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SADDLE FITTING AND RE-FLOCKING involves either addition or removal of wool flocking from the saddle's panels in order to customize the fit to a specific horse's back. The Saddle Fitter will use Templates, a paper map of the horse's back, and other extraneous information such as ridden evaluations and gait assessment to further assist in the fitting. It will usually take approximately 2 hours for a Saddle Fitter to fit a saddle initially, which includes the ridden evaluation and measurements. Subsequent fittings of the same horse and saddle combination usually take only 30 minutes. Saddles should be fit or checked, depending on your riding schedule, as follows:
5 hours or more per week : 3-4 times per year
2-4 hours per week: 1-2 times per year
Factors that will influence fit are poor conformation, rider interference, type of saddle rack and/or storage of saddle, use on other horses, types of flocking, mounting and dismounting, saddle pads, etc. For instance, a rider that mounts without a mounting block can adversely affect the flocking in a saddle, causing it to lean to the left. Even if the Saddler fixes it, as soon as the rider mounts the horse again from the ground, he or she has undone all the Saddler's work. Much care must be taken to insure that the flocking remains untouched by everything except for the horse's back for which it is intended.
Many intricate, time-intensive steps go into perfecting a saddle's fit.
Here's what we do:
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As with anything we do with horses, we try to be keenly aware of their reactions. They will tell us, better than any diagnostic test, how a saddle feels on their back.
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We make detailed templates of the horse's back. These templates act as a map for customizing the saddle, show asymmetrical development, and chart the horse's growth and progress over time.
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We evaluate the saddle on and off of the horse's back. The main points we look for are:
- If the saddle bridges. This is a major problem with wooden spring trees, the most popular tree available in the world today. The action of the spring moves the flocking to the front and back of the saddle, creating a "bridge" where the rider sits. Active riders (classified as 5 or more hours of riding per week) can expect to need to re-flock their saddles every 9 - 12 weeks to prevent their horse from becoming back sore.
- If the saddle panels exhibit uneven pressure or have areas that flocking has become clumped or lumpy.
- If the saddle's center of gravity matches the horse's. When this is off, riders will feel as if they are being pitched forward or being left behind.
- If panel width, angles, and contact points fit the horse's needs. The saddle needs to sit on the horse's true ribs, which start approximately 4 inches from the center of their spine. Most times, flocking can be maneuvered to allow for the proper fit.
- If gullet width and angles are correct.
- If the bar is the correct length for the size of the horse.
- If rigging is correct and for the presence of point billets.
- Tree condition- is it broken or twisted?
- Panel alignment- are they sewed on straight?
- Does the rocker match the horse's back?
- Do the panels have a sufficient flair to allow the scapula complete and unrestricted range of motion?
- Are there at least 2 fingers of clearance under the entire gullet?
- Does the rider lean to one side, mount from the ground, or use a saddle that is not made for their discipline (i.e. a jumping saddle for dressage work), or are there any other factors that will impede saddle fit?
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We then re-flock the saddle according to our templates and findings.
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After the initial re-flocking, the saddle goes back on the horse for another evaluation. When the saddle is perfectly fit to the standing horse, we have the rider ride the horse and we go back through our entire checklist while the horse is in motion. At this time, we also evaluate the saddle's fit with the rider in mind.
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After the ride, we check the sweat patterns on the horse's back for further information. If the saddle needs further touch-up, now is the time.
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We repeat steps 3-6 until the owner is happy with the fit of the saddle.
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Amanda working at Reitsport Petersen, East Germany |
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Amanda and Master Saddler
Mikael Zach-Petersen at his Saddlery Shoppe in Arensdorf, Germany |
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Amanda and Mikael
clowning around at the shoppe |
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Centaur BodyWorks' virgin wool from England |
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The bad wool. Notice how it clumps? |
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Amanda and Master Saddler Mikael Petersen working in Germany |
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