Rolex and Other Updates

ROLEX

Guess who's been asked to go to Rolex?

Yup.  Me.  WOOT!

Nikki Newcombe asked me if I'd be interested in coming down to help out at the Bliss of London / Loxley Saddles booth, and since I've never been to Rolex, I jumped at the chance.  I'll be arriving on Friday, and will be there all weekend, and I'm way, WAY excited about it!  If you're going to be there, please stop by and say hello.

UPDATE

In late January, I came down with what I thought was the garden-variety flu.  However, after a week and a half of running a fever, having chills and feeling as though I'd been beaten with a club, I developed the worst respiratory sickness I've ever had, and - the rotting cherry on top the whole miserable sundae - I lost my voice for over a month.  Long story short, I was so sick I couldn't even sit in front of the computer for more than 3 weeks, so I'm playing catch-up like a mad bastard and some of my plans have fallen flat.  Unfortunately, one of those plans was the saddle fitting clinic I'd hoped to do April 11-13 this year.  I'm rescheduling it for later in the year - probably late summer or early fall, depending on availability of the venue - and will update you all as plans develop.  If anyone has a preferred range of dates, please let me know, and I'll see what I can do to accommodate.

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!

Saddle Fitting Course - What We'll Cover

Thought you all might be interested to see a rough outline of what will be covered in the saddle fitting course April 11-13, 2014.  There will be "classroom" theory as well as hands-on work, so come prepared with horse-friendly clothes and shoes (and be prepared for mud ... or snow ... or hot, sunny weather ... or all at the same time; you never know what a Vermont April will bring).  If there's anything you'd like me to cover that isn't listed here, please let me know.

Basic overview: why saddle fitting is being noticed, why it’s important.  Two schools of thought:  UK/SMS vs. “Continental”/Forward Balance.  Why each works … or doesn’t.

  

1) What we try to accomplish when fitting a saddle.

  

2) Identify types and subtypes of English saddles:  cc (equitation, jump, xc), dressage, ap, trail/endurance

            Uses and focus of each

Fit for the rider; how seat depth, blocks, flap length/set affect fit and purpose.

3) Identify parts of the saddles

4) Identify types of panels

5) Identify types of trees (synthetic, spring, hoop/freedom head); purpose of the tree

6) Identify types of flocking, pros and cons of each.

7) Parts of the horse; identify major muscle groups 

8) Why correct fit is important. See #1.How conformation effects fit.  Different conformation challenges (big withers, croup-high, broad back, etc.) and which fitting options work best for each. 

9) Where the saddle should sit, why proper placement is important.  

10) Discuss how to check for back soreness; basics of how to evaluate movement.

11)    Checking static saddle fit – 7 Points including billet placement.  Cover finding rear edge of scapula and T18.

12)    Checking active fit

A)    Cantle pop

B)    Lateral roll

C)    Pad slip

D)    Watch horse and rider – ultimately, it’s up to them.

13)    Taking a template

14)    Taking a conformation photo 

15)    Gadgets:  Port Lewis impression pad, casts, correction pads, pressure pads, etc.

Q&A sessions at lunch and end of each day.

Where's the Horse?

I was reading through the Chronicle of the Horse's 75th Anniversary issue (yes, I'm a month behind on my magazine reading, as usual) and came across a saddle ad. This ad is for a saddle that we used to sell back in the long-ago; the quality of the leather is lovely, the saddles are very pretty, and they're quite haute couture as far as saddles go.  The ad  reads:  "Your horse can do amazing things when he is free to be himself."  It goes on to list all the amazing things your horse can do ... until you're in the saddle.  "You must be perfectly balanced so your horse is free to be his incredible, athletic horsey self."  Advertised saddle, of course, will accomplish that task.  "We start by finding the right seat for your center of balance.  Then, just like our bridles, we finish it off with full grain leather that feels like butter, and extraordinary attention to detail."

And not one sentence - hell, not one word - about the horse.  So I went to the web site, thinking I might find more info about fit for the horse there.  Hmm.  On the home page, it says, "Most saddle makers concern themselves with fitting the horse.  We believe that's not enough!"

That led me to believe I might find more about fitting the horse somewhere on the site,  Fitting the horse might not be "enough," but it's something ... right?  So I went to the "saddles" section.  And I found out that they offer different seat sizes/depths and flap lengths/sets ... and medium and wide trees.  So I clicked on their "Saddle Fitting" chart, thinking that might have some info on fitting the horse ... and again, found lots of info on flaps and seats, and medium or wide trees.  Finally, down at the bottom of that page, I found a link to "saddle purchase form".  That must have something about fitting the horse ... right?

Wrong.  It shows a silhouette of a person and where to take the measurements needed to fit the rider.  You enter your height and weight, and you choose the model of saddle you want to purchase ... but it doesn't say jack-all about fitting the horse.  Not even tree width.  There is a little space at the bottom of the form for "Additional Comments", so I guess you could put something there.

Now, as I said, these saddles are lovely pieces of work, and do fit some horses very well.  And yes, fit for the rider is of great importance ... but if tree width is all that's considered for the other half of the team, that's only part of the picture.  I'm straining my middle-aged memory regarding any horse-fitting options that may have been offered on these saddles back when we carried them, and I can't recall any.  They might have had some ... and they still might.  But if so, wouldn't you think they'd say something about it in their ads, or at least on their web site?  For all of their lovely leather and craftsmanship, these saddles are, to my mind, along the lines of the changeable-gullet and adjustable tree saddles:  they only address one of the horse's fitting needs, and that just isn't enough.

Great Expectations

Given the present state of the economy (can you tell that's been on my mind quite a bit?), a lot of folks are finding their "discretionary income" either severely minimized or almost non-existent.  So understandably, used saddles - always popular - have become even moreso in the last few years.

We check our used and consignment saddles very thoroughly when they come in (along the lines explained in this post) to make sure they're "serviceably sound for intended use" (as my vet used to say when doing a prepurchase on a horse); we note any cosmetic issues the saddles may have, and rate their condition anywhere from "fair" to "excellent/demo".  Lately, though, we've had a few people who didn't quite seem to know what to expect from a used saddle ... so I thought I'd clarify.

1)  IT WILL SHOW SIGNS OF USE.  Unless you're lucky enough to find a second-hand saddle that's only had a few rides (which does happen from time to time), you will see "used saddle" marks.  These can range from slight rub marks from the stirrup leathers and buckle marks on the billets (for the "excellent/demo" designation) to curled jockeys, faded dye, dings, nicks, wrinkles, tooth marks, scratches and scrapes (for the "fair" designation).

2)  IT MAY SHOW SIGNS OF FORMER OWNERSHIP.  These include things like a cantle plate (or holes in the cantle where one used to be) or a name or number engraved on the stirrup bar or stamped/burned into the sweat flap.  These things don't affect the fit, usefulness or condition of the saddle, but be aware that your saddle may be adorned with something like "Wind Hill Andalusians" or "Cindy Lou Smith 123-456-7890" somewhere.

3)  IT MAY SHOW SIGNS OF WORK OR REPAIR.  These signs are sometimes fairly subtle:  a well-used saddle may have spandy-new billets or shiny new falldown staples or saddle nails. Some saddles may have mismatched saddle nails, saddle plates or notations stamped into the sweat flap - both are common signs that the tree has been altered at some point (though just how it's been altered may be unearthed only by taking the saddle apart, since some saddlers will note their work on the tree).  It may have extra dee rings or a crupper bar, or the billet configuration may have been altered.

4)  THE FLOCKING WILL PROBABLY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED.  I don't touch the flocking on consignment saddles unless the consignor requests it, or unless it's so flat/hard/overflocked that it won't realistically fit anything (and then, I check with the consignor before I make adjustments).  I've had people say, "Well, the tree width and everything else looks good, but it's sitting so low ..." When I say that the issue can be corrected with flocking, I'm often told, "But this is a used saddle - that should already have been done!"  I explain to the customer that it probably has been done, but it will need to have the flocking adjusted to their horse ... just as a new saddle would.

5)  REPAIRS WILL NEED TO BE MADE AT SOME POINT.  "Used" saddle.  Think about that.  It's like "used" car ... sooner or later, some part is going to go and will need to be repaired or replaced.  With saddles, thankfully, there aren't as many parts to go blooey, and repair/replacement probably won't be quite as expensive ... but yes, you'll need to have the billets replaced at some point, and - as stated above - the flocking will need to be maintained.  Other minor issues may need attention:  a stirrup leather keeper may need to be repaired or replaced, a dee ring may need to be replaced or a line of stitching may need to be re-sewn.  If that's the case, you can price these repairs with your saddler / saddle fitter, and use that info if you'd like to negotiate on the price.

6)  IT WILL BE BROKEN IN.  IN SOME CASES, VERY BROKEN IN.  One of my best and favorite clients, who's Huntsman for a local hunt, brought in her rode-hard-but-never-put-away-wet saddle for consignment.  It showed that it had been used a lot:  the leather was soft and supple, there were dark marks on the flaps from the leathers, the jockeys had molded to the shape of the stirrup leather buckle, and there were dark marks from the breast plate straps by the front dees.  But was it clean?  Immaculate.  Was the flock in good condition?  Definitely.  Were there any dings?  A very few, but nothing glaring.  Was the saddle "serviceably sound for intended use?  Unquestionably.  The customer who bought it was thrilled to find this saddle, and realized that, in spite of the cosmetics, she'd gotten a saddle that will last for years and years to come.

UPSIDE

If you're ok with a saddle that has Issues 1-6, you'll find that there are major upsides to used saddles as well.  First is price.  While high quality used saddles hole their value very well (remember, new saddle prices almost never go down), you'll usually save hundreds of dollars if you're willing to go with a used saddle. And many sellers/consignors are quite motivated to move their saddle and are willing to consider reasonable offers. (And note that I said "reasonable".  Making an offer that amounts to 40% or 50% of the asking price may shut the seller down entirely.  While getting a deal is always fun, stop and think of what you would reasonably take for the saddle if the tables were turned before you low-ball someone and perhaps lose your shot at a saddle you really want.)

Second good thing is availability.  There are tons of used saddles out there.  If you Google your specific requirements, you'll get a LOT of results - "used Black Country saddles" yielded 523,000 results; "used Albion jump saddles" offered 334,000 results, and "used Lovatt and Ricketts dressage saddles" coughed up 309,000 results.  Of course, you need to exercise due diligence if you're buying from someone other than a reputable tack shop, and hopefully you can either try the saddle before you buy it or at least return it if it proves unsuitable for some reason, but I've found that most people are quite reasonable to work with.  And if they're not, well ... take a look at those numbers again; chances are someone else has the same saddle that Mr./Ms. My-Way-or-the-Highway has ...  Even if you have a horse with some exacting fitting requirements, chances are pretty good you can find the right saddle if you put enough effort into the search.  Of course, if you need a saddle right this moment - and a very specific saddle at that - this option might not work for you; you might not find "the" saddle in a week or maybe even a month.  Or two months.  But if you can invest the time, trust me:  it's out there.

Interpreting the Template Revisited

Long-distance fitting requires a fitter to rely heavily on the use of the template.  How each fitter interprets the template, however, can vary.  Case in point:  we received this tracing a while back:

The fitter who sent it noted that the horse needed a narrow or medium-narrow tree.  To my eye - and according to the templates we use - the horse was on the wider side of medium.  I sat for a few moments and compared the different templates to the tracing, trying to see how the fitter had come up with medium-narrow to narrow when I was seeing a generous medium.  And after a little thought, I figured it out.

Here's the angle I measured to determine tree width:

Here's the angle the other fitter was using:

Here's the difference:

The original fitter was measuring the width too high - too close to the spine - and basing the tree width on the atrophied muscle.  Obviously, a saddle that fit based on that criteria would have been too narrow, and would have made the atrophy worse.  The assessment I made was based on the muscle that ought to be there (and that would be there with the help of a properly-fitting saddle), with an eye toward getting the frame of the saddle correct and "filling in the dips" with a modified panel - in this case, a wither gusset and a K panel to increase the bearing surface down the mare's quite prominent wither.  We ordered a saddle with a "medium +" width - wider than a medium but not quite a medium-wide - because the owner wanted to use a sheepskin half pad for a little extra cushion, and to make up some of the width.  The saddle fit the mare really well, and it came back to me about 8 weeks later for its first flocking adjustment.  At that point, the owner no longer needed to use the sheepskin half pad to make the saddle fit well.  And - happy ending - about 6 months after that, the mare had developed so much muscle that we had to send the saddle out to have the tree widened.  The mare's going great guns, and the owner is thrilled.