The Greatest Kindness You Can Do For Any Horse ...

Much of my work as a saddle fitter has involved handling clients’ horses or ponies. When saddle fitting, it is essential to get ‘up close and personal’ as you check their conformation, muscle development, assess for lumps and bumps, tightness, guarding, swellings and sores. Ideally, you will stand behind the animal to check the symmetry of the shoulders, rib cage and the muscle development in the saddle area. All of this requires the horse to stand still and accept this stranger handling them and working around them.

Over the years I, and no doubt most other equine professionals, have developed the knack of quickly building a relationship with the horse, assuring them that I have no intention of causing them harm. However, it is often the case that the owner does not have a good working relationship with their horse, and this can show itself as the horse having no respect of the owner, having very poor manners or sometimes, sadly, the horse is totally in charge and terrorises their human. This lack of manners and respect means that it becomes difficult, if not impossible for us to do our job. We have to spend a great deal of time establishing some ground rules so that we can work safely, and sometimes this is near impossible. We often risk injury, just because the horse is so poorly trained.

I have been lucky, in that only once was I hurt. A pony that I was trying to get to know swung round, knocked me clean off my feet and kicked me as I went down., ‘Oh’ said the owner. ‘She must think you are a vet. She loathes the vet.’ Thanks for the warning! Luckily my leg was not broken but I had an enormous bruise, and I couldn’t drive home for over an hour. I had to cancel my other appointments for that day and the rest of the week, which really isn’t funny when you are self-employed.

I digress. It is surprising how, in many cases I can get the horse to behave itself quite quickly.  No massive ‘sorting out’ – that’s not my way, and it rarely leads to a happy conclusion. I want the animal to respect me, not be frightened of me. Simple things like looking it in the eye and saying, ‘not with me pal.’ Seem to work well. It is often much easier if the owner leaves us for a few minutes, as the nervous vibes really get to the horse. It’s essential that the fitter is calm and unhurried. Our shoulders must be soft and lowered. Horses may not speak words, but they sure know body language!

I’m going to ask a question here. Do you think that its right that we, the equine professionals, have to teach the horse manners? That we have to make it stand still and be handled safely? That someone coming to see your horse has to risk injury to carry out their work? Of course it’s not, but how can we change this?

Education would be a great help, as some owners seem to have come into horse ownership by routes that have meant they have had little to do with horses other than to ride them. Suddenly, they are left alone with this huge beast that looks them over and decides who stands where in the pecking order. If you don’t speak ‘horse’ you could be in for a baptism of fire.

The Pony Club does a great job in teaching many aspects of horsemanship, but often it is the parent who has caught the pony, washed or groomed it and prepared it for the rally or competition. This teaches the child nothing about communication and mutual respect, and ponies really can be terrific teachers with this.

Sadly, not everyone gets to have ponies and go to the Pony Club, many getting their first equine when an adult. Not everyone can afford full livery, and many don’t have a regular trainer, so expert advice and guidance isn’t to hand. What is often available is a huge amount of ‘expert’ advice from all and sundry and sorting the wheat from the chaff can be difficult. This can range from ‘I’ve seen Monty Roberts, and you just give them lots of love and cuddles and they will do anything for you.’ (this isn’t what Monty says by the way, but it’s often interpreted as such) or ‘give it a good thrashing, as it has to learn to respect you.’ Neither will work and you will be left confused, possibly frightened, and with a horse that doesn’t know if it’s coming or going.

I’m not going to tell you how to teach your horse manners – that’s a professional’s job, although everyone I speak to seems to agree that training consists of calmness around the animal, consistency in your commands, repetition and reward – a ‘well done and a pat’, not lots of treats.

Don’t be frightened to ask for help. Watch the professionals around you and, when you find one who’s methods you like and whose horses are a joy to be with, ask for lessons on horse handling. Building a sound relationship on the ground is a great base to build on for your riding with said animal after all. Then you can be proud as the horse stands quietly for the farrier/ saddle fitter/ physio or whoever, and they will be more than grateful.

A quote from Tom Roberts, that I’m happy to share here.

If you are fond of a horse and wish to do him a favour – train him well. Teach him good manners, good habits, both in the stable & under saddle. You never need worry about the future of such a horse if for any reason you may have to part with him. You assure him of friends wherever he goes. Perhaps the greatest kindness you can do any horse is to educate him well.

Tom Roberts. The young horse.

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

 

 

Kay Hatilow Delivers Course at North American Saddle School in Maryland

As both a Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter, Kay Hastilow lectures around the globe and recently accepted an invitation to join the team delivering a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course for Advanced Saddle Fitting at the North American Saddle School in Clear Springs, Maryland. The topic was ‘Pain In The Ridden Horse’.

Kay reported after the busy programme; “I had a fantastic time helping to deliver this CPD for advanced saddle fitting, where the topic was 'Pain in the ridden horse'. 

“Sue Dyson very kindly allowed me to share her work 'Pain ethograms in the ridden horse' with the group, highlighting areas that are of particular relevance to saddle fitting.  It was well received; we all learned a lot and a vote of thanks was sent to Sue for her generosity in allowing us to share this work.

“Annette Gavin, the school's founder and partner, highly qualified in both knowledge and experience, spoke on various subjects relating to pain in the horse, discussing areas that can be affected, problems that can arise from conformation defects, injury, illness and of course, poorly fitting tack. We also had an excellent talk from Moira Nasbaum, a very experienced equine veterinarian who is a very engaging speaker.

“With Amber Markley, the other partner in the school, three horses were brought out for the candidates to study and comment on their confirmation,  along with possible problems that could arise from this. The school has a round pen and above it, a balcony where you can get an aerial view of the top of the horse. This shows asymmetry in quarters, hips, development either side of the spine, shoulders, neck and head.  Very illuminating.

Many other topics were covered including Social Licence to ride our horses and this led to lively discussion. The appreciative candidates (pictured above) certainly had plenty to think about on their journey home.

It was a real pleasure to be involved in such an informative and interesting course. Thank you N.A.S.S.”

 

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

How To Keep Your Expensive Tack Soft and Supple

How To Keep Your Expensive Tack Soft and Supple

When buying new leatherwork, it is best (having first satisfied yourself that it all fits and you are not going to want to return it) to treat it with a good leather dressing. We do not recommend using oil now- neatsfoot was the favourite when I was younger, followed rapidly by Mars oil, but many of the dressings available today are far superior to these advises Kay Hastilow Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter. I use Oakwood leather dressing on my own tack. Rapide is another good one, but there are many more on the market, most of which do a good job.

Take the leatherwork apart if it is a bridle or accessories and go over all of the leather with a LIGHT covering of dressing. Leave to soak in, preferably over- night, then put the items back together. Saddles, likewise give a light covering, and don’t forget to treat up under the skirts of the saddle (the flaps of leather that cover the stirrup bars) and get the dressing into all nooks and crevices. BE CAREFUL if the seat and knee pads are of suede or nubuck. You do not want to get leather dressing onto these.

DONT smother the leather as the dressing will not soak in and the leather will become dull and sticky. Apply two or three times a month rather than 3 times as much in one go.

If your Tack becomes hard and dry. What to do?

First of all, some leather used is of very poor quality. This tends to be hard and inflexible when you buy it and stays that way no matter what you treat it with. It can be rather brittle and can break in use. Best get rid of it before you or your horse gets injured by it.

Sometimes, leatherwork of a good quality may go hard and dry in use. This can be due to neglect- leather needs help to stay supple and if you don’t treat it occasionally with a good leather dressing it will become very hard. That means taking bridles apart, cleaning the leather thoroughly with a damp cloth or sponge and importantly  allowing to dry afterwards (best left overnight in somewhere warm, not somewhere cold and damp) and then making sure the dressing gets into all the turns, under keepers and the like. The turn on the body of a martingale for instance (the bit that the girth goes through) gets very wet and muddy, plus sweat from the horse gets into the leather here. Make sure that the dressing gets to the inside edge of all the leather, as well as the outside. 

NEVER USE HEAT TO DRY TACK. If your leatherwork has been soaked, say a day out in heavy rain, and then dried too rapidly, possibly with heat being used to help dry it out. It will go very brittle and could be dangerous. Keep the leatherwork in a warm room until it is dry, then put on a light covering of leather dressing. Do not put dressing on until the leather is totally dry, as that would seal any remaining damp into the leather.

To summerise, care for your tack by treating it with a good leather dressing when you first get it, wipe the leatherwork with a damp cloth or sponge after use and add more dressing when it starts to look a little dry. Rarely more than once a month once the leather is worn in, unless it has been soaked or heavily used (think endurance). I still use glycerine saddle soap to ‘finish’ a bridle when we are going somewhere. It gives a nice finish if used sparingly, but apparently this is no longer considered the right thing to do. Hey Ho. Some of my bridles are over 30 years old, so perhaps it’s not too bad!

For more information about Saddles and Saddle Fitting please visit
http://www.khsaddlery.co.uk/educational.html