Kay Hastilow Master Saddler

Thursday, 18 February 2021

Busting Myths 12 - A Master Saddler told me he doesn't fit saddles - isn't qualified to do so. Can this be right?

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.

"A Master Saddler told me he doesn't fit saddles - isn't qualified to do so. Can this be right?

To answer this question let us first look at what exactly the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) does.

It is a trade organisation representing and supporting all aspects of the saddlery trade.

Its stated aims are, amongst other things, to uphold the standard of workmanship, provide training and oversee qualifications, and to ensure the comfort and safety of both horse and rider.

The organisation has many categories of membership, including ‘manufacturers’ and ‘trade’ but the ones that concern you, the public are the different qualifications held by members that are relevant TO YOUR requirements.

The standard of qualification may be ‘Qualified’, in other words have trained in and hold qualifications in certain sections, or Master, which means that in addition, they have spent many years working in that field and have shown the highest standards of workmanship and customer care.

The R in front of any qualification indicates that the holder’s membership is up to date (Registered) and that they therefore agree to abide by the SMS code of conduct and will hold suitable insurance.

So, the relevant categories.

A Qualified (R Q S) or Master saddler (R M S) will make and repair saddlery and leather goods.

A Qualified (R Q S F) or Master saddle fitter (R M S F) fits saddles to horses and ponies.

A Qualified (R Q B) or Master bridle maker (R M B) specialises in making and repairing bridlework.

A Qualified (R Q H) or Master harness maker( R M H) makes and repairs driving harness.

A Qualified bridle fitter (R Q B F) - a new category so no Master status yet, measures for and fits bridlework.

I hope that the Harness and Bridle categories are self-explanatory but let us look at what the Saddler and Saddle Fitter categories do.

It might well be that a member holds more than one qualification. I, for example, am both a Master Saddler and a Master Saddle Fitter. A member in Wales is a Master Saddler, Master Saddle Fitter, Master Harness Maker and Master Bridle Maker! A very talented lady.

Qualified or Master Saddlers make the most beautiful items of leather work but will not necessarily know much about horses, riders or their requirements, so although some can and will fit saddles (often they will be experienced in this) they hold no qualification in this field so you cannot assume that someone holding the qualification ‘Qualified’ or ‘Master Saddler’ will know how to fit saddles. This is not the first person to ask to fit a saddle for you.

A Qualified or Master Saddle Fitter on the other hand will have a good understanding of horses, riders and their requirements, will know enough to fit a saddle well or inform a Master Saddler how a saddle needs to be made or altered for a particular horse / rider combination.

In the perfect world your Qualified or Master Saddle Fitter will also be a Qualified or Master Saddler and although they might not actually make the saddle for you, they can make alterations to a saddle that they are fitting to get as near perfect as possible. They will also be able to explain to the saddle maker in detail exactly how a saddle needs to be put together and ‘set up’ – especially useful if fitting a challenging shape of horse or rider.

So, there we have it. If you are looking to have a saddle fitted look for someone with the initials

‘R M S F’ or ‘R Q S F.’

If you want an item of saddlery made or repaired look for

‘R M S’ or ‘RQ S.’

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 online, whenever and wherever 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

Friday, 12 February 2021

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?

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.

Wednesday, 3 February 2021

Busting Myths 10 - Fitting Young Horses

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

“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.

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.