Correct Saddle fitting

Ginger Bear

Ginger Bear

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Should a saddle fitter see you ride in your saddle to properly fit it to your horse? I know some that do & some that don't. I have never ridden infront of the saddle fitter that I've been using for the last 3 years & have had no problems but was just wondering if really he should be watching me ride & so debating whether I should find a new fitter.

Thanks
 
Ginger Bear said:
Should a saddle fitter see you ride in your saddle to properly fit it to your horse? I know some that do & some that don't. I have never ridden infront of the saddle fitter that I've been using for the last 3 years & have had no problems but was just wondering if really he should be watching me ride & so debating whether I should find a new fitter.

Thanks
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Yes, they should watch you ride.
 
Always. Even before and after an adjustment if possible. I even sometimes need to see different riders rider, if there is more than one, as it can make a difference! Over a fence is challenging for a saddle, so ideal to see you jump as well.

Unbacked horses being the exception :D
 
It's just that the saddle fitter we use has a good reputation, I have always used him for my horse & have never ever had an issue with either of our horses saddles...when we have has physios/osteos out to do our horses backs - they have never been found to have a sore back/withers. But I was talking to a new saddle fitter who watches your ride & I'd never thought of it before but he doesn't watch you. Perhaps because he drives horses rather than ride so perhaps watching would mean nothing to him.. I don't know, just something that has been brought to my attention this week.
 
My saddle fitter always watches me ride. I have been using them for the last 4 years and they are brilliant. The saddler I used before didn't watch me ride and I found out later he wasn't registered under Master Saddler.
 
imo you can't possibly tell if a saddle will fit properly when in use without seeing the rider's weight in it, and as sbloom says, if more than one person rides the horse it is wise to see both riders. However for multiple riders (colleges etc) that won't be possible.

It's not just important for the saddle to fit the horse, but that it must suit and fit the rider as well, and support the rider in the right way. The saddle may in theory fit the horse, but if it sits the rider incorrectly then that will potentially have an adverse effect on the horse as well as making the rider's job more difficult!

I wouldn't be that impressed with a saddle fitter who didn't see the saddle ridden in.
 
I had a saddle fitted recently, fitter tried two or three on my gelding then I rode at walk and trot then he added more flocking I rode again then we put on my saddle pad and fiddled with the girthing and I rode again...he is coming back in three months to check it again and flock if necc, he was adamant that he had to at least watch walk and trot.
 
Ginger Bear said:
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So then as your a saddler is it a bit of a warning sign if they dont see you ride? :)
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I'm going to PM you with some info about what to expect at a saddle fitting taken from my website, gives you some insight into it.
This is how it should be done in my opinion after doing this over many years and it seems to work well.
Why others don't see the rider rider in the saddle is a bit of a mystery to me to be honest, I've fitted and flocked saddles for a fair few years but don't think I'm clever enough to know that the saddle is absolutely perfect for the horse and rider unless I see it being ridden on at various paces.
 
My saddle fitter watches me ride and makes any necessary adjustments for me etc :) they need to know if the saddle fits you too!

One saddle that fitted J when stood he hated when ridden in, he is a sensitive soul though
 
Ginger Bear said:
Should a saddle fitter see you ride in your saddle to properly fit it to your horse? I know some that do & some that don't. I have never ridden infront of the saddle fitter that I've been using for the last 3 years & have had no problems but was just wondering if really he should be watching me ride & so debating whether I should find a new fitter.

Thanks
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In an ideal world, of course the saddler should see you ride. My saddler is in his 60s and comes from a family which has been in the business for over 200 years (which suggests he knows his stuff) and he insists on seeing the individual rider in the saddle. However, he also does all the work for a number of riding schools where it would be unfeasible to see every rider who will use the saddles.
 
Of course you can't always see every rider :) but I have seen saddles totally stable with one rider and move to one side with another - so sometime you might need a different girthing set up, or shims, for one rider, until they have worked on their own straightness. Sometimes the saddle itself needs the adjustment and can be improved.

The statis horses back is very different to the shape it is when moving. Most saddles, if fitted to look perfectly right on the static back, will lift at the back in rising trot - the back flattens in trot and canter (different amounts for different horses) so a tree that looked to havethe right curve "in the cross ties" will usually rock in movement. A saddle can look right, but move to the side once a horse starts moving...

You can only take a certain amount of that into consideration when looking at static fit - an experienced fitted can do certain adjustments and know what effect they'll have (or know maybe 95%), but otherwise I just can't see how you get the whole picture. When we mail out saddles we talk the owner through what to look for and how to check the saddle and movement in any pace is a BIG one to look for.
 
I'm in the same situation as you OP - the current saddler I have seems fine, I've used him with a previous horse, and a lot of people on my yard use him without any problems but talking to someone else about their saddler got me thinking...

My saddler fits/flocks the saddle in the barn with the horse tied up. He doesn't girth up, just presses down on the saddle, and he definitely doesn't see anyone ride. Difficult as no one I know who uses him has had any problems, and physios etc happy, but I can't believe that my saddle sits exactly the same with no numnah or girth as it does when it has both, plus my backside!

I've googled qualified fitters in my area, and emailed them to ask what they do when they come out to fit...fingers crossed :confused:
 
My saddler watches you ride, but regarding that jumping thing, I've never heard of it.. Now it's been said it seems pretty obvious, yet it never crossed my mind :|
 
Lego said:
but I can't believe that my saddle sits exactly the same with no numnah or girth as it does when it has both, plus my backside!
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Aside from the unbacked youngsters who obviously just get a decent fit and then more when actually riding, I'd always want to ride in it.

I've always been under the illusion that the saddle should be fitted without a numnah if it's being ridden that way, or with if you use one. It makes a hell of a difference to the fit.
 
Current fitter watches me ride. When I bought my last saddle I tried out two, both fit my horse but after riding in them only one fit me.

Used a fitter in Kent once that was highly recommended and supposed to be brilliant. He sat the saddle on the horse without being girthed up, said it fit and that was that. Funnily enough the saddle moved up the horses neck every time I rode in it so clearly did not fit.
 
A saddle check yesterday reminded me - most horses lift and flatten their backs in work, but you can't predict how much, or exactly what effect that may have on the fit. However, there are exceptions.

I checked a saddle for an ex riding school Connie yesterday who has major long term back issues that aren't going away, he is seen by a very good horse chiro regularly. Several saddle fitters had tried to fit him without success, I fitted our usual flat, neat tree, but it was an unsual fitting - he drops his back MORE in trot - instead of the back of the saddle lifting a little from where it sits in walk, it instead dropped a little and became more pommel high. Now it would have been very easy to have fitted the saddle too high at the front so that it was awfully out of balance in trot, but seeing all paces means you make a fit that tries to accommodate for that. The saddle check yesterday showed the saddle was still working.
 
Yes they should watch you ride. I also know a few which don't - the owner doesn't even have to be there when their saddle is being checked which is ridiculous as the way the saddle sits on a horse can change completely once the rider gets on!
 
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