Every Young Horse's First Saddle MUST Always Fit Correctly

“I’m not going to get my young horse’s saddle fitted yet as he will change shape so quickly.”

Add to this “ I need an old saddle to back my youngster. Doesn’t matter what.”

I have been asked many times to provide the latter and regularly hear the former statement ...... 

confirms author Kay Hastilow, Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter (pictured above).

HONESTLY?

The most important saddle that you ever put on your horse’s back is the first one – this will tell him from the start that; ‘this is nothing to be frightened of. It won’t hurt you’ or ‘this may well hurt but you are just going to have to learn to cope with it.’ Surely, if we want and expect our horses to be biddable, have manners and, in the future give generously of their spirit so that we can achieve our aims, then the least we can do is to start them in a comfortable saddle.

With the wide variety of adjustable saddles available these days you lessen the risk of the horse rapidly growing out of it one way or the other. Something like a Thorowgood T4 really isn’t very expensive, is pretty tough, is adjustable, comes in different tree shapes so that the saddle fitter can choose the correct one for your horse’s conformation, and they fit well. I have been told that a saddle to back a horse ‘doesn’t matter if the tree is broken as he might roll on it anyway.’ 

Now, I have backed a fair few horses in my time and have watched many others start horses and I have never yet seen a horse that has been started quietly and patiently do this. Horses with a problem that have come to be ‘sorted’ or ‘re- backed’ yes, but never one bought on quietly, and if that is the situation one might ask why he is like that. Don’t think that putting several pads under the saddle will make it okay. All this does is to make the saddle unstable and as one of the the hardest thing for a young horse is to learn to balance himself with you on top it won’t help if the saddle moves around on his back.

You see that I mentioned the saddle fitter there.  Yes, even just to back the horse get the fitter in. Of course, they will not be able to see the horse ridden in it at this point, but they will be able to select the right tree shape and width fitting for you, plus carefully and gently place it on his back so that they can tell you which girth straps would be best to use. Many will also supply a bar one fitting wider and one narrower than they have fitted into the saddle. They will also show you how to check the bar width as he starts in ridden work. It is at that point that the fitter should return and check that everything is correct and that the saddle is comfortable, which should be done once he is walking around the school ridden. It is a check that doesn’t want to be delayed as so much can happen during this short time. Once the horse is working under saddle happily at trot on both reins, check again.

If you intend to keep him in work (many people back and ride away, then turn the horse away again for another few months), then get the saddle checked about every three to four months ideally, as changes will be considerable and rapid. If your fitter suggests sooner than this, they are expecting a lot of change in a short period of time and want to keep the horse right. Please listen to them – they have the interests of you and your horse in mind.

If you turn him away for a length of time after backing, then remember to get the saddle checked before starting him again. A lot can happen with a young horse in a few months.

Once your youngster is in regular work you may want to get a saddle that is more suited to your chosen path – more jumping orientated or more for flatwork. That’s fine but please stay with well-designed adjustable saddles, as few horses are really mature before the age of seven and some, especially warmbloods may well be nine or 10 before they finish growing. A nice, adjustable leather saddle will be just right for them through that time and, in all honesty is probably a good bet for the lifetime of your horse, as it is so much easier for your fitter to keep the fit spot on and you and your horse comfortable. It’s just good horsemanship. 

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 18 - My Trainer Says I Should Have The Same Saddle As Him

 

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.

 

'My coach / trainer says that I should get the same saddle as they ride in as they find it perfect'

I am sure that the trainer means well with this, but it really isn’t a good way to choose a saddle. Firstly, that type of saddle might be totally unsuitable for your horse – wrong tree shape. Wrong panel or girthing arrangement, and although many such people claim to know how to fit a saddle, the fact is that often they haven’t got a clue about how much they just don’t know.  They might say ‘the horse will tell us if he doesn’t like it’ and in many cases this is correct, but some horses are long suffering and rather than shout out ‘I DON’T LIKE THIS SADDLE!’ will whisper quietly and the subtle signals may be missed. Add to that the fact that damage from an incorrectly fitted saddle tends to be cumulative, you risk the very real possibility of causing significant damage to your horse before you realise it.

Then, to the rider. Many such trainers are competitive, young and fit and often male. Let’s take a look at our pupils now. More often than not they will be female, not quite as talented as the trainer, probably older, less fit and juggling 10 things at once in their lives. As a generalisation they will be less supple, have much less core strength and be a totally different shape to their trainer. Why would you imagine that a saddle that suits our tall, slim and fit male trainer is going to work for a shorter, middle aged, less fit and stiffer rider, probably female so a totally different shape. Of course, this is a generalisation, but many will recognise this scenario.

How do we deal with this conundrum? The best answer is to employ a qualified SMS saddle fitter who holds a wide range of makes and styles of saddles. A representative from a saddle company (sorry, these people aren’t saddle fitters, they are saddle sellers) will only have their own saddles to sell, often have little understanding of fitting and they may sell you something that really isn’t suitable in many cases, either as they need to make sales because they work on commission or they just don’t realise how wrong that saddle is for that horse / rider combination. Is a flat seated close contact saddle with minimal support from knee or thigh rolls really what is needed for - say-  the middle- aged lady who has come back to riding after raising a family, has just bought herself a horse and has found that her fitness and balance aren’t quite what they were when she was competing, aged 21? Your SMS fitter should have a range of shapes, makes and styles to suit both them and the horse, along with a wealth of knowledge as to what is needed. It’s not for nothing that it takes a minimum of three years to qualify as a SMS fitter. There really is an awful lot to know.

So long as your trainer doesn’t have a financial interest in selling his particular make of saddle (and many do) and is open minded enough to listen and work as a team with your fitter, it is very helpful to have them come and see the fitting. It can be very useful if they can discuss with the fitter about the rider’s ability and faults and watch the client ride in the saddle so that they can see how both horse and rider ‘go’ in the saddles you are trying. They should know both quite well so will see any subtle changes. This way, a suitable saddle that everyone approves of can be purchased. You would think that all trainers would want the very best for their clients and see the sense of a well thought out saddle fit, but sadly this is not always the case.

I am sure that our trainers would not expect fully qualified saddle fitters to come in and start training their clients. They might well say that they have no qualifications to do this (although many saddle fitters are also qualified instructors), but the fact is that everyone should recognise another person’s abilities and qualifications, and work as a team for the good of the mutual client, rather than be at odds with each other. 

Here's to a more harmonious future!

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