Saddle fitters - DO YOUR JOB!

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MagicMelon

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Am really peeved off! Some of you already know the first bit of the story but basically I had a friends Welsh Cob to back. All was going fine in walk with me onboard until he took off suddenly and I came off. I told the owner I felt the saddle didnt fit him properly which could have been the cause, so we got a qualified fitter out to check it and sort out a new saddle if one was required.

The fitter came and said she felt the original saddle wasn't horrific but wasnt the best fit either. She started to advise me to pad it out with various thicknesses of gamgee and through trial and error work out where he liked it padded and just do that forever more... ! Slightly horrified I told her the trial and error would be me getting chucked off and as this was a very green pony, the last thing I wanted was for it to be uncomfortable at all! So she ended up fitting one of her saddles to him which she said fitted him well, and off she went. All went fine for a few days after but then he did exactly the same again - took off out of the blue and I came off in a pretty big way hitting a jump block and tearing all the muscles round my hip, extremely painful, couldnt walk for days and am still sore now a month later. I returned the pony to the owner saying I couldnt continue with it as it was just too unpredictable and that she should get his back checked. The owner has now told me that she got a back person out (who is also a qualified fitter) who advised that the saddle doesn't fit and could have been a big factor in why he threw me off!

I'm really mad, as is the owner who will contact the fitter to demand her money back. It seriously hurt being thrown off and could have been much worse, all because someone didnt do their job! I was recommended this fitter, perhaps she was having a bad day, but they cant afford to have a bad day! Rant over.
 
When my mare was off work with back muscle problems (not caused by the saddle as far as we know), my vet advised me to get a qualified saddler to check/fit her saddle rather than just a saddle fitter.
 
Its very clear that saddle fitting training is not adequate as standard and the qualification means naf all. The good ones are good through a natural good eye, an interest, attention to detail and experience.

There aren't enough of the good ones though, you need to learn to pretty much DIY.
 
There are bit variances between qualifications in saddle fitting and proper saddlers.
Ideally someone registered with the society of master saddles is best but word of mouth is worth a lot.
Although the saddle could well have caused horse to through you off. It is probably a lot of factors coming together.
If saddle was a terrible fit horse would have thrown you off immediately but it was several days later.
So sounds as though horse is more challenging, quirky and has a decent buck !
You may not be able to pin point a specific problem. But be lots of little things at the same time causing a young inexperienced horse to explode !
 
a master saddler may not also be qualified to fit saddles only make them

however some master saddlers have BOTH qualifications - that is what you want, someone who understands sadddles and making and altering them AND someone who understands how to fit them.

Still get variable results but it gives the best chance.

The SMS website has symbols for both qualifications so you need to see both against the persons name
http://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk/


Unfortunately you cant search to say you want both saddle fitter and master saddler but if you search for saddle fitters for your area it will have all their relevant icons next to the names on the list. You want one with the horse icon and the icon that looks like a basket but is in fact a saddlers knife (above that icon it will have B, H or S which denotes that they will deal with bridles, harness or saddles, or more than one of them)
 
Agree with the OP on the rant but should add that Welsh Sec Ds are renowned for their bucking!! Danny's tail hits me in the back of the head regularly. Saddle fits fine, back is regularly seen to... it's just a bit of a trait I think it's natural progression from tensing and shortening up- which Welsh Ds do like a pro!!
 
I recently had a saddle fitter out to fit a pony and she sugested as saddle that in no way fitted the pony and I thought the saddle was dangerous for anyone to ride in and I told her this. When the rider (not my child)got on the pony started to bonc as was not happy and I made the person get off as quickly as possible.
No matter who the fitter is you have to decide does that saddle fit and for me the best judge is the pony. They get so hung up on measuring this and explaining that and generally trying to sell their stock that the ponies needs seem to be lost.
My critrior is does the pony move freely, and is the rider place in the right position. If you are breaking and schooling for other people its time to start forming your own oppions
 
I am not sure if this is allowed but I notice you are in the same area as me and so would rather avoid said saddle fitter, please could you PM me their name. My big lad is very sensitive in his back...
 
honetpot said:
My critrior is does the pony move freely, and is the rider place in the right position. If you are breaking and schooling for other people its time to start forming your own oppions
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The thing is, I do tend to look hard at the fit of saddles - it looked ok to me but apparently it was bridging. At the end of the day, surely a professional should be trusted? I'm not trained in saddle fitting by any means, so although I think I can spot most obvious fitting issues, I would prefer to have someone out who is meant to have the experience and qualifications behind them.

Some of you have mentioned that Welsh D's are known for bucking - he didn't buck me off, he just took off full pelt and turned (due to a fence) so I flew out the side. It should be noted though that on both occassions when he chucked me off, the saddle ended up right over sideways so the fit can't have been good on either saddle! (and yes, I had tightened the girth).

Minstrel-Ted, will PM you now ;)
 
The biggest single issue I have with the schoolers that come to me is damage caused by badly fitting saddles and all the related physical and behavioural issues that this causes :(

Unfortunately I don't know anyone within a 100 mile radius that I'd recommend.

Ideally you want a qualified saddle fitter who is also a master saddler who also rides horses to a certain level. I don't know anyone like this.

The best practitioners (saddlers/vets/physios whatever) are the ones who know what it's like to actually sit on a horse.
 
Can you pm me also - you're in the same area as me and I've also had a run in with a saddler - it was very difficult to get a refund too.

Sounds really bad that the saddle is slipping and padding up forever more isn't a good solution :O
 
Rowreach said:
Ideally you want a qualified saddle fitter who is also a master saddler who also rides horses to a certain level. I don't know anyone like this.

The best practitioners (saddlers/vets/physios whatever) are the ones who know what it's like to actually sit on a horse.
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That's a very valid point! Part of the problem I have found is that people want a particular saddle and although it can be fitted to a degree it's just the wrong style/type/shape of saddle for that particular horse or pony. I think that a decent saddler who has done a bit understands this more than a woman who has done a course and bought a few saddles.

I haven't had a saddle fitted to any of mine for the past 15 years or so because I tend to know what will suit them and I am more than experienced enough to fit a saddle myself. The last saddle I bought I had my saddler friend look at because I was buying it off him (and it was way over my budget!), but he agreed that is was perfect (I knew that it would be before I put it on as it was £400 more than the other 2 he gave me to try!)
 
Oh Don't you're scaring me. Going to check out a few saddles tonight and if I think something is suitable I will take my horse for a fitting. Fingers crossed my saddler is a good one, not had any problems before but that means nothing by the sounds of it
 
Eek its amazing how they react sometimes! I think it can make a big difference, my TB bucks quite a bit especially trying to canter (still on loan at the mo so had to convince owner too) I have got a master saddler/fitter coming out on Sat, didn't think to ask if she rides, must remember that. Seems odd to me that anyone working with horses wouldn't ride at least occasionally!

I tried another saddle on said horse the other week just before I properly took him on loan from owner, instantly before I was even on he was unhappy although it wasn't an obviously bad fit, and when I was on he threw his head about and not pleased at all! So I think he is quite sensitive bless him and hoping new saddle will help loads!
 
MagicMelon said:
The fitter came and said she felt the original saddle wasn't horrific but wasnt the best fit either. She started to advise me to pad it out with various thicknesses of gamgee and through trial and error work out where he liked it padded and just do that forever more...
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OMG this sounds v.familiar!!! - um, it wasn't the dreaded woman from "SSW" was it??
 
Please don't shout at all of us! Occasionally things do go wrong, we're all human, but this whole approach does sound very dodgy. If you said you coudln't afford a new saddle, he was going to change massively, and if she helped you find a shimming solution (much better done with a proper shim pad!) then that might have been a little better IF indeed the saddle had a been a near-fit.

Bridging on a relatively flat backed horse like most cobs of all kinds are is usually actually caused by the saddle bing too narrow - have a look at the stitching on the point pockets and see whether it lies closely parallel to the horse's sides (NOT the shoulder but the ribcage where the saddle is sitting :)).

Native and cobs are not the easiest to fit - many fitters do not have access to saddles that fit them well enough. Look for flat trees from front to back, they need to at least have a longish flat sweet spot, the deepest part of the seat, a scoopy seat will not work. The panels should be fairly wide and definitely flat, and most natives/cobs will need a moderate gusset to the rear panel. I have only known one in 4 years that needed a front gusset, I suspect some models are made with them to make the saddle fit flatter, whereas I believe the tree should be flatter to begin with.

SMS - it is getting harder and harder to train for your fitting qualifications, and I personally feel that, with how poor some qualified saddle fitting seems to be from the stories on here, I'll stick with the training from the amazing woman who taught me, who has 25 years saddle fitting experience with the MOST difficult to fit horses and ponies :). I disagree that you need a dual qualified professional though, many good fitters who are NOT saddlers do their own flocking and tree adjustments - I do most of mine on site and people can SEE what I do.

I agree that being a rider does really help which is why in many ways saddlers are not the best fitters, even if they go on to take the QSF - more fitters than saddlers are riders in my experience.
 
Most horses also need alt wider than what a lot of fitters fit just as sbloom says.

Where abouts are you sbloom and do you have a website?

The only woman I have found, who drove to me in Somerset was Lavinia Mitchell. She taught me such a lot, and I find it very difficult to trust even saddlers now after meeting her. I think there is also someone called Dorothy Marks who is a back lady and is very good. You are well advised to find a back lady/man who is a physio or Chiro who also fits saddles.

They both have websites. Afraid I do not know any for your area OP but I know Lavinia does zone visits.

There is one saddler I trust in the area and he reflocks for me fairly regularly. He always uses the best wool too!
 
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