FOCUS ON SADDLING
mouth conformation -itmay have ashort mouth, lowpalate, thick tongue etc. We used to saythatthere should be one or two wrinklesatthe cornersofthe mouth, butamuch better test is that it should look comfortable,and be high enough in the mouth that the cheek pieces do not sag away from the face when the contactistaken up,but not so high that it appears to makethe horse
smile.The width of the bit is important too. It should not be pinching at the sidesorbeloose enough that it movesfromside to side acrossthe mouth. The cheek pieces caneasily be adjustedifnecessary to gain the correctposition. The cheek pieces of the bridle mustnot be fastened
on the tophole as this caninterferewith the sensitive jawjoint and cause greatdiscomfort, if theydothen youneedtohavethem adjustedbyacraft saddler. The throat lash mustnot restrictthe horse’sbreathing.
When fastening it remember that some horsesbecome very thick through the
jawincollectedpaces.Tomeasure foragood fitplacethree fingerssideways between the throat lash and underneath the horse’schin. The cavesson noseband should lie about two fingers’
breadth belowthe prominent cheekbonesand justabove the rings of the bit to avoid pinching or chafing. Check that the noseband is levelbeforefastening. All nosebands should be loose enough to fittwo fingersside by side under the front of the noseband when fastened. The leather of abridle should be firm but pliable
with no sharp or rough edges. If abridle is very cheap it has either been made from poor qualitymaterials or by using modern dayslave labour,however,a high price doesnot guarantee agreat product. If in doubt, ask a craft saddler foradviceonthe qualityofabridle.
SADDLEDOCTORS UK MASTER SADDLERSOXFORD
SMSMASTER QUALIFIED SADDLE FITTERS SALES AND SERVICE
LARGE STOCKS INCLUDING: FAIRFAX,
BLACK COUNTRY,IDEAL, KENT&MASTERS, AMERIGO,ALBION ETC
SADDLES RE- BALANCED ON SITEQUALITY AND FIT ON ABUDGET OR TOP END
01865 244700
WWW.SADDLEDOCTORS.CO.UK
Bespokebridlesare agood option. Made by craft bridle-maker
these bridlesare perfectly made to measureyour horse and fitted. It certainly takesthe hassle out of buying and fitting one and can be extremely good value formoneyand aworthwhile investment. The bridle-maker will come out to measureupyour horse,and if this is not possible due to distances involved, theymay giveclear measuring instructions foryou to do it yourself and feedback the measurements. Bridle fitterscan help with choosing the correctsizeofbit and manyare also bitting specialists who will carry aselection of bitsfor
youtotry.Nowadays manybridle fitterscarry aselection of different makes or stylesofbridle that youcan try beforebuying, similar to the waysaddle fittersdo. If youare interestedinthis option, the SocietyofMaster
Saddlerscan help as manyoftheir membersare craft bridle-makerswho areamongstthe best in the world.
QUALIFICATION In 2019 the SocietyofMasterSaddlerslaunched anew
and forwardthinking Bridle Fitting Qualification. This newinitiativeaims to raise standards in
the industry and enhanceequinewelfare. The qualification, approvedbyCity&Guilds, wasdeveloped
over18months.Atthe centre of all the Society’ssuiteof qualifications, which are all approvedbyCity&Guilds, is equine welfarewhich drives membersforwardto deliver the best saddlery services and goods in the world.
ForfurtherinformationabouttheSocietyof
MasterSaddlersvisitwww.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
Midlands
www.southamsaddles.co.uk
PleasementionCentral HorseNewswhen respondingtoAdvertisementsFEBRUARY/MARCH2021
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