Saddle

Saddle Fitting

/ ponydreamer / Leave a comment

I have recently noticed that the back of Galahad’s saddle had started sliding a little side to side.  Not all the time but enough to make me think I ought to check the fit.  Especially as I also noticed that he was moulting unevenly where his saddle sits.  You can see lighter marks on his back in the pictures from our last trec competition.

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The saddler came on Friday, took one look at Galahad and said he thought he could see the problem.  Even before he saw the saddle!

He said that Galahad is a much better shape than he was when the saddle was fitted and has more of a wither.  That means he is narrower so the saddle was tipping forward and therefore lifting at the back.  Obviously,  that allowed the saddle to slip from side to side.

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I am so glad I decided on an adjustable saddle.  All we needed was to swap the extra wide gullet for a wide one and the saddle is fine again.  It was well worth the investment!

A Saddle Fitting

/ ponydreamer / 2 Comments

Galahad has needed a new saddle for a while now.  My original saddle no longer fitted him after a year of riding had bulked him out a bit so for the past eight months I have been riding in a borrowed saddle which wasn’t ideal.  The main reason for my delay in buying a new one was that I really love leather saddles but it has become obvious that we really need an adjustable one.  A leather adjustable seemed out of my price range but I was a bit reluctant to commit to a synthetic.

However, I finally visited our local saddler just after new year to book a fitting – I did really need the saddle after all.  The saddle he recommended comes in leather or synthetic and although the leather was a bit more than I had been hoping to pay it was less than I had imagined it might be and I knew I would regret it if I didn’t take it.

We had our fitting this week and although Galahad rolled his eyes at the saddler he behaved very well.  He only shied once (whipping right round when I was riding) and was even happy to have the saddle prodded and adjusted when I was on board.

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Test riding the saddle

I have ridden in it twice now and I love it already.  It is wonderful to be back in a leather saddle again.  It is beautiful, very comfortable and it creaks!  Such a lovely sound.

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