The training required for success in three disciplines means eventers typically change shape significantly through a season and throughout their careers. Ensuring the saddle fits comfortably at all times to enable them to do their best work becomes a challenge for even the most experienced of riders and fitters.
At what point do you notice that your saddle does not fit correctly and might be hampering your horse’s comfort and performance? Normally, at the point the horse is backing off or grumpy and reminding you that you should have had the saddle looked at months ago!
The biggest problem with saddle fitting is that to select or create a well-fitting saddle, the fitter needs to see the horse and offer up saddles or take measurements, which is hard to do accurately. If you live somewhere where there is no direct access to a saddle fitter, life becomes even more complicated. Pictures, flex-curve drawings, digital scans and even casts of the horse’s back are ways in which clients try to get saddles that will fit their horses. All involve time, money and a lot of effort on the part of the client and sometimes some finger-crossing guesswork by the saddle maker.
First Thought Equine Ltd, manufacturers of the WOW saddle, make their saddles like everyone else from a suite of patterns, trees and headplates. They build their saddles from digital files cut on computer controlled cutting machines so that like-for-like saddle parts are identical every time.
After three years of research and development, they have come up with a truly innovative saddle gauge (patent pending) which is used to tell you which of the 567 fitting permutations from their modular saddles is right for the horse, and whether your current specification is still correct.
Furthermore, the gauge can tell you the bearing surface size and length for your horse, and even gives an indication as to what type of girthing you would require.
Managing Director and designer of the gauge, David Kempsell, said: “Even someone non-horsey could watch the instructional video available at http://bit.ly/wowsaddlegauge and use the gauge to come up with the correct specification for their WOW saddle. This gauge, designed for use both by professional WOW saddle fitters and by riders, takes subjectivity out of the process and gives the correct balanced solution every time.”
An existing client can set the gauge to their current fitting and use it regularly to check the specification is still correct. If it shows the saddle no longer fits, then the gauge can be used to work out the changes needed. Many riders underestimate how quickly and how much their horse can change shape; this tool helps ensure the fit is correctly maintained to the benefit of the horse’s comfort, welfare and performance throughout the season.
