New Kent and Masters - softening it?!

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MJ_1993

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Hey everyone!!
So i just got a new saddle for my lad, kent and masters cob, its a dream, apart from the girth straps, i know they will get easier with use, but i've never had a new saddle before, so what is best to use to soften them up please?

thankyou!
 
I love K&M - have had a few of them but to be honest I have never felt the need to soften the girth straps or any part of them. I find with all new saddles no matter what the model hitching up the girth can be a little tough in the first few days but they very quickly loosen down enough for you to be able to find the sweet spot that suits without too much effort.

I have chronic hand arthritis and I do struggle with my girth sometimes but never so badly I cant tighten sufficiently. I hope you find in a few rides it gets easier for you. :)
 
Lindylouanne said:
I have a GP. It is the worst saddle I have ever owned. I hate the ruddy thing. It's hard, uncomfortable and tips me forward.
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How odd - had a couple of GPs and never a problem, loved them both on different horses and could ride for miles without any discomfort at all. Well just goes to prove what suits one horse and rider won't necessarily suit another! :) Obviously trial and error must be the answer then OP (y)
 
Exactly, every horse is different. The saddle fits my boy perfectly but I just hate it. My other pony has a Rich & Sons GP which is so comfortable I can ride in it all day which just goes to show why it is so important that saddle fitters fit both horse and rider.
 
Interesting comment about having them fitted Lindylouanne - all of mine were fitted for me and my horses and bought from qualified master Saddler - was the K&M you bought that you hated so much? I did have a saddle fitter back in the day who always thought they had found the perfect saddle for my horse of the time, but didn't give a rat's arse if it suited me or not! Needless to say after a couple of attempts to let him try and get it right he was shown the door and never used again.

So I guess the moral here is, you need a damn good saddle fitter if you want to be sure you buy something that suits both you and your horse.
 
I had a proper fitting by a qualified saddle fitter but I do think riding in the saddle for a fitting is nothing like using it on a daily basis. It felt comfortable at the fitting but I wasn't hacking in it and the biggest issue I have is it tips me forward. I do think that may be because of where the stirrup bar fittings are rather than the saddle itself and the main thing is it fits the boy perfectly 😁
 
Yes I agree just relying on riding it for the fitting is as good as useless to decide if you like it or not. Luckily my current saddler is always happy to allow two weeks trial to see if you really like it. I appreciate though that there are a lot saddle fitters who wouldn't do that unfortunately.
 
I do love a kent and masters also, had one for a long time and the saddler kept telling me it fitted, i was never sure so got another saddler out to check it and he said it's just the wrong shape for my broad shouldered, flat backed ISH, hence getting the cob one. Whilst i must agree the saddle seat is slightly harder than on my GP (normal) k and m, i wouldn't say it is hard as such. Just the leathers i found hard, needed some help getting them up but hopefully in a few rides it will be easier. thanks
 
Lindylouanne said:
I had a proper fitting by a qualified saddle fitter but I do think riding in the saddle for a fitting is nothing like using it on a daily basis. It felt comfortable at the fitting but I wasn't hacking in it and the biggest issue I have is it tips me forward. I do think that may be because of where the stirrup bar fittings are rather than the saddle itself and the main thing is it fits the boy perfectly 😁
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I always recommend buying from fitters who offer a proper ridden trial with clear terms and conditions, for this reason.

OP, I would ask your fitter, or the company, which conditioner they recommend. I personally only recommend Sedgwick (from ebay) and the one from www.unicornleather.co.uk (cremedemonthe on there), and that is all you need. K&M leather isn't top of the pile in terms of quality (you';d not expect it at that price) and it might be they recommend something very different, but these have brilliant ingredients, not just the "good" ones, but no hidden nasties either. Just clean with a cotton dishcloth and hot water, then sit and work the conditioner into the straps (especially on the rougher side) and work them in your hands for a while, perhaps in front of the telly!

Condition at least 12 hours before you need to use the saddle or they'll be slippery!
 
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