What an education I have received trying to find a saddle for Hammie. Yes, we do fit a wide variety of horses at Trumbull with a diverse array of fitting issues, but at home I have only had to fit Thoroughbreds and Punky who is built like an oil tank with short legs.

Hamster, or Hammie as we call him, didn’t appear that complicated. He had not been in regular work so I did expect his body to change. He had a little wither with little hollows and a very flat back. Working in a saddle shop with countless new saddles to choose from certainly has its advantages and one would think I would  be able to solve this issue quickly…NOT!  He has gained some condition and a bit of weight so things have evolved and we have tried a bazillion saddles. The good news is that Hammie is not the stoic type; he REALLY lets us know when a saddle doesn’t work for him. The bad news is he REALLY and I mean REALLY lets us know when a saddle doesn’t work for him. To compound the issue; Brady events so that means both a dressage and jump saddle if possible. It is a luxury to be able to bring saddles home and try them on him. I have done three sets of tracings since June to see how he has changed. I find it so interesting to see how work changes a horses shape. One never knows. Some horses get leaner and some bulk up as they get muscle. His back has filled in and the hollows have mostly disappeared. Hammie, like many horses was on the hoop tree cusp. In other words, he appeared to have a wither area that could work with a hoop or an A shaped tree. I have tried both types. He also has big shoulders that extend back a ways.

I have found that often, the first day of trying a different saddle is pretty good and then the second day is the killer. I think for some horses, they are so relieved when they try something different that feels better. However, if it is not the right fit, most will let you know soon enough. That is why a trial period where you can ride several times is so valuable.  One really needs to ride all three gaits and/or jump if that is what you do.  Today was Hammie’s second day in a different saddle and right away I could feel the difference in how he walked; he felt more free and his ears were forward as opposed to laying flat on his head. I also had the best canter I have had with him.  I may be on to something. It is not quite right but closer.

The other challenge for us and for others sometimes is that more than one person might ride the horse. Hammie is Brady’s horse and therefore, I want to find a saddle to fit him and he is a small rider. At this time, I am helping with Hammie; so consequently, I need to be able to fit into the saddle. Shoe horns come in handy here! I also want to feel for myself how Hammie moves with each saddle.

Lately, I have had some challenging horses to fit for customers. Many of our customers come to us because their horses are so hard to fit and we have many years of saddle fitting experience in the shop.  You may think we don’t understand the frustration or challenges but I can attest that we do. Not all horses are cookie cutter molds and it may take a fair amount of refining the search to find the right saddle for both horse and rider. What makes sense from the tracings and conformation shots may look great while the horse is standing, but may change when the horse is in motion. Or, it may work for the horse and not for the rider and vice versa. The saddle has to fit the horse first for the horse to move freely, but it also has to fit the rider for a good partnership. Think about it; if you are uncomfortable in the saddle that does fit your horse, tension will be created and you will not have your most productive or enjoyable rides.

I have had to go wider in the tree width than I would have thought and really accommodate his shoulder. While full front gussets seemed to make sense for him, he would have none of that saddle. He would just refuse to go forward…really. It reminded me of trying to put a child in a car seat that just refuses by doing his best imitation of a two by four…more work than you want to make it.  Some of you may remember those days. I tried hoop, non hoop, full front gussets, wither gussets and no gussets, synthetic, foam, wool and Cair. In reality, I just started bringing home anything just to see for the heck of it, how it would fit. It became an education unto itself.

Essentially, I have my choice of any saddle that we carry and this one horse is proving to be troublesome to fit. How does that saying go,” A cobbler is always the last one to have shoes…”?  When one is on a budget, it may take a little more patience to find the right one since you are limited within that budget. There are countless saddles with many variations in panel construction, tree shapes, options and sizes including the ones we get on consignment. I do feel we have found the right dressage saddle, finally. The flap is a bit long for Brady but at least Hammie moves freely with it. The jump saddle quest is still on. I think we are almost there but not quite.  It certainly  can be a process and hopefully, we, (and some of you), will find that “glass slipper” and go ahhhhhh!

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