FOCUS ON SADDLING
SOCIETY OF MASTER SADDLERS’ QUESTION & ANSWER
Twice president of Society Master Saddlers, Lecturer / Assessor on Saddle fitting courses and Master Saddler Laurence Pearman answers some frequently asked questions on saddlery.
With very round horses, slippage to either side can be a problem, but Ihave found to the right is more common. A remedy that usually works with no adverse effect on the horse will be the fitting of a balance strap - this is set behind the existing girth straps - and is used on the opposite side to which the saddle is slipping. Another way is to use a pad with pockets into which shims of various foam thickness can be placed. If trying this method it is best to experiment with these until you find the best combination that corrects the saddle. It is also advisable to seek further advice from the original Saddle Fitter.
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which has bleached the leather. You can put on plenty of leather dressings to darken the overall colour to blend in by working it in well. There are also various re-colouring products available, but most will be liable to be inclined to leak the colour on to your jodhpurs or breeches if used on a wet day so you need to be mindful of this. For anyone buying a new saddle, if you start from day one by using a saddle cover when it is stored in the tackroom and you get into a habit of putting it back on after each ride this will certainly help lessen any fading.
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that make them nicer for the horse? The use of the comfort headpiece on the bridle is definitely seen more nowadays as it has become more popular with education and research into poll pressure. There are a lot of these on the market now alongside the traditional ones. In general they are shaped and padded to alleviate the pressure which can be caused by the traditional design. A lot of scientific testing has been done on many of these, there are many retailers that will let you try before you buy. You can then find which works best for your horse.
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I notice alot of riders now use the comfort headpiece on their bridles. What is it about their design compared to the traditional headpiece
What can Ido to restore the colour in my lovely faded black saddle? When leather fades especially on saddles, this is normally due to ultraviolet light
I have an extremely round welsh cob. His saddle, which has been professionally fitted, always slips to the right. What can Ido to stop this happening?
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Synthetic padded girths look very comfortable, but my horse seems to lather with sweat underneath
his. Would he be less likely to sweat if wearing aleather girth? There are a multitude of girth’s on the market in varying designs and made from a whole range of materials. Many of the synthetic ones have very good wicking properties, so again study carefully which one wicks the sweat away best. Personally Iprefer the leather ones, they require a little more maintaining but are worth it and Iamsure horse’s sweat less with these. There will always be a certain amount of sweat as the norm anyway.
Formoreinformationvisit
www.mastersaddlers.co.ukorcontact TheSocietyofMasterSaddlerson01449711642.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2018
For the latest
newsvisitwww.centralhorsenews.co.uk
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