About Registered/non registered Saddlers *READ THIS*

Saxon_Jasmine

Saxon_Jasmine

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A lot of people seem to be getting confused with the saddler qualifications, so hopefully this will help clarify.

A Registered Qualified Saddle Fitter is someone who has been trained and qualified, and holds the Society of Master Saddlers City & Guilds Qualification.

A Master Saddler registered with the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) is a highly skilled saddlemaker, but may not be trained as a saddle fitter. Someone calling themselves a master saddler but who is not a member of the SMS may or may not be a good saddler /saddle fitter.

If you check out the SMS website you can check that your so called master saddlers are actually Registered Qualified SMS Saddle Fitters, and Registered SMS Master Saddlers. www.mastersaddlers.co.uk

My saddle fitter is a highly skilled SMS Master Saddler and a Registered Qualified Saddle Fitter, and has done an excellent job fitting my funny shaped horse and pony.
 
Good post, it does seem so many people regularly get confused and think a saddler is a saddle fitter (and vice versa)
 
Also - calling yourself a Master Saddler does not actually mean that you are currently registered at all with the Society. All it means is that they once trained as a Master Saddler.

If you are not happy with the service they provide you and you ask the Society for help they cannot help you as they are not registered. This is the case with a prominant local saddler who a number of friends had fairly major issues with and then found they had no recourse.

So just becasue someone calls themselves a Master Saddler does not mean you will have any support from the society if you have problems - check EVERY TIME you book a saddler to see if they are currently registrered, do not assume that because they once were they still are - as long as they are registrered on the day they come to you the Society will provide you with suppport if you have issues, otherwise you are on your own - take this from someone who lost a lot of money to someone like this!
 
Jane_Lou said:
Also - calling yourself a Master Saddler does not actually mean that you are currently registered at all with the Society. All it means is that they once trained as a Master Saddler.

If you are not happy with the service they provide you and you ask the Society for help they cannot help you as they are not registered. This is the case with a prominant local saddler who a number of friends had fairly major issues with and then found they had no recourse.

So just becasue someone calls themselves a Master Saddler does not mean you will have any support from the society if you have problems - check EVERY TIME you book a saddler to see if they are currently registrered, do not assume that because they once were they still are - as long as they are registrered on the day they come to you the Society will provide you with suppport if you have issues, otherwise you are on your own - take this from someone who lost a lot of money to someone like this!
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I learnt the hard way about this too - from someone who even has the master saddler logo on their website!!! I suspect quite possibly the same person you refer to Jane_Lou .... MK way? He stuffed me up good and proper.
 
Whilst I applaud your post heading, I think sometimes we also have to be careful about how we judge people.
For instance: most people would prefer to employ someone with years of hands on experience to look after their horses, than someone fairly fresh out of school with the necessary letters. (No offence meant, before anyone starts to verbally beat me up)

Likewise: someone with years of experience handling a variety of horses would most probably come up with a sensible solution to a problem horse without having to do a course in behavioural therapy.

So - is it not possible for someone who has had hands on training for a number of years with an experienced saddle fitter to be just as competent without the letters and membership?
 
irish_only said:
So - is it not possible for someone who has had hands on training for a number of years with an experienced saddle fitter to be just as competent without the letters and membership?
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Yes I'm sure it is possible, and there will be plenty of people out there who are good at fiting saddles either from doing it all their lives, or from just having an eye for it.

But, what I'm pointing out is that so many people are complaining about having their saddles fitted poorly by Masters Saddlers. A Master Saddler is not automatically a saddle fitter. A Master Saddler's job, and what they have been trained to do, is to make tack. Some will go on to do a course and gain a qualification in saddle fitting too.

I do not have a problem with people using non qualified people (nor should I), but if you're going to use them; don't complain when it goes wrong, it's not what they have been trained to do!

On the other hand, if you use someone with a SMS saddle fitting qualification and you are unhappy with their work, you have a right to complain, as they have been trained to fit saddles.
 
ihatework said:
I learnt the hard way about this too - from someone who even has the master saddler logo on their website!!! I suspect quite possibly the same person you refer to Jane_Lou .... MK way? He stuffed me up good and proper.
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Must be the same one - I can't believe he gets away with it! We tried to report him after the problems we were all having (he stuffed more than just me on the yard!) and that was when we found out he wasn't registered!
 
I also agree about the experience, over possibly a newly qualified person. Not all qualified people know what they are doing either!:eek:
 
Part of the qualification to become a SMS saddle fitter is several years practical experience; they have to prove they can do it in practise as well as in theory.
 
I posted recently re this. Several qualified saddle fitters not registered with SMS. Apparently they have taken the course but not kept up registration or refresher courses.
However quite well respected in our area!
 
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