Lavinia Mitchell Saddles anyone?

Bikerchickone

Bikerchickone

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Would really like some opinions on these, anyone got one, had one, tried them and liked or not liked? Just wanting to get some thoughts from the wise please? Thanks and lots of chocolate hobnobs to all who reply! :D
 
I have one and it is very good. Lavinia fits a saddle to give muscles room to grow. You would know that if you had one fitted by her. Mine had a shim but grew muscle to fit into the saddle where he had muscle wastage. It achieved what it was supposed to achieve.

I wouldn't use anyone else now to fit my saddles.
 
Thank you both. Reason I ask is that I had a Lavinia Mitchell saddler out this afternoon to fit my very wide cob and was really impressed with the difference the saddles seemed to make to his movement. (He's been diagnosed with collateral ligament damage, navicular and pedal osteitis and is hopefully heading to Rockley soon) I couldn't believe the change in him with these saddles on. He started out tight and tense, probebly due to the old saddle not fitting so well but within about half an hour was stretching along his back and neck and striding out really well. Ten minutes after that he was tracking up properly for the first time in ages. When I got on him after my friend who'd agreed to be jockey so that I could talk to the saddler, he felt like a different and much taller horse!

Only downside was they didn't have the size and colour combination that we need so I couldn't have it today.

I really liked the idea of the shims and things though, since I know I'm not exactly the same shape and size all the time, so why would he be? Why shouldn't we be able to get the basic shape and size right and then be able to make minor adjustments as his size and shape fluctuates naturally. Think I'm a convert! Oh golly, first I join the Barefoot Taliban and now this! :eek::eek::eek::D
 
A horse on my yard was lucky enough to catch her while she was in the NW.

They had very little budget and have been through so much.

The horse's background is documented here
http://www.progressivehorse.co.uk/html/shoko.html

As a result of no longer being in chronic pain or shortened in his stride - he started to muscle up...and he didn't stop. This soon led to saddle problems that dragged on, through saddle after saddle and physio visit after physio visit.....:p

Lavinia came (I was absolutely gutted to miss it as I was working:() and everyone crowded round to listen to her:)

She came back after a month or so to follow up (missed that one too:().

Horse has been fine ever since.

I've heard another good report from her on the UKNHCP forum too.

If I was getting one of her saddles, I would grab her when she is touring my end of town, rather than rely on someone else to fit though.
 
Thanks Oberon! I'm lucky in that the saddle fitter I saw today is a friend of a friend and because they don't have what I want in stock Lavinia herself might have and luckily for me is going to be down in Devon in the next few weeks so could potentially be fitting the saddle for me anyway. Although I must admit I have absolutely no doubts as to the skill of the lady who came today. I ask lots of questions and she answered everything fully to the point where I totally understood what she was doing and why. She's even willing for me to follow her around for a few days to learn from her too! :)

I can easily believe the difference in Shoko, nobody looking at my lad today would ever have believed his diagnosis! He looked amazing!
 
Don't have a LM saddle but the lady herself fitted a Saddle Company saddle to my daughter's pony, which had been bucking in her previous (too tight) saddle. Pony is now going like a dream in the saddle fitted by Lavinia.

I have enormous respect for Lavinia's knowledge and experience, my mare is currently in a HM treeless, but if ever I wanted a treed saddle, Lavinia would be my first point of call.
 
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