kay humphries saddles vs balance international

[clairefeekerry1]

dilema! help required.

as some of you may know i have had major saddle fitting problems. kay humphries came out and explained alot of things to me and very kindly lent me a saddle to trial. there is a slight improvement but i have to use a sheepskin pad for it to make my horse comfortable. i have had balance international out who use a totally different saddling technique. basically my horse has quite a dipped back according to balance inernational and the two techniques are so different i dont know what to do for the best. in the balance international saddle there was a big improvement in walk but not trot, where the real issues are. plus i cant have the balance international saddle on trial so only tried it for like 2 mins. it felt like i was perched, but apparently thats because they saddle over the dipped back to encourage muscle development where kay's saddle is fitted to the dip. oh i'm so confused. help!!!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I had always thought that 'bridging' was a very bad thing due to the pressure points at the front and rear of the saddle.

Just to add to the confusion, have you talked to a reactor panel (Roe Richardson) saddle fitter? They are meant to be very good saddles for sway-backed (even if it's slight) horses.

 

[Bosworth]

In my experience Kay Humphries is tbest saddle fitter around, she puts the horse first all the time and has a huge knowledge of remedial fits, she normally only comes out to see your horse on a veterinary referral so if you have had her out you have had the best and I would go with her opinion over anyone elses. If you brigge the hollow then you will cause serious problems as you will increase pressure at the withers and the back of the saddle as the saddle is not supported the full way.

If Kay has leant you a saddle to try it will allow you to muscle up your horse correctly prior to having one made. She leant me one for about 6 months, while my horse got over the damage a master Saddler had caused. then once his back was Ok she made me a saddle, I still have that now - and that was about 20 years ago, In that time my horse has never required any back treatment as his back is superb. I cannot rate her highly enough

 

[clairefeekerry1]

In my experience Kay Humphries is tbest saddle fitter around, she puts the horse first all the time and has a huge knowledge of remedial fits, she normally only comes out to see your horse on a veterinary referral so if you have had her out you have had the best and I would go with her opinion over anyone elses. If you brigge the hollow then you will cause serious problems as you will increase pressure at the withers and the back of the saddle as the saddle is not supported the full way.

If Kay has leant you a saddle to try it will allow you to muscle up your horse correctly prior to having one made. She leant me one for about 6 months, while my horse got over the damage a master Saddler had caused. then once his back was Ok she made me a saddle, I still have that now - and that was about 20 years ago, In that time my horse has never required any back treatment as his back is superb. I cannot rate her highly enough

i cannot say how pleased i am wth kay. she has been amazing. its just thrown me a bit about what balance international have said. 'bridge' probably wasnt the best word to use, but they fit to allow his muscles to develop back. they said with kay's saddle his muscles would never get back to how they were and he'll always remain with a dipped back till eventually he's near the floor!!!!- they were not slagging kay off or anything just explaining their point. plus kay has said she wont sell me a saddle till we've got him 100 % right, which reassures me. only thing that nags on my mind was the vast improvement in walk in the balance saddle. oh the confusion!!!

 

[SmartieBean09]

In my experience Kay Humphries is tbest saddle fitter around, she puts the horse first all the time and has a huge knowledge of remedial fits, she normally only comes out to see your horse on a veterinary referral so if you have had her out you have had the best and I would go with her opinion over anyone elses. If you brigge the hollow then you will cause serious problems as you will increase pressure at the withers and the back of the saddle as the saddle is not supported the full way.

If Kay has leant you a saddle to try it will allow you to muscle up your horse correctly prior to having one made. She leant me one for about 6 months, while my horse got over the damage a master Saddler had caused. then once his back was Ok she made me a saddle, I still have that now - and that was about 20 years ago, In that time my horse has never required any back treatment as his back is superb. I cannot rate her highly enough

Ditto this! kay is very, very good and has an amazing reputation. I trust her 100%. There is no way she would put your horse at risk!!

 

[Bosworth]

Please listen to Kay, in her saddles the muscles will work, the horse will improve, she will work with you and have an active interest in improving your boy. She is not there to just sell a saddle - as proven by the fact she has leant you a saddle and wants him 100% sound before she makes you one. What Balance have said is incorrect, Kay will not fit a saddle that will cause his back to sag and not muscle up. I loath and detest companies that say that sort of thing while trying to flog you their saddle.

Go with Kay, they best there is around.

 

[clairefeekerry1]

Please listen to Kay, in her saddles the muscles will work, the horse will improve, she will work with you and have an active interest in improving your boy. She is not there to just sell a saddle - as proven by the fact she has leant you a saddle and wants him 100% sound before she makes you one. What Balance have said is incorrect, Kay will not fit a saddle that will cause his back to sag and not muscle up. I loath and detest companies that say that sort of thing while trying to flog you their saddle.

Go with Kay, they best there is around.

yes thank you i have been reassured!!
her visits are also half the price (yes half!) compared to balance.

 

[Bosworth]

you will be rewarded by the results. Mine are all in Kay saddles, and I have never since having these saddles had a back problem. stick with it and I promise you will be amazed.

 

[Beatrice5]

Mum and I are both HUGE Kay fans. I have a saddle here she made me 10 years ago and although made for my previous gelding has been checked and fits my mare really well too.
Plus it is so comfy for me

She knows her stuff . She also worked with Mum's ex eventer who'd had a serious accident and as a reasult scars and wastage to his back and they brought him back to fantastic shape even at 27 he looked like a ten year old

 

[Beatrice5]

Bosworth does Kay come down this far as am backing my Newfie and would love her to fit him up with a proper saddle.

 

[Bosworth]

Kay does come down to the South West, problem is likely to be getting hold of her and then getting an appointment as she only does vet referrals, unless she already knows you - so you may be in for a chance

 

[foxy1]

I do think that Balance have a point here; if you fit a saddle to a poorly muscled back it can cause problems as the horse muscles up the saddle get to tight and prevents further development.

Have you thought about a Suber pad? It would probably save you buying a new saddle yet, wait till your issues are worked through further.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Kay fitted one of her saddles for my DWB X TB, gorgeous saddle but she had a big movement and being short coupled, I felt that I was being tipped forwards. Unfortunately, she was too far away to take the horse back to her, so ended up having an Ideal made for her with my spec. Love Ideals, also had one made for a sway backed mare which was so comfortable for me and her.

Do agree that Kay is excellent, but sadly too far from me to be practical.

Having had experience of feeling perched on a Bates Caprilli, which didn't suit the horses conformation and movement, I would steer clear of anything that left me feeling vunerable.

 

[Hollyberry]

I have had experience of both. Kay came down to do a template on my connemara after I bought one of her saddles on ebay and wanted it checked. She was very thorough and I really liked what she said and the way she explained her way of fitting made a lot of sense. Unfortunately I couldn't afford one of her made to measure saddles but she left me with a template of his back. My other horse is fitted with a Balance saddle and I am absolutely delighted with it. He is very happy in it and his muscle wastage on one side is filling in slowly. He had a bit of damage from a previous saddle when I bought him but he is so much happier and the fitter comes out regularly to check all is ok. I was a bit anti the pads at first but he is going so well in the saddle and I know it won't actually do his back any harm. My Physio is also very impressed with his back.

 

[Oscarsmum]

the tree in my semiflex saddle was broken TWICE! when it got sent off by kay, I was still charged £200 after waiting 6 months to have my saddle back, I got given a crappy saddle to use whilst mine was being mended then broken AGAIN. Not impressed with her, or her customer service or the ladies that work in the shop as found one of them to be incredibly rude. Although she does know her stuff.

 

[kerilli]

Kay is brilliant and won't steer you in the wrong direction.

 

[Hollycatt]

I can only comment on the balance saddle consultation I had and was very unhappy with. I found the saddles perched me on the horse. The horses trot was better but I was very uncomfortable and the models I wanted to try they didn't bring with them. I specifically wanted a dressage saddle and asked for 2 different models to try, but they only brought GP saddles - and still expected the full fee. Someone else I know that bought a balance saddle for dressage has terrible problems with it slipping and rolling about on the horse