Very strange... Saddle fitter

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emmaln

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Hi all,

I had a strange conversation with a saddle fitter today, opinions please!

I was driving through my old yard when I spotted one of my friends riding her youngster so stopped to see how she was, I didn't realise she was in the process of riding for a saddle fitter. I was about to toddle off on my way when the saddle fitter drew me into the conversation, she told me the youngster had been fitted all wrong and the previous saddle he had had been measured all wrong "I have had such trouble with finding the right saddle for my youngster that I am now on my 5th saddle and still not 100% happy, I said" to which she replied (wait for it peeps!)

Saddle fitter:
"horses should only need to be fitted once for one saddle, they don't change shape!"

Me:
"of course they do especially youngsters"

Saddle fitter:
"no, if you know how to measure properly you can measure them as a foal, the ligaments don't change shape"

Me:

"but fat and muscle does?"

Saddle fitter:

"trust me I wouldn't say it on my website of it wasn't true! That's why I've fallen out with the SMS over this issue!"

Me:

"oh, ok, bye then"

And off I drove feeling utterly bemused and flabbergasted!!!! Please tell me I'm not going mad?!?!?
 
well if thats true then prehaps I should put take out my extra wide gullet and put back in the medium that my mare needed when I got her 11 yrs ago, when she was soooo skinny!
 
If you had one post to your name I would immediately accuse you of being a troll. I've seen bad work by SMS Saddlers, but that takes the biscuit!
 
I'm on my 7 th saddle in 4 years. He has changed shape loads. Was in a medium narrow now a medium wide. Now he has finished filling out etc at least it's just a case of adjusting the flocking slightly if needs be.
 
I wonder how the saddle fitter works...

Maybe a 'wide' fitting and lots of padding, until the horse catches up with the width of the saddle?

What about length?

What about rider, or was the rider not in the equation?
 
emmaln said:
I promise promise I am no troll, this was absolutely for real!!! I could not believe my ears!
Click to expand...

Even trolls can't make up stories that daft :D

Fit the adult horse when it's a foal - I nearly spat my coffee all over my keyboard :eek:

If you ever see him/her again, ask them if they know that a horse's front legs aren't jointed to their skeleton, so any horse changes in width as the tension in the ligaments in the wither tighten or slacken with less or more work. Somehow, I doubt it :rolleyes:
 
Was it a woman? i rang a woman to find out about getting a saddle for my youngster and mentioned having my mares checked as it was fine last time but that was a year ago to be told the same thing "if it fitted properly a year ago it'll fit now because they dont change shape its just a ploy by saddlers to get you to buy more saddles"
 
Was it a south west saddle fitter - she says that in her website, which saved the bother of calling her out!
 
Gosh how frightening that maybe there's more than one!!! It was a woman hants/wilts border!!

Diluteherd, doubt she was joking and I didn't see her when I stopped initially and the minute I realised what was going on I made my apologies and went to leave but she started talking to me!

Mrs Mozart, she was watching my friend ride as I went past, I was immediately suspicious as age had a sheepskin pad under the saddle which surely would not be conducive to seeing if a saddle fit or not?!?
 
That is insane for a saddler to say that, i actually cant believe that! Just mentioned this to my 100% non horsey mum about fitting the adult horse when it's a foal and even she says thats crazy considering the size of a foal haha! Feel sorry for any younsters she's fitted, lets just hope her clients see sense
 
Its also a bloody stupid comment for her to make financially! As if she is only ever going to fit one horse once, she's gonna run out of people to make money out of pretty quickly!

There are some saddlers who try and sell you a new saddle every time they come out, but I'm sure there is a happy medium between the two!!
 
Not sure who it was, she did say she stated it on her website! There couldn't possibly be more than one of these people who believe this nonsense?!?
 
emmaln said:
Not sure who it was, she did say she stated it on her website! There couldn't possibly be more than one of these people who believe this nonsense?!?
Click to expand...

It seems there may be very worrying, always remember if it does not pass the common sense test it probally not true.
 
Oh my goodness!!!!! I just read this website, I have never heard anything like it!!!! It must be the same woman? I wonder where she has got this information from? She is almost evangelical in the way she speaks.
 
I have mine done about 3 times a season first when they come in all fat from summer grass, again before opening meet,then end of January Febuary when they are at their leanest . Never ever have saddle sores or back problems.I'm very lucky to have someone who know exactly what they are doing!!!
 
Cedars, I am fairly convinced this is the woman I met today!!! She is real and exists, or so it seems!!!
 
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