Stocker Saddlery Services

06/07/2024

Immy and Elsa our sponsers looking fab in their gilets 🤩

06/07/2024

Introducing Stocker Saddlerys sponsers!

We are Immy and Elsa, we are 13 and 15 years old and have been riding pretty much our whole lives. Between us and our parents we have 5horses. Mum competes in dressage and dad enjoys trail hunting with Elsa. I (Immy) am bringing on the family homebred, Somni and although I am not too keen on competing I enjoy riding him very much. Elsa and Yana on the other hand really love competing and jumping is their forte. Our plans for the future is to have lots of fun and mum and Zeus enjoy their elementary freestyle to music, Elsa aiming for the pc sj champs at the end of August and myself and dad enjoying our homebreds! Alivia has meticulously checked all 5 of our family horses saddles to ensure they fit perfectly so we can go on lots of adventures knowing our horses are happy and comfortable 😊

20/06/2024

What a difference🤩

This is why saddle fitters are so important. This is Wonk who back in March presented with atrophy (muscle wastage) in his trapezius region (behind the scapula) and if you have a good eye you can see the size difference between the two shoulders! In this case Wonks bigger left shoulder had more muscle wastage as well as down the left side of his back. This was causing slippage to the left.
So what did we do?
Overall his new saddle was a good fit but just needed some remedial adjustments to allow him to build up that muscle on the left side (the last thing you want to do with a horse presenting with atrophy is fit the saddle to the atrophy! You want to fit the saddle to where the muscle will be) to do this we used a prolite half pad with shims. The shims mimick where the muscle should be therefore allowing him to develop in those areas and eventually the shims can be removed.

Wonk has regular physio and does lots of straight line hacking and hill work to target those areas, he still has a little way to go but results speak for themselves ☺️


Get in touch to book your saddle fit consultation covering Sussex/Surrey/Hampshire
07375949640
[email protected]

10/06/2024

Using this old saddle as a good example of what you don’t want to see in your saddles! Old synthetic flocking which had become solid and lumpy (not nice for the horses back at all!)

Panels are a huge part in shock absorption so if you have poor quality panels (especially if they have become too firm or over flocked) this can cause a lot of problems for your horse.

Saddles will need to be re flocked around every 2 years to ensure proper panel and flock quality. There are various types of panel fillings and the quality can vary massively such as; foam, flair, cair, flock.

Types of flock:
- Jacobs wool the most common(long fibre, soft, good quality,natural)
- Synthetic (not good quality, blue colour as seen in the video, quick to ball up and cause lumps)
- Siliconised (used more commonly now, seen in other industries such as stuffed toys and also used in the medical industry, for example in hospital beds etc so it can be argued this does have a lot of research to ensure proper comfort and therapeutic properties for people, so therefore is also a good option for the comfort of the horse! However this is obviously not a traditional choice of panel filling so can sometimes be dismissed!

How do you know when a saddle is due flocking adjustments?
-ideally your saddle fit should be checked at least every 6 months. Horses can change shape a lot throughout the year which can change the fit of your saddle and it will most likely need some sort of adjustment!
- panels that feel too firm/soft
- over flocked/under flocked
- use your hands to feel over the panels for any lumps or hollows
- Its been over 2 years since your saddle was last flocked
- Changes in your horse’s performance or behaviour
- Changes in how the saddle fits and feels compared to normal
- Having a full re flock also means the saddler can check your saddle tree for any damage internally.

22/05/2024

Ensuring your horse's comfort and well-being while riding is essential for any responsible horse owner. Saddle fitting plays a crucial role in safeguarding your horse from potential discomfort or injury caused by ill-fitting tack. By learning how to spot signs of poor saddle fit and maintaining regu...

08/05/2024

💥💥💥CONGRATULATIONS 💥💥💥

💥💥Alivia Stocker!!💥💥

Alivia has PASSED her Lantra Accredited Stage 3 Professional Saddle Fitting Course and the Stage 4 Flocking, Repairs and Adjustments Course.

Alivia attended equine college and has always been keen to pursue a career in saddle fitting, although she struggled to find a route into the industry.
Alivia’s experience ranges from becoming a freelance groom upon leaving college, to running her own livery yard from home. She currently owns 4 of her own horses and she passionately backs, produces and sells horses to fantastic homes. Alivia keeps in touch with the new owners to track the progress and finds this incredibly rewarding work.
Alivia quickly realised with a high number of young horses in her care that professional saddle fitting knowledge was a must! She is aware that with horses of all shapes, sizes and levels the most important thing is their comfort to make being ridden a good experience and is mindful that the combination of horse saddle and rider all need to be working in harmony for the best possible outcome. Alivia is based in an area that has high demand for saddle fitters and she thoroughly enjoys the problem solving element whilst meeting new people and horses.
When asked about the course’s that she has undertaken with the International Academy of Saddle Fitters (IASF) she says……

“The IASF have been absolutely fantastic, they have managed to provide an extremely well researched and modern way of saddle fit education which I feel was really missing from the industry.
I can now apply this knowledge and educate clients on the importance of saddle fit for both horse and rider.”

It has been lovely working with you Alivia and we hope to see you at many more future events. You have worked incredibly hard to gain your awards. We wish you and your horses the very best of luck for the future! 🥂

Alivia Stocker
Saddle-academy.com

02/05/2024

I will be offering 50% off saddle fit consultations until the end of June limited availability so get booked in!

🤩Exiting opportunity for the 2024 season🤩

Over the next few weeks I will be on the search for a sponsered rider!
Benefits include:
- 3 totally free saddle fit consultations per year.
- Company merchandise to promote the business when your out and about.
- Discounted rates for 2 friends of your choice on all services.
I will be considering candidates that are; Regularly out and about with their horses✅ Competing regularly ✅ Have a good media platform ✅

So all that being said, message me with plenty of photos and information about you and your horse(s) and I look forward to hearing from you! ☺️

Many thanks,
Livi

30/04/2024

Providing Saddle fit and adjustment services covering Sussex/Surrey/Hampshire.

Are you and your horse in need of a saddle fit consultation or saddle adjustments?
Here are some signs that you are!

- Behaviour changes in your horse which is a clear sign of discomfort from saddle fit this can presented as: Tail swishing, ear pinning, negative reaction towards tack, nappy and reluctant behaviour. These are just a few behaviours that your horse could be telling you they are unhappy!
- Saddle slippage / instability / lifting / tipping forwards or back
- Saddle panels that are : Uneven / too firm or soft / lumpy
- Your horse has changed shape (gained or lost condition, especially after a change in seasons!)
- A saddle with flocked panels will need to be reflocked every 2 years.

Qualified Level 4 Saddle fitter

Contact Details:
07375949640
[email protected]

08/12/2023

06/07/2023

Little and very large 🤣

01/06/2023

Hard life for the horses at Longmead (Not)!😴🤣

12/05/2023

Just a couple newbies on the yard all lovely types with the temperaments to match 😍

19/02/2023

Field’s all harrowed and the winter bog has finally gone😁🚜

04/02/2023

Spring is finally on its way!!🌈🌤

04/12/2022

All this field yet they still gather in one corner! Lucky horses 🙄

26/11/2022

Been super busy the last few weeks getting the rest of the stables up its all really starting to come together now and soon to be a full yard of horses! All very exiting☺️