Services

A complete saddle buying, fitting and advice service

Our team of Society of Master Saddlers Qualified Saddle Fitters provide a complete saddle buying, fitting and advice service available to clients across the whole of the South West. Appointments are available at your yard or at our superb purpose-built facilities, near Exeter.

Our services include:

Complete saddle fitting for new and existing saddles
Flocking alterations as part of a consultation appointment
Saddle stockist – we stock a large number from leading manufacturers
Bespoke/made to measure saddles manufactured to your specifications
Leather repairs and alterations – onsite
Complete reflock as required
Accessories available to complement your saddle

Our team also offer a mobile appointment service at your yard – across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. A discount is available for five or more saddle fittings or checks, booked on the same day, at the same yard – please get in touch for more information.

Saddles

We stock many saddles from carefully selected manufacturers, for a range of budgets.

As well as making sure your saddle is the best possible fit for you and your horse, many of the saddles can be customised to your liking – whether that’s by adding a splash of colour, a special finish to the leather or other accessories.

Saddle Fitting

When you buy a new saddle from us, this includes a complete saddle fitting service to make sure it is the best possible fit for you and your horse. This includes liaising with your vet, physiotherapist or other equine professional, if needed.

After your appointment has been confirmed and the pre-appointment information received, your saddle fitter will select a number of saddles they deem to be most suitable based on rider and horse information.

At your appointment, your saddle fitter will typically:

Assess your horse and the rider and examine the saddle area
Complete a template of your horse’s back profile, which we keep on record and refer to at subsequent appointments, so we can monitor how your horse develops and changes shape
Statically assess several different saddles and determine the ones most suitable
Assess the horse ridden at all paces in the selected saddles and advise the most suitable saddle for both horse and rider
Discuss any future recommendations with you

You’ll also have an initial 20-hour-riding check when you purchase a new saddle from us. After this number of hours of riding, saddles have ‘bedded in’ and some adjustments might be needed – particularly flocking alterations.

Saddle Checks

We can check all makes of saddles regardless of whether they were bought from us or not.

We recommended that you should have your saddle checked every 6-12 months unless advised otherwise by your saddle fitter. It’s important to keep an eye on the shape of your horse and get a check if things change – for example if your horse is doing more or less exercise, has changed its eating habits etc.

The process is very similar to a saddle fitting. At an existing saddle check appointment your saddle fitter will typically:

Assess the horse and rider and examine the horses saddle area.
Discuss any changes in the time we saw you last and discuss any issues with your saddle

Complete a template of your horse’s back profile and compare to previous templates
Assess the fit of your current saddle and advise any alterations required
Carry out any flocking alterations needed and/or change gullet bars if required.
Assess the horse ridden at all paces
Discuss any future recommendations with you

Leather Repairs and Alterations

If your tack needs any adjustments or repairs – including the stitching – please get in touch with us to find out more.

Flocking Service

The flocking in your saddle will compact over time with use which can create uneven surface barring and can cause some discomfort for your horse.

As part of your saddle check appointment, our fitters will add or remove saddle flocking. The saddle will then be re-checked to make sure that the right amount has been used to ensure the correct fit.

Regular checks of saddle flocking are important to ensure that the spread of weight is even along your horse’s back. You do not want it to be thin, lumpy, uneven or hard.

Our fitters can also do a complete reflock, if required.