KEN'S COLUMN - the experiences and thoughts of a Saddle Fitter
This month: I told you so
I hate to say I told you so but – even before Christmas – I was getting telephone calls about presents that had already gone wrong. Someone who had had a new saddle fitted for his wife’s horse - and then discovered she had decided to sell that horse and buy something much smaller. Someone who had bought a saddle in Spain ‘because it was so reasonable’ before her Pony Club daughter had the chance to describe it as ‘rubbish’. The child was right - and I couldn’t help with that one!
Anyway, a new year and a new beginning and horse owners are already gearing up for competition. I would like to suggest that this year owners aim to save money! ‘Y..E..S’ I hear everyone chorusing. The response may not be so vocal when I suggest some of the ways this might be done!
I cannot tell you the number of times I have visited yards where at least one gate has dropped on its hinges – sometimes to the extent of hanging off just one. Frequently the gate concerned is itself in excellent condition but all too often the hinges continue to go untended. Eventually the gate has to be lifted manually and dragged through mud or across a hard surface. Inevitably it is soon damaged to the extent it is cheaper to replace than to repair. A waste of money and materials.
Another waste of money that I see so many times, even in the most professionally managed yards: buckets left filling under a running tap whilst other yard chores are carried out. How often do the buckets fill and then overflow, sometimes for a considerable time? When the water supply is metered, the wastage will reflect very badly on the bill. In any event, it is a terrible waste of what is becoming an increasingly precious commodity. Whilst on this subject - dripping taps abound! If this was a home situation, it wouldn’t happen yet, in yards, taps are left dripping - sometimes for months on end - either because the washer needs replacing or the tap itself is worn beyond redemption.
Then I see good quality head collars lying on the ground – sometimes in wet and muddy conditions. Rugs that need minor repairs but are used in damaged condition until they tear badly and have to be replaced. Hay nets that are discarded simply because the drawstring is frayed or broken and nobody can be bothered to replace it. Maybe considered separately, such wastages may seem trivial but the chances are that almost every yard has its own collection that total up to something quite substantial.
Not surprisingly, I see a huge amount of waste relating to saddles. There are those that have to be repaired because of the damage suffered when they fell from a stable door or similarly precarious position. Cantles scraped badly where they’ve been leant against a rough wall. Saddles where the leather has dried out because they simply haven’t been looked after properly or they’ve been stored close to direct sunlight or adjacent to artificial heating. I could offer dozens more examples in similar categories!
Then, of course, there is the money wasted in sorting out equine back problems. I say wasted because so often the ‘problem’ has been created by the horse owner’s failure to have saddle fitting checks carried out regularly. Of equal concern are the numbers of ‘equine bad backs’ caused directly by the rider. If the rider sits to the left, the saddle will move to the left – with obvious unwanted consequences. If the rider falls behind the movement, the horse will develop pressure points under the back of the saddle. If the rider falls onto the fork, the horse is likely to develop pinch pressure points in the wither area – and may also suffer ‘bang ..bang’ bruising under the back of the saddle These are just examples that can be multiplied many times over. A saddle with inherent manufacturing deficiencies is likely to reflect badly on both the rider and the horse. However beautifully crafted, a saddle that doesn’t fit well will damage the horse. By the same token, deficiencies in the rider’s position are likely to have adverse influence on the position of the saddle and thereby the horse. Horse – rider – saddle- each has direct influence on the others.
Most owners are keeping their horses on fairly strict budgets. A top-up surely wouldn’t come amiss – and with thought, it’s within grasp.
KEN LYNDON DYKES is a Society of Master Saddlers’ Qualified Saddle Fitter who specialises in fitting competition and problem horses. He is available to give demonstrations and talks and has recently added after dinner speaking on a wide variety of subjects to his repertoire. Telephone: 01622 844440 (office) or 07973 501873 (mobile).
