Now that the days are getting longer, the weather’s warming up and the footing’s drying out here in the Great White North (which really wasn’t too white this year), everyone’s thoughts are turning to getting more time in the saddle. For some folks, it’s about gearing up for the competition season; for some, it’s about long, wandering trail rides, and for some, it’s a little of both. Whatever your focus, you may also be noticing that your saddle doesn’t seem to be fitting quite as well now as it did in the fall, and wondering if you ought to call your saddle fitter to have it checked and adjusted if necessary. And if you ARE thinking about that, my advice to you is: do it – don’t wait.
One of the calls a saddle fitter really doesn’t like to get is this: “Hi, you checked the fit of my saddle last year, and it was great then, but a couple weeks ago, I noticed a little balance issue. I’ve been using a shim pad and that makes it ok, but I have a show/clinic/ride coming up this coming weekend, so I thought I ought to have you check my saddle.”
Now, just WHY do fitters have “issues” with this seemingly straightforward, innocuous call? A couple reasons. First, many fitters (especially those who travel barn-to-barn) book appointments weeks – and sometimes months – in advance, and may not be able to accommodate you on such short notice. If that’s the case, you’ll either have to wait and continue riding with the shim pad, or see if you can find another fitter who can do the adjustment.
Second, sometimes an adjustment may not be as effective as the first ride made it seem. There are cases when the fitter may adjust something a little too much or not quite enough – I’ve done it, and so has every fitter I know. This may not make itself manifest until the saddle’s been ridden in for a few hours. If you have the adjustment done shortly before a competition or clinic, your horse may wind up cranky and uncomfortable and unable to perform well. That’s a losing proposition all the way around: your horse is hurting, and since s/he is too distracted by saddle issues to make the endeavor worthwhile, you’ve basically wasted not only money, but time and effort as well. Your horse may wind up back-sore from the experience and need some time off to heal … and that puts a dent in your riding and training schedule.
Your best course of action is to plan ahead. Rather than waiting until you’re in a crunch to have your saddle adjusted, be proactive. A lot of my customers have me come on a regular basis – along the same lines as scheduling your horse’s spring shots or farrier work. Having a fitter regularly monitor your horse’s fitting needs is a great way to correct minor concerns before they might be noticeable to you, and can keep a small glitch from becoming a major problem.
Of course, sometimes fitting issues pop up unexpectedly – a young horse may suddenly pop a wither, or your old campaigner may develop an asymmetry due to age and soundness issues. If this is the case, please don’t put off calling your fitter. Saddle fit issues not only make your horse (and you) miserable – they can result in vet and chiropractor bills as well as lost riding and training time. The sooner you can have the issue corrected, the better.