What exactly happens at a saddle fitting?

Country Cob

Member
Joined
1 October 2014
Messages
15
Visit site
Bit of a dumb question I know, but never had it done before.

So after having a saddler out before who just put a saddle (which was swiftly returned) on my horses back, without watching me ride and said it fitted, I have found another saddler with a good rep and just wondered in terms of riding what is expected? Where I keep my horse there is no arena and not really a field to ride in by the yard, all I do is hack on the lanes. Will this cause problems? Do they need to see my horse walk, trot and canter in an arena or just up and down the lane in walk and trot?

Didn't have the guts to ask saddler such a silly question :S

Hoping you lovely lot can shed some light on it for me :)

Thank you!
 

EquiEquestrian556

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 October 2013
Messages
1,581
Visit site
Basically after they've found a saddle that fits (and done all the other things) you'll be asked to walk, trot & canter if that's all you will be doing, to see that the horse is comfortable and that the saddle fits. Our saddle fitter also watches me jump & gallop, as that's also what I do.

Hope this was of some help :)
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 February 2009
Messages
11,027
Location
Slopping along on a loose rein somewhere in Devon
Visit site
So after having a saddler out before who just put a saddle (which was swiftly returned) on my horses back, without watching me ride and said it fitted,

No it isn't a silly question at all. You were right to feel outraged at the saddle fitter who never even bothered to see you sitting on the horse! That is truly appalling. Even worse than someone I had who only saw me do a few paces of trot and said yeah OK so that's OK, it fits! You were right to feel short-changed, and no, you are not asking silly questions.

Ideally..... the saddle fitter needs to see you ride at all paces, and pop a little fence if you're going to be doing any jumping. They should arrange to come back at some future point and check the fit of the saddle, and advise you re. correct girths to use, numnah's etc.

You can and will do as much harm hacking in an incorrectly fitted saddle as you would in any other riding activity.

"sbloom" - do you have any wisdom you could offer the OP?
 

HaffiesRock

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 August 2011
Messages
4,390
Visit site
My saddle fitter comes very often to adjust my saddle as my pony is super sensitive.

The first thing she does is take templates of his back and she draws these on top of the last template. From there she'll put the saddle on his back and then adjust the width and flock where necessary. Then it goes back on pony and is girthed up. I then ride for about 20 minutes in all paces. She looks at the saddle balance and that my pony is comfortable. Before I get off she looks at it again, then again when I dismount. Finally she checks his back once it has been removed to make sure it has not rubbed. All in all it takes a good hour id say.
 
Last edited:

Deltaflyer

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 September 2014
Messages
776
Visit site
I've heard of saddlers who don't see the saddle being ridden in. Luckily my saddler watches me ride in all paces and over jumps as well. She takes templates each time and also she shows genuine interest in how the horse is going, how we both are, how we get on competing etc. which is a nice touch. She also doesn't try to sell you the most expensive saddle she has either, she really does sell the most suitable saddle for both horse and rider.
 

Elsbells

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 April 2010
Messages
2,576
Location
Staffordshire
Visit site
If you haven't anywhere suitable to ride OP, you can always arrange to meet the saddler at a rented venue instead of your yard. But I guess that'll work if you have the use of transport?
 

alainax

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 April 2010
Messages
4,503
Location
Lanarkshire
Visit site
My saddle fitter is very thorough!
Horse is to be cold, not warmed up.
She starts by having a good look at the horse, his back, shoulders, rump and how he is all put together.
Then has a feel over the muscles, down both sides, watching for any pain, feeling for tightness, unevenness etc.
Takes the templates, asks lots of questions and writes up the notes.
Sometimes watches them trot up.
Checks current saddle, does some flocking if its dire before even placing it on the horses back.
Then off to the arena.
If your buying a new saddle, she will have a load with her of ones she thinks will be suitable and gets you to try them all. She watches how you sit and move, and the horse very carefully. Asking lots of questions about how the horse feels, and how you feel.
If you choose one, she does all the flocking and adjusting there, for you and the horse to try, and get it spot on.
If your just wanting your old one checked, she will flock it there and then and test it again when the horse is being ridden.
( and probably does a whole load of stuff I've forgot!)
I have bought 2 saddles off her, neither were my first choice online, but both fit me and the horse wonderfully.

If you don't have an arena they can usually watch you walk and trot along the lane.
 
Last edited:

Hurricanelady

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 March 2011
Messages
360
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
I have a fantastic saddler, who also makes her own saddles as well as fitting and selling second hand ones. She is interested in what fits the horse and will be suitable for the rider based on their build and what disciplines they will be doing.

When necessary, saddles are taken apart and stripped right back to the tree to ensure that the tree is the right shape and fit for the horse. She just did this last week for me to fit my 4 year old with his first "proper" saddle after he was started in a specially designed very lightweight starter saddle. She also has a deep understanding of every element of saddle making and fitting that comes from very extensive experience as well as the qualifications.

Reflocking and adjustment of air bags are done on site, bigger jobs like putting the saddle back together after reviewing the tree fit on the youngster and adjusting the girth straps are taken away but done quickly (the latter job in a week).

She rides my horses to check the saddle balance (as well as seeing me ride), she comes out every 3 months because that's what some of my horses need and I want, she can do big substantial jobs like changing a WoW eventing saddle flaps from event blocks to jumping blocks; and she's the best saddle fitter by far that I have ever met and I've used many in the past before I found her.

I am very lucky, her mix of extensive skills and experience and what she's prepared to do (e.g. stripping saddles right back to the tree if necessary) to make sure the fit is absolutely right; and her own very nice and reasonably priced made to measure saddles if that's what is needed is a great overall service and somewhat unusual as some saddlers attached to saddlery shops will sometimes not do their own work like this and will need to send saddles away to have it done. That's not at all to say they don't offer a good service but it could take longer than with a saddler that does it all themselves.

I would never dreamed of using a saddler who didn't want to see the horse being ridden, one I contacted years ago asked me to bring the horse to the shop (no riding facilities) in the trailer and the saddle would be fitted in there. That is not appropriate.

Good luck :)
 

Wheels

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 September 2009
Messages
5,695
Visit site
Reading some of these posts is making me think I'm not getting a very good service from my fitter!!

is all that the norm? Or do these fantastic fitters just go the extra mile
?
 

Hurricanelady

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 March 2011
Messages
360
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
Wheels I personally believe the service I get is exceptional, and some aspects of it (stripping saddles right down on site when necessary to check fit and/or fully investigate a problem; and riding to check balance) are not always available from all saddlers. One of my friends had an issue with her saddle in terms of how the horse was going, and sure enough my saddler recognized what it was likely to be, stripped it down and the offending broken component was immediately found. Of course other saddlers not able to do this on site would be able to get this diagnosis done by sending the saddle away to the workshop, but one of the most important elements here was to have the experience to know what the problem was likely to be - in this case something very serious if it hadn't been found.

She is a very key part of the team with the other professionals we use (e.g. vet, farrier, EMRT therapist, physio) and I would be devastated if she ever gave up!

The worst (& most expensive) problems I have had with saddlers have been with ones only qualified to sell, but who keep this quiet and do the fittings as well. Unfortunately occurred in the days before I was as fully informed as I am now.
 

Country Cob

Member
Joined
1 October 2014
Messages
15
Visit site
Thank you everyone for all the advice!!

Seems like I was defo right about the last saddler who came out and it wasn't just me being fussy.
I do not really have transport so can't even hire an arena and the fields are too slippery to ride in at the moment. Seeing as the horse has been out for work for a few months would it be a good idea to have saddler out, fit as best as she can with the facilities I have and then have her back again once horse has been in work and fields are dry enough to ride in?

I did ask a few people from work how they managed without an arena but they don't have the saddler out at all :O
 

Wheels

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 September 2009
Messages
5,695
Visit site
My saddler is doing the basics, checks the fit at a standstill and at a walk around the car park but that is about it!! Yes sometimes I have ridden at walk and trot to make sure the horse is comfortable but the saddle has never been fitted to me!

I feel short changed
 

kassieg

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 November 2013
Messages
1,451
Visit site
My saddler made a template of my horses back and then made a guide to re-shape my saddle to.

I already had my saddle & he was adjusting it. He then saw the saddle on her girthed & un girthed & went away to adjust, tried it on decided it wasn't 100% adjusted some more, tried it on again & was happy, girth it up then tried it with my saddlecloths & girthed it up. Watch me school & pop a couple of fences. I then got the template of her back to keep for when he next came.

He changed it from a wide to a medium (altered the tree as well as flocking)

Could not fault him ! he was with us 3 1/2 hours & only charged me £120. I will always use him
 

cremedemonthe

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 March 2011
Messages
5,614
Location
Was Caterham on the Hill, Surrey now Wales
Visit site
Thank you, cremedemonthe, how do I send a private message, I am new here and haven't got that far yet... :)

Try going in to your profile (click on your user name), then down left column, find FRIENDS opposite that is a pencil symbol, click on that.
Down the left side again, find GENERAL SETTINGS, click on that
THEN (nearly there now!) scroll down and tick the box that says PRIVATE MESSAGING ON and below that RECEIVE PRIVATE MESSAGING FROM ALL MEMBERS
and at bottom click SAVE CHANGES
There, try that, Oz
 
Last edited:

sbloom

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2011
Messages
10,321
Location
Suffolk
www.stephaniebloomsaddlefitter.co.uk
I will nearly always see the horse ridden, I have even seen three horses backed at fittings in the last year! Being able to see turns and circles is pretty important, not just straight lines. It is handy for the owner if the fitter can carry out all adjustments onsite (I do flock and tree adjustments on site), but to address a point made before, if a saddle is fairly new and under warranty still then it should always be returned to the workshop if there are potential structural or quality problems or opened up only by an authorised person. Not saying that later on you shouldn't let a trusted fitter open it up, but you don't want to lose out on your warranty.

There are different "styles" of fitting, part of mine is that I take a tracing at the end of the fitting and fit only by eye and feel. For me, and the way my company works, working from templates at the beginning can lead you down the wrong path, not all horses fit exactly as their template might indicate. For instance a big wide show horse in plump show condition may well need a saddle that is narrower than their template, the saddle must fit more to muscle and skeleton rather than the "condition".
 
Last edited:

pansymouse

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 May 2012
Messages
2,736
Location
Amesbury, Wiltshire
Visit site
I've never been asked to ride during a saddle fitting but I have the best fitting saddle possible - it's a virtual mould of my horses back and she goes like a dream in it. As a bonus it's also very comfortable for me.
 

HaffiesRock

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 August 2011
Messages
4,390
Visit site
I can't see how a saddle fitter wouldn't need to see you ride? You wouldn't buy shoes without trying them on?

Quick question, how many people have the saddler readjust after seeing them ride?
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,198
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
New saddle or old?

My saddle came new from my old fitter and we know that the basics fit very well.
Current saddler hasn't seen me ride in it but has done a full reflock and then top on it and just seems to have an amazing feel for it/identifies the spot of any issues from seeing it on. I imagine if I had an issue he'd be very happy to watch me ride though.

A new saddle I'd always want to ride in!
 

Country Cob

Member
Joined
1 October 2014
Messages
15
Visit site
Thank you for all your replies, you lovely helpful people :)
I feel a lot better knowing what to expect! Looks like I will be trying to find a non soggy portion of field to ride in :p
Fingers crossed we can find her a nice new saddle :)
Thanks you all for your advice x
 

fiwen30

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 May 2014
Messages
2,991
Visit site
Wow, this thread has been an education!

My loan owner took back my mare's saddle partway through the loan (don't ask!), and I went out and bought the exact same make, model and width as it suited me and horse down to the ground. YO, who is far, far more experienced than me suggested a supposedly trusted, well-known saddler fitter to get the new one fitted. We took the saddle and my mare to his yard, where it was popped on her back (ungirthed), looked at for about 10 minutes, then left with him to be flocked. I thought it was a bit...brisk, but noone else batted an eyelid, so I assumed that was the norm. Now I'm having serious doubts that this is the reason for some of the problems we've been having...

Thanks again for all the replies, some serious food for thought!
 

Slightlyconfused

Go away, I'm reading
Joined
18 December 2010
Messages
10,833
Visit site
My saddle fitter comes very often to adjust my saddle as my pony is super sensitive.

The first thing she does is take templates of his back and she draws these on top of the last template. From there she'll put the saddle on his back and then adjust the width and flock where necessary. Then it goes back on pony and is girthed up. I then ride for about 20 minutes in all paces. She looks at the saddle balance and that my pony is comfortable. Before I get off she looks at it again, then again when I dismount. Finally she checks his back once it has been removed to make sure it has not rubbed. All in all it takes a good hour id say.

This is what mine does too only we have wintecs with Cair so if needed she will add in or take away a lift riser
 

Alice1

Member
Joined
10 January 2016
Messages
10
Visit site
I always prefer to see my clients ride unless of course the horse is not in work for some reason. Then I always try to arrange to come back once the horse is back in work.

Its important to see the horse ridden for so many reasons. A saddle can sit completely differently once the rider is on board, also it is important to check for any slipage once the horse is moving in all 3 paces and its also vital to check the saddle fits the rider as well as the horse.
 

DD

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 August 2015
Messages
2,306
Location
Albion
Visit site
in my experience the saddler comes to the yard, takes measurements, arranges for saddle to be made. charges a considerable amount, saddle arrives, saddler revisits tries on saddles sees client ride in it, says its ok or takes away to adjusts stuffing. or it doesn't fit at all and theres nothing to be done. I've spent ages watching fitters and now fit my own saddles saves a packet and theres no BS either .
 

Antw23uk

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 October 2012
Messages
4,058
Location
Behind you
Visit site
No it isn't a silly question at all. You were right to feel outraged at the saddle fitter who never even bothered to see you sitting on the horse! That is truly appalling. Even worse than someone I had who only saw me do a few paces of trot and said yeah OK so that's OK, it fits! You were right to feel short-changed, and no, you are not asking silly questions.

Ideally..... the saddle fitter needs to see you ride at all paces, and pop a little fence if you're going to be doing any jumping. They should arrange to come back at some future point and check the fit of the saddle, and advise you re. correct girths to use, numnah's etc.

You can and will do as much harm hacking in an incorrectly fitted saddle as you would in any other riding activity.

"sbloom" - do you have any wisdom you could offer the OP?

No no no .. apparently master saddle fitters dont neeeed to see you ride!!! Didnt you know that? They are so up their own arsses they just take your money and you must be happy with that!
 
Top