

Ignorance is Bliss

I have just been scrolling through a web site that advertises all things equestrian, from actual horses to lorries, services, saddlery and odds and ends. It really is fascinating and more than a little frightening says Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter Kay Hastilow.

Within the adverts I see many for saddles, all in ‘excellent condition and little used’, many with someone holding a tape measure across the front of the pommel. Err…. If this was done from the same place each side, it still wouldn’t tell you anything of use. In many cases the measure is from above the fixed D on one side to below it on the other. It also doesn’t show if they are intending the measurement to be the overall width of the saddle here, or to the panel or the actual tree width. Whatever, none of this will be of any help to you in any way.

Also seen in my trawl was a saddle sat squarely on a saddle horse, with the ubiquitous tape measure in place, but where the front of the panel was sewn in so unevenly that on one side the tape was above the stitch line whilst on the other, it was well below it, although the tape was horizontal.

Most frightening of all was someone who stated that whilst they were not a saddle fitter, nor a trader, they had several of their own saddles for sale and would bring them out for you to try on and ride in. For this, they would make a small charge. Firstly, although stating that they were not trading, they were prepared to consider taking your saddle in part exchange, which sounds as if they really are trading.To me though, the most awful thing was the photos of the saddles, at least 2 of which were Asian. Where the quality, symmetry and design of these is notoriously unreliable, if not downright dangerous, and of the others, the designs, make and condition looked to be very poor. I would swear that at least one of them was older than me, and that’s saying something!

Now, I know that it can be really difficult to get hold of a good saddle fitter. Some of them could, in all honesty, be better at getting back to their clients and many, certainly the good ones will be booked up for between 2 and 6 weeks, so that you might have to wait for a visit, but really, why would you even consider buying such an important item without professional help? It can take just 20 minutes to damage a horse’s back so badly that they can’t be ridden for some time, or you can totally destroy a horse’s (or rider’s) confidence if a saddle that is, not straight, badly flocked, badly designed or broken in the tree or if the saddle really doesn’t fit well, causing the horse to object in the only way that he knows by bucking, rearing or bolting.

In my many years of fitting saddles I have been called out to horses with behavioural problems and in some cases, it is nothing to do with the saddle.Sadly though, it quite often is the cause of the problem.  Some horses just don’t go as well as the rider thinks they should, or they might be really naughty, and I have derived enormous pleasure from changing a horse that has been branded as ‘bad’ into one who is happy and working well for the owner.  Often, the owner will be upset or embarrassed that they have been inflicting pain on their horse, all be it unintentionally. One must wonder though if this could have been avoided by using a good saddle fitter. 

Now I just know that someone is going to say, ‘I had a fitter out and it was never right/ the horse wasn’t happy and they wouldn’t listen,’ and they might be right. Whilst the majority of qualified fitters, especially those qualified with the Society of Master Saddlers, are thorough and conscientious, there will always be the odd visit that didn’t go as well as the fitter might have hoped, or perhaps they made an error in this case. No one is perfect after all, and if they have got it wrong they should be willing to return quickly and correct things. However, many of these cases that I have seen, the fault is that the owner hasn’t followed the advice given. ‘A return visit is recommended in 6 weeks’ means 6 weeks, not 6 months and things can really go wrong in this time. If the fitter has recommended that you use just a thin saddle cloth and you have put wadges of pads and sheepskin under the saddle, then don’t be surprised if he doesn’t go as well as he did when the saddle fitter was there. If a specific girth has been recommended and you elected to source one yourself, did you do so and quickly? Is it the right size? If it’s too small or too large, it won’t work as expected.Whilst saddle fitters are not perfect, we do need you to work with us on these matters.

Our biggest problem is that these days, with the research and design work that has been undertaken ,leading to a greater understanding on the saddle fitter’s part, is that many riders and owners are unaware that they really don’t know just how much they don’t know.

Find out more from Kay Hastilow’s series of expert videos at www.khsaddlery.co.uk/educational.html