Bringing my mare back into work - saddle fitting when she hasn't been ridden for 3yrs

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Ilovefoals

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Sorry for the long title!

The situation is this -

My mare is 6, (this year), and was broken in Germany as a 3yr old in order to do her mare test and then put in foal. She hasn't been ridden since but once this foal is weaned, (her 2nd), I want to bring her back into work.

My question is, since she's not been ridden for so long, I have no idea what she'll be like and though I plan to do all the groundwork, (long reining and lunging etc) before I get on, how do I go about getting a saddle fitted for her?

Maybe this is a stupid question! But I obviously don't want the first time I get on her to be when the saddler comes to fit a saddle. Can they fit a saddle to her without me being on it if you see what I mean? So I can do all the long reining etc with it on her first and then maybe re-check it when I've been on her a few times and know what she's like?

Does that make sense?

I have a lovely WOW saddle sitting waiting to be used which is fully adjustable so I'm hoping that might make it easier.:D
 
I am in a similar position as you in that im bringing my project mare back to work after 6 -7 years not being ridden. I am planning to get a treeless saddle to work with because, like you, i dont want the first time I ride her to be with a saddler.
 
Do you know a good saddle fitter with a wide range of second-hand saddles? It is important to make sure that the saddle is comfortable or she could be put off being ridden for life!
Unfortunately you will find that you will be refitting/reflocking/changing saddles a lot when they are first being ridden so you need to budget for this.

Before I backed my youngster I had her fitted with a nice little second-hand saddle for longreining and getting used to equipment etc. (didn't ride her in this one - got as far as leaning over before she needed another) We accepted that she would be changing shape rapidly so went for a second-hand saddle that could be refitted and/or traded in at regular intervals.
 
I have just had a saddler out for my little guy who hadn't been sat on before. He'd been lunged with a wintec etc on but no weight in it. I called a saddler (who was AMAZING!) and explained how I needed our new saddle (the Wintec) checked and the gullet probably changed along with any flocking etc that would need sorting out. I told him how I'd never as yet sat on T-T so I wouldn't be able to ride in it on the day......

Saddler came out said I was very resonsible (haha!) for not adding weight to a ill fitting saddle and that he will sort it as best he can now, advised me to use a polly pad for first 6 weeks and offered me a discount on his return visit within two months so he could take another took at the saddle and see me ride T-T in it!

Win Win situation :D
Good luck with your mare x
 
Thanks guys. That's really useful. I'll give my saddler a ring and get her to come out and see what she thinks about the saddle I've got. Flying Solo - I'm in scotland too so just wondered who you use?
 
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