How do i go down the route of becoming a saddle fitter

[lucindakay]

hi all,
i am really interested in becoming a saddle fitter, i have just finished school and i 'm taking a year out, but i have searched all over the internet and only found general information, even the master saddlers page is a bit vague, and i was wondering how do i start, what courses will i need to do, how did you do it?
thank you

 

[Umbongo]

I briefly looked into becoming a saddle fitter a few years ago, and I also found a lack of information about it. Have you tried asking saddle fitters to let you follow them around for work experience? That way you can get a feel for what the job is about and they will also be able to tell you about how to become one?

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

AFAIK there is still no legal requirement to hold qualifications for saddle fitting, anyone can set up as a fitter. Most saddlery qualifications concern making saddles rather than fitting them. Perhaps ask the BHS if they know of any courses. Other than that perhaps become an apprentice saddler, if you work with someone who also fits saddles you will gain experience as you go along.

 

[sbloom]

See the post by Oberon, it's not an easy job and I think age is a benefit - you need a certain amount of gravitas for customers to really listen to you, plus a very thick skin. Not easy to get into, I'd recommend it almost as a second career, though I know some younger saddle fitters work for tack shops.

 

[Orangehorse]

Kay Humphries is regarded as amongst the best saddler fitters in the country. She travels all over the UK, although has a shop in the south of england. She has started a saddle fitting course, I suppose as she gets older the travelling gets harder, I forget what it is called, although the last I heard it was going well.

The "Master Saddler" means making the saddle, not necessarily fitting it. Some saddlers don't even ride, although the worst fitter I came across was also a top competition rider! Horses can be crooked, riders can be crooked, sometimes there has to be a compromise between the best saddle for the rider and the best for the horse.