To meet today’s high standards of fit for both horse and rider, Southam Saddles provides a second to none saddle fitting service for all types of horse and pony. We adhere strictly to Society of Master Saddlers guidelines and protocols, always templating your horse at every visit and keeping those records for several years. You can be assured that the saddles we offer you will be the best for you and your horse both in terms of design and value for money.

On booking your visit from our saddle fitter we will take comprehensive details of both you and your horse. This is so we are stocked with the most suitable saddles for you to try. It may be when we visit you, that we find your horse is an unusual shape and in that case we can order a customised saddle for you.

We also provide a saddle checking service. These are mainly for those customers who have bought a saddle from us in the past, and as our saddle fitters are all also fully qualified Master Saddler Fitters,  you can be assured that they can alter your saddle on site where appropriate. Larger jobs such as a total reflock will be taken in to the workshop where we have the tools and facilities.

Bridle fitting is another service that we provide, please let us know if you’d like us to bring bridle wear and we will allocate the time during your appointment. We also stock a wide range of accessories such as numnahs, bridles, bits, stirrup leathers, stirrup irons and girths. Our qualified staff are always on hand to advise so that you make the best choice.

Qualified Saddle Fitters   

Aimee is a registered member of the Society of Master Saddlers and a qualified Master Saddle Fitter.

What To Expect During A Saddle Fitting

Having taken comprehensive details of you and your horse, our first visit will involve a full assessment of your horse both in hand and under saddle. In order to carry this out please make sure the following requirements, where possible, are met:

• Please present your horse groomed and ready to be ridden.
• Make sure that the main rider of the horse is present as a saddle needs to be suitable for both horse and rider.
• A flat level surface is available to assess your horse standing up in hand and in walk and trot.
• A safe level area to ride, ideally a riding arena.
• All riders must wear a riding hat that meets current British standards.
• Show jumps in order to assess a saddles performance over a fence if necessary.
• Your normal girth, stirrup leathers and saddle pads so can be discussed and checked for suitability with a new or existing saddle.

Once the assessment has been carried out our findings will be discussed with you as to what is required so that you and your horse’s needs are fully met.

How Often Should I Get My Horse’s Saddle Checked?

The fit and maintenance of your horse’s saddle should be seen as an ongoing commitment to their well being – just as shoeing, dental care and annual vaccinations are. To this end, we believe we should see our clients at least once or twice a year to check a saddle’s fit and more regularly if the horse is likely to change shape due to fitness levels, seasonal weight fluctuations and age. We see our job as saddle fitters as a long term commitment to you and your horse. We want to build relationships with our clients based on trust and honesty as we very much take the long view on things.

To discuss your saddles fitting needs or book an appointment please call 07780 462258 or email info@southamsaddles.co.uk

Bridle Fitting Service

As well as saddle fitting, we also provide a bridle fitting service. We can check the fit of your current bridle or bring out bridlewear and bits for you to try. It takes around 30 minutes so please let us know and we’ll build this into the appointment time. We have a good selection of bridles and bits to suit all budgets.