Experts recommend having your saddle fit checked by a qualified saddle fitter every 6 months.
Why?
As your horse progresses in his training, gains or loses weight, or ages, his body changes. A saddle that once fit perfectly may not anymore. To keep him performing at the best of his abilities, the saddle fit may need adjusting.
How?
By adding or removing wool in the panels, the fit of your saddle can be customized to your horse’s body. You know how your favorite pair of old, broken-in jeans has molded to you? This is the kind of fit your horse can get from panels flocked just for him.
Many of us have wished we could let a seam out of a favorite item of apparel to accommodate our changes of weight. Instead, we usually wear different clothes. It’s not so easy to get a different saddle, but it is surprisingly easy to adjust the saddle’s fit!
How can I tell if it is time?
Very subtle changes in your horse’s performance may be easy to miss. Try not to wait for the more blatant signs! When your horse’s performance suddenly improves after his saddle is fitted, you will know it was a wise choice. here are some common ways that horses tell us their saddle is uncomfortable:
- cold-backed
- short-strided
- bucks
- pins ears
- girthy
- on the forehand
- kicks
- spooky
- resistant
- hollows
- mysterious lameness
- trips
- lacks speed
- rushes jumps
- head-tossing
- slow
- needs long warm-up
- doesn’t engage
- crooked
- balks
- hard-mouthed
How much does it cost?
About the same as a new set of horse shoes or a dental exam, and like each of those, saddle fitting should be a part of your horse’s routine care. For more about prices, click HERE.
Ready to schedule? Your horse will be so glad you did! Contact me HERE.
Interested in a long-distance fitting? Click HERE.
Think you have a “difficult to fit” horse? Click HERE.