Getting a correctly fitted saddle

Saddle fitting information, terms & conditions.....

Heritage Bespoke/Custom Made Saddles are made, from scratch, to fit you and your horse perfectly. All our saddles and tack are manufactured to the highest standards in Walsall, England.

We only ever use THE best English leather and suede and all out trees are English made, wooden, spring trees, that can be altered by us as the horse changes shape.

Full nation/Europe/World wide saddle fitting service costs £50 + fuel or travel expenses.
This includes a free re-fit within first six weeks (fuel expenses not included) once saddle has "settled in" and a free "tweak" to
panel/flocking if needed. No hidden charges.

A 50% deposit (minumum 25% of this must be cash) will ba taken on the day. The balance will be payable once saddle is ready for delivery.

Saddle will usually take no longer than 2/3 weeks from fitting to be made and delivered back to you, but during busy times it may take longer.

Delivery options....£20 by courier (saddle must be paid in full prior to delivery)

If delivered by us in person: At which time the full balance (a non refundable deposit of 50% of saddle cost + fit & fuel fee is taken at time of initial fitting) is paid in cash only and all fuel expenses must be paid.

I will come out for refits, when requested, usually in around 4 weeks, to check saddles progress (my fuel expenses must be covered). If the saddle need a small alteration at this time it will be taken away for this alteration to be made free of charge and delivered back to you by courier free of charge or I can bring the saddle back in person but fuel expenses must be covered.

If you would like to proceed please call me for an appointment.

Please read Terms and conditions page for full T&C's

Kind regards,
Matthew Marlow.
The Custom Made English Saddle Co'.
Heritage Bespoke Saddles
www.heritagesaddlery.co.uk
0161 442 0354 / 07930 840 780

What Is The Correct Fit?

What we are looking for is a saddle that sits level, puts the rider in balance and does not injure the horse by being too narrow or too wide - the majority of injuries occur with saddles that are too narrow. We need our saddle to sit clear of the withers with the ideal being a clearance of two to three fingers. With correct clearance one should be able to draw an imaginary level line from the top of the pommel through the middle of the cantle. The deepest part of the seat should be directly behind the 'twist' of the saddle. This puts the rider in the correct balanced position. If the saddle is level, this is naturally where the deepest part occurs.

Too Narrow?

However if the saddle is too narrow, the pommel will be too high at the front throwing the rider's weight to the rear and putting weight and pressure through the loin area of the horse. The rider will also be unbalanced tipping forward in consequence. The panels (the soft pads under the saddle) will probably also 'bridge.' By bridging we mean that there is not full contact by the panels all along the length of the saddle onto the horse's back. This in turn distributes the rider's weight only at the front and back of the saddle creating harmful pressure points in both of these areas.

Too Wide?

The saddle that is too wide is not such a common occurrence but nevertheless is to be avoided. If the pommel sits down lower than two fingers height from the withers, the saddle will more than likely be tipped forward out of balance. A saddle that is too low at the pommel will possibly create damage to the horse's withers. You will more than likely also find that there will be a gap between the panels and the horses back under the area of the seat of the saddle, so the rider's weight yet again is not distributed through the full length of the panels onto the horse's back.

Correct Fit?

The saddle that fits correctly will sit level with two to three fingers height clearance between the pommel and the withers. This is with the rider seated and the saddle girthed up correctly. One must also make an allowance that as all of our saddle panels are stuffed with 100% pure English wool, they will settle down - possibly as much as 1/2" or thereabouts during the first couple of months, depending on the weight of the rider and the frequency and length of use. The points of the saddle should lie down the flanks of the horse and not dig into the shoulders. The panels should be in contact the whole length of the horse's back so there is no bridging.