FOCUS ON SADDLING
well under way, andheisleanerand moremuscled than he wasatthe beginning of the season. Maybe he is ayoung horse and he is going through aperiod of rapid growth and development. Maybe his owner,school overfor the summer,has vastly increased his exercise andschooling programme.Orperhaps he has lostcondition overwinter. It’s surprising howmanyownersnoticearug
getting tighter but the fact that the saddle no longer fits well completely escapesthem. This is whyitis very important to get saddleschecked regularly. Saddle fitting checks areanimportant part of horse care.
Yes, theycostmoney. Andyes,occasionally the saddle fitter mayneed to return quitequickly because the horse has changed shape so
rapidly.Thisisn’tanunnecessary expense it is vital to makesureyour horse is comfortable. Asaddle that is toonarrow and is pinching and exerting
other unwanted pressure- or toowide and pressing down and restricting the horse’sabilitytouse himself correctly -can result in welfare, veterinary,behavioural and performanceproblems. Overcoming the resulting problems could be expensivein terms of veterinary,schooling and other professional services. Meanwhile the horse has suffered totally unnecessarily. Recognise that changesinexercise and feed regimes
Left:Athorough consultation iskey.
Right:Theright saddleforthejob
have the potential to alter the horse’
sshape.Try to stick to the principle one saddle should fitone horse and remember asaddle adoptsthe contoursofthe horse,ifplaced on adifferent horse,itcould be very uncomfortable.When asaddle suffersanaccident or when the horse suffersa fall whilstbeing ridden the saddle should be examined by aMasterorQualified
Saddler.Internal damage such as abrokentreecan be difficult to spot and, not rectified, it mayresult in complicated veterinary problems. Usethe services of aSocietyofMasterSaddlers’
registeredqualified saddle fitter to undertake fitting checks
regularly.Alwayshaveanew saddle fitted and recognise that it is at leastequally important to have a second-hand saddle fitted. SMS saddle fittershavea comprehensiveknowledge of saddle brands and designs. Theyare awareofthe rulesand regulations applicable to tack andequipment used in all the equestrian disciplines and sports, and offer adviceand professional services.
InformationabouttheSocietyofMaster Saddlerscanbefoundonthewebsite:www.
mastersaddlers.co.ukortelephone01449711642.
Southam Saddles
&registered
Saddle sales &service including on-site rebalancing
Wide range of new &2nd hand saddles -Bates specialists -Fairfax -Albion -Arena -K&M-GFS -Wintec -Prestige -Ideal
Telephone: 07780 462258 E-mail:
info@southamsaddles.co.uk
LAURA DEMPSEY MASTER SADDLER
QUALIFIED SADDLE FITTER WOW -HARRYDABBS -BLISS OF LONDON
FAIRFAX CLASSIC -KENT &MASTERS -THOROWGOOD BACK ON TRACK -PROLITE
FULL FITTING SERVICE INCLUDING ON-SITE REBALANCING OF SADDLES SIDE SADDLE SPECIALIST
Midlands
www.southamsaddles.co.uk TEL: 07790 952517 E:
info@lauradempseysaddler.com W:
www.lauradempseysaddler.co.uk PleasementionCentralHorseNewswhenresponding toAdvertisementsNOVEMBER/DECEMBER2020 27
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