How many people fit their horses saddles themselves?

Sometimes yes. BUT not off eBay. Local tack shops where I have been able to take a tracing in and try saddle first. But I did some work with a good local fitter so have a good idea what I am doing
Latest horse I didn't as he is a whimpy WB and they have to be absolutely perfect. However I check the saddlery work myself
 
Me. And the only time my horse was marked by a saddle (developed white hairs) said saddle was fitted by a well respected local saddler of many years experience who refused to accept that the saddle he fitted was causing the probem so refused to rectify it. I now go by own and my horses judgement and use various numahs/pads when needed.
 
marmalade76 said:
Me. And the only time my horse was marked by a saddle (developed white hairs) said saddle was fitted by a well respected local saddler of many years experience who refused to accept that the saddle he fitted was causing the probem so refused to rectify it. I now go by own and my horses judgement and use various numahs/pads when needed.
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Ditto - had several bad experiences with saddle fitters, now fit them myself and buy from Ebay/2nd hand. I have learned what types and shapes of saddle suit the shape of my horses and I am totally confident in fitting them. I know when they are wrong and will act to sort it out and I know when to call in the good fitter we have locally to make adjustments to flocking etc. I also have a sheepskin shim pad and a gel wither riser pad that I keep to hand and use as and when required.
 
I fit my own and always have done. I get them adjusted by a knowledgeable saddler on the flocking as required and use varying cloths and gel pads at times so that they can constantly be tweaked for best fit as the horses can vary slightly even throughout the year.

We tend to do this kind of thing collectively as yard and probably have a lot of experience between us all, so it is not something we do completely on our own without other input and a consensus.

I have an equine vet who does all over musculoskeletal checks on my horses every 6 months and they have had no issues.

I did try a fitter once, I ended up with a horse who was impinged on the shoulder. Not good for a SJer!

I also agree with some of the other posters who remember the times before fitters were used routinely. Generally fitters only came out to those horses who needed custom saddles made due to awkward shapes.
 
I am generally happy to fit my own and just get that saddler to make adjustments as needed, she hasn't yet told me something doesn't fit when I think it does :) I have has my horse a long time though and she soon lets me know if something isn't quite right and needs adjusting
 
Having paid several fitters out who recommended saddles that did not suit my boy but were 'their preference' I won't waste any more money. Mine had a huge shoulder and needed a dressage or vsd but a forward cut GP was plonked on his back and said it fitted. Rubbish. I lost faith. When I questioned their recommendation they back tracked and said perhaps a VSD would be better. What if I had not said anything.
 
I've never had a saddle fitter out to my own horses- all my saddles come off Ebay, if they don't fit perfectly they go back online to sell again until I find the right one - sometimes try several dozen before finding the perfect one for both horse and me. We compete in various affiliated disciplines, each horse has 2 or 3 saddles a piece for their various "jobs". I get used to what trees and makes fit which horse, and tend to stick wtih those as tried and tested, like I say if I'm not 101% happy with how the saddle fits I just sell it on again.
Out if interest I trained in a place (abroad) where riders were fitted to a saddle for them and you put it on any horse you rode. I come from a "horsey family" and I don't ever remember a fitter visiting in years gone by - I trust my mothers judgement more than any fitter I have ever met. I appreciate they are very useful in adjusting saddles for perfect fit, but I always use a thick pad as personal choice, and have a 'winter set' of saddles for when the horses are a bit roughed off and just hacking once a week/
 
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I've had mine fitted and bought them from a local saddlers but one of my horses changes shape quite a lot and so his saddle needs regular little adjustments to keep it fitting at it's best which ends up becoming quite expensive! So I am considering using my own judgement and make little alterations myself.
 
Misog2000 said:
I am generally happy to fit my own and just get that saddler to make adjustments as needed, she hasn't yet told me something doesn't fit when I think it does :) I have has my horse a long time though and she soon lets me know if something isn't quite right and needs adjusting
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I'm the same. I'm old enough to remember that you fitted your own saddle by checking you could fit two fingers between the wither and pommel when you were sitting in the saddle and that someone could stand behind and see clearance along the horse's back. I think though that in those days horses did much more hacking and very little in the school (only a very few yards had a school) so they weren't constantly on the turn.

I have been badly burned by saddle fitters in the past but now have a wonderful independent QSF who will check my various saddles if she is up at the yard. To date she had been happy with the fit of each horse's saddle.
 
No. I know enough to know that I don't know enough, so even if I think something fits I still get it checked.

I'm lucky in that I have found a saddle fitter who I trust, who is used to fitting natives.

The first one I tried, I didn't rate at all and wouldn't use her again. (Though I know people on my yard who use her and are very happy). But she did a very duff job and I nearly ended up with 2 saddles that did not fit.
 
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