Recent content by sbloom

  1. sbloom

    Who is the woman behind 'Dressage Hub' ?

    I get it, but we're criticising her for the downside of what is her fundamental skill set ie creating change. People like her get it wrong quite a lot, i'ts inevitable because they don't see the world like most of us. Most of us wouldn't be able to do what people like her do, the time, the...
  2. sbloom

    Who is the woman behind 'Dressage Hub' ?

    I'd say that makes her difficult. You could use various other words, but you can't say she's not difficult. Change doesn't happen without controversial people (Greta Thunberg anyone, not that I'm comparing them directly before anyone starts!).
  3. sbloom

    controversial Post people who can’t afford their horse

    I have conversations with professionals all the time about which customers are ready to hear which message, and spend what amount of money. Should we agonise about that, place the rider at the centre of things (and boy does this need a certain skill set) or should we always place the horse at...
  4. sbloom

    Who is the woman behind 'Dressage Hub' ?

    Campaigners, especially those at the forefront, are often difficult people. Without these difficult people change would be even harder.
  5. sbloom

    controversial Post people who can’t afford their horse

    I think saddle fitters will certainly be seeing some serious issues once (IF) this cost of living crisis passes, checks are being suspended while people can't afford them, and new saddle sales are similarly affected (probably more so, understandably). And having just read yet another saddle...
  6. sbloom

    Has anyone seen this saddle shape before?

    Oh you'd never ever try and sort this with pads, it needs a complete strip flock in all likelihood but it can be possible to get a decent result with on site flocking.
  7. sbloom

    Long reining issues

    With riding we have our seat and legs, and can directly influence balance and speed, I do think longreining is harder because we pretty much only have our hands. Sounds like you do a great job but it's not easy to do it well.
  8. sbloom

    Saddle for wide youngster

    Changeable headplate saddles are rarely the best option for wider/flatter backs. Please, if you can, work with a specialist wide horse fitter - with a young horse you need to be seeing your fitter a lot, and have a good relationship with them. Whatever they can provide, or recommend, in terms...
  9. sbloom

    Long reining issues

    Ultimately long reining can encourage horses to lean, so it can be a balance issue. If the horse understands how to take the weight back, and you have a way of asking that from behind, then you can adjust the balance. It's quite a skill to long rein without loss of balance.
  10. sbloom

    ‘Stepping through’

    To add, tracking up is seen as something that should be present all the time and can be used to monitor the work, I'd say it's not helping stabilise the horse, and most horses need stabilising more than they need to be tracking up. See it as a test, CAN they track up, and is there a difference...
  11. sbloom

    Has anyone seen this saddle shape before?

    The ideal is to still have the correct tree fit and use shims to rebalance but if people understand how to shim to compensate for the angle difference in front (trimming shims etc) then it can work really well.
  12. sbloom

    Has anyone seen this saddle shape before?

    I'd say it's more fundamental biology, physics and biomechanics, but otherwise agree. I would not fit atrophy in this way, even if I did feel the horse could carry a saddle which would be unlikely if it was anywhere near this shape!
  13. sbloom

    Saddle recommendation for child beginner

    I'd stick with shetland pad or second hand saddle from a fitter.
  14. sbloom

    Saddle recommendation for child beginner

    Very tricky question. I have suggested the Guy Cantin in the past but now having seen one in the flesh I'm less keen (this is the pads/treeless, would never have recommended the standard saddles as no idea about trees etc). The pad had a headplate that was, at best, a medium. On the pony...
  15. sbloom

    Has anyone seen this saddle shape before?

    The serge lining has been attached a little unevenly but you really can't tell anything else from this photo (and in fact photos of saddles can be cleverly angled to make a straight saddle look crooked, so best not to judge from photos). They are fixed headplate as are almost all...
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