What happens during a fitting?

Every fitting starts with your horse. I look at anatomy, posture, movement and any areas of sensitivity before we even put the saddle on.

From there, I assess the horse, saddle and rider together, both standing and in motion. I look at how the saddle sits and functions, how your horse moves underneath it and how everything works for you as the rider.

I also look at the whole setup, including your pad, cinch or girth, breast collar and rear cinch when applicable. Saddle fit is about more than the saddle alone, and sometimes a small change to the setup can make a big difference.

If we’re evaluating your current saddle, we’ll determine what is working and whether anything could be improved. Depending on the saddle, that may include spot flocking, changing the gullet, adjusting risers or making changes to your tack setup.

If you’re looking for a new saddle, the same assessment guides which saddles from my demo inventory we trial. From there, we look at how each option works for your horse, you as the rider and your complete setup, both standing and in motion.

My goal is simple: figure out what is working, what isn’t, and what we can do about it.

If your horse shows significant lameness, acute pain or open wounds that prevent a proper assessment, the fitting may need to be postponed.