Fitting Assessment Photos and Conformation Shots (Throw Me a Bone)

When I'm doing long-distance fitting, I require quite a bit of information from you, my customers.  Since I can't get my hands on the horse and saddle, you have to provide a lot of input and answer dozens of questions.  You also have to provide clear, informative photos so I can see the horse I'm trying to fit, the way the saddle fits the horse and the way the saddle fits the rider.

However, it's come to my attention that there without being able to see exactly the photos I require, a lot is left open to interpretation, and I sometimes get some fairly useless (though sometimes quite interesting) photos.  So in an effort to provide clear, concise guidelines, here are the photos I require ... and a sampling of the photos I don't.

First, a conformation shot of your horse.  All I need to see is the whole horse, weight on all 4 legs, on level ground, head in a normal, relaxed position (no Drama Llama photos, please!) against a fairly plain, contrasting background (no fleabitten greys against dirty snowbanks, and no dark bays against the opening of the run-in shed).

Here are some examples of useful conformation shots:

If I'm assessing saddle fit, I also need a conformation shot of your horse, but with the saddle on:

And a photo of the tree point in relation to your horse's back:

I'll also need to see the same photos, but with the rider up:

Pretty easy.  Remember that it's best to take photos outside when possible, and if the day is overcast, even better - you won't have to worry about shadows obscuring some vital bit of information.  Choose a time when your horse won't be fretting about being fed or being turned out, and when you aren't stressing about getting to work on time or getting home to help the kids with homework. If they aren't exact matches, don't worry - I can probably get the info I need from them as long as you come pretty close.

Now, here are some photos that are of absolutely no help whatsoever.  Please don't send photos like these.  Please, just ... don't.

It's a horse's back.  That's about all I can tell.

"Against a contrasting background" also means no dark bays, blacks or liver chestnuts in dark indoor arenas.

Is this horse standing downhill, is the camera tilted, or is s/he very croup-high?

The Red Menace in her "Drama Llama" guise, standing hip-shot, making her back look even more dropped than it really is.

The pommel clears the withers, but since I can't see the tree point in relation to the horse's back, I can't tell whether the tree width is correct or not.

It's a saddle.  On a horse.  With a white pad under it.  That's all I got.

Remember, all you have to do is come close.  If you send me the info I need, the saddle fitting process will be a lot less time consuming, expensive and frustrating.  And as an added bonus, your photo will never be featured in a rogue's gallery like this!

April 11-13: Saddle Fitting Course

Well, I've certainly been threatening long enough (since 2012, according to this), and it's finally come to fruition (WOOT!!).  April 11-13, 2014, I'll be teaching the long-promised saddle fitting course.  It will be held at the Pullman Farm (former location of the shop where I used to work), 969 Trumbull Hill Rd. in Shaftsbury, VT.  It will start with a meet-and-greet and course overview on Friday evening (times TBA), and will run from 9:30-4 (approximate) on Saturday and Sunday.  The course will cover all aspects of English saddle fitting including saddle types, foam vs. wool, tree types, panel modifications and the conformations they suit, equine anatomy and gait analysis as well as fit for the rider.  The course will NOT teach repairs and flocking adjustments.  Cost is $550.00, which includes lunch/snacks, tools for taking a template and all course materials.  The course is limited to 6 people, and there is a non-refundable deposit of $200 required by Jan 30, 2014 to hold your spot.  There will also be an "on deck" list in case someone drops out.  There are numerous affordable lodging and dining options within 10 miles of the farm.  If interested, please email me at pantherrunsaddlery@yahoo.com.  Looking forward to this!

Fitting from Afar

As we advance in life we learn the limits of our abilities.
Henry Ford 

Bye-Bye, UDBB

Cruised by the Ultimate Dressage bulletin board, and saw this message:


"This site is being closed under current management. It has been a long run, and there where some good times, but my mind and heart are no longer in this effort. I have not found an easy exit strategy over the years, so it will just come to shutting down, un-announced.
"If you would like to inquire about purchasing the domain name and/or forums as they existed on 4/13/2013 please contact directly.
"Mark Susol, msusol@ultimatecreativemedia.com"

Wow.  I'm completely floored.  Information, misinformation and speculation about the why and wherefore behind this are rife and easily found all over the Internet, but whatever the cause, I just find it a sad passing.  The UDBB was one of the first ways in which I became known in my own right rather than just as the shop's fitter; it introduced me to some very fine fellow fitters and more than a few customers, and helped me get the news out about my own business.

It would be nice if someone purchased the domain name and forums and continued with them.  But Mark Susol really helped me out through the UDBB (though he probably didn't know), and I really appreciate it.  I hope things turn out well for him, and that someone can help him out the way he helped me.

LONG-OVERDUE UPDATE:  I'm thrilled to say that the UDBB was resurrected shortly after it was closed.  I don't know all the ins and outs, but to whomever stepped in and took over, THANK YOU.

Whose Blog is it, Anyway?

In the hustle of trying to get Panther Run Saddlery organized, I haven't had time to add to (or even stop by and check on) this blog ... and I find I really miss it.  So I made some time today to check my stats, which I haven't done in weeks.  When I went to one of the referring sites, I found a very nice blog and a post extolling (and rightly so) the many virtues of Black Country saddles.  There was also a very nice bit about Trumbull Mtn. and "their" blog, Saddle Fitting: the Inside Journey.  

This isn't the first time I've encountered that misunderstanding, and in the past, I've usually let it slide.  But now that I'm no longer employed there or affiliated/associated with the shop in any way, "I want to make one thing perfectly clear:"  this is not their blog.  It's mine.  "All content copyright Kitt Hazelton / Panther Run."  It's right there in the footer (which I do know that few people ever read, but ...).  So I hope this will clarify things once and for all.  My blog.  Mineminemineminemine.

Ok, now that I'm done barking and peeing on trees and fence posts and scratching up the ground, let's talk about what's going on now.  I have replaced the bulk of my important saddle work tools (there are a few left to buy, but the meat-and-potatoes tools are here).  I have Albion saddles.  I have Duett saddles.  I have a couple Bliss of London saddles, and am their dealer for the northern New England area.  Loxley saddles are on order, and I'm expecting them sometime around Valentine's Day.  I'm accepting selected used saddles for consignment.  I have saddles in for repairs, and I have customers sending me templates (some of them are customers from my days at the shop, and I can't adequately express how much their loyalty and faith in me means).  I just had another article on saddle fitting published in TrailBlazer magazine, and I have to finish an article on saddle fitting for the Arabian sport horse for www.thearabiansporthorse.com.  I have the budding Panther Run Saddlery web site in the competent hands of my "web guy" (we had to move the hosting site and do some technical stuff that I'm just not confident about or capable of doing myself).  I'm busy, and things are moving ahead and looking pretty promising.  It's a crazy time, and not a particularly easy time ... but from what I understand, that's pretty much the norm for the situation.   Being a one-woman show is way different from the way I worked for 14 years, and sometimes I think I'm crazy to be doing this at my age ... but the thought of not doing it isn't something I can contemplate.  So onward and upward.