Ethical Saddle Fittings

22/08/2024

Goodbye landy & love to all 🤍🦊

07/01/2024

Hi all, what’s on my mind then ay?

I appreciate you haven’t heard from us since our update last year. We were supposed to have some dates in the diary for January. However, those who know me as friend as well as fitter will be aware I lost my horse shockingly and suddenly just before Christmas. We are concluding it was likely an aneurysm in the night. We had spent the day before having our best schooling canter to date, I still can’t believe what has happened and was obviously horrified to find her not even 24 hours later. I am completely heart broken and still feeling very lost.

While I am flattered by the flood of messages from new clients and sad to let loyal clients and friends down - I am just not ready. I saddle fit with care and love, the time I spend checking your horse in my assessments is mainly reading them and getting to know them, and I feel unable to deliver my services with that much energy at this time.

I have capacity only for the rest of my herd, looking after them is about all I can manage at the moment. I will get there, but I completely understand your horses are unlikely to be able to wait. Therefore, I’d love to refer all of those open to the same style of ethical services and care given by, the man who tutored me, Norman Hyett. The only other fitter I’d ever recommend. Like myself, you won’t be purchasing a brand new saddle from him and he won’t push a sale for commission. I have more than confidence you’ll all love him as much as I do, even if he tells you off for our pet peeves!

Independant Saddle Fitter Norman Hyett ECBS, ESEBT

He talks sense about the fitting requirements of a horse; he doesn't just think about what's needed for the here and now, but for the future of the horse (especially muscle build-up) and how that can be achieved for the owner with as little cost incurred as possible but still upholding the highest standard of welfare for the horse. He is an independent fitter with a keen eye for detail (symmetry, twists etc. in saddles) and an inquisitive mind which means that he regularly rips apart saddles to see the quality of what's inside; some of his sights/stories are spine chilling to any horse owner.

Norman is also a Bowen Therapist.
Initially, he trained as a human Bowen Therapist, and then moved to equine Bowen therapy. He currently specialises in treating the horse and rider, with excellent results.

Part of Norman's treatment involves checking the current saddle and offering advice on how to rectify any problems that it may be causing the horse and rider.

Thanks all, I hope to be back soon.
A photo of my wonderful mare and I, because everyone should see how awesome she was.

06/12/2023

While I am off sick, I still feel I must share this post as I know so many other Equestrian Professionals are feeling the same struggle I have while running our own businesses.

As you all now know we are officially on weekend hours only (none at the moment while I’m coughing and sneezing though!) and while I absolutely loved spending my working week meeting new clients, life priorities change and moving forward I look with excitement at visiting my regular clients on the weekends♥️

Zone days may be more important in the new year, but for now, I’m considering my December struck out with getting over this illness and then enjoying my first christmas (EVER) not working!

Take care x

With a heavy heart and effective as of December 15th I will no longer be offering my services to new clients, or clients that want me back after moving their custom elsewhere for the next best thing.

After 15 years I am now struggling to compete with the sheer amount of freelancers locally who are managing to offer the same services at a fraction of the price, I am losing customers every week.

I always wanted to be the best, the best plaiter, the best clipper, the best competition groom etc and I very nearly got there, but after a couple of years of having to fight to be heard and situations out of my control,I am now losing the spark for what was once my passion.

My family and I have not had an easy year and with losses, changes and sheer lack of time I am just not willing to sacrifice any more of myself for people who don’t appreciate how hard I work, or what it takes to run a household, a business, raise a family and keep my head above the water financially, mentally and physically.

I am so lucky to be left with under a handful of wonderful clients who I appreciate and know the feeling is mutual.

I appreciate the genuine support from fellow grooms, clients and horse owners over the last few years, I’ve truly worked hard to get where I am today but I feel now is the time to say goodbye before it gets any harder.

Take care all, it’s tough out there!
J x

08/11/2023

Lots of weekends getting quite booked up in the run up to Christmas.
Secure your saddle fitting appointment by popping us a message for ASAP appointments or drop your local village in the comments so I can get together an area day for the new year! 🌟

01/11/2023

Well.. this saddle DOES NOT FIT🫣😉

We guess this rider didn’t have her double neck strap!

07/10/2023

So pleased for this pair ###

Gaelic Surprise blowing expectations out of the window. I had to work very hard and felt like a pony clubber kicking round the test. Yet again she didn't put a hoof wrong and behaved impeccably. Just a bit lazy today. For a 70.513% Elementary Silver Freestyle with one judge having us on 74.3! To finish 10th out of a class of 27.

I am beyond thrilled with her as she's such a tricky lady and we never intended to qualify or contend the Summer Area Festival Championships.

Huge thank you to the fabulous team behind me who without I wouldn't have any success. From our fabulous farrier, to the body work team of Back2It Chiropractic, 4 Motion Veterinary Physiotherapy, Neill Saunders, Rachael Mason ESMT working all year round to keep her feeling great. To our saddlers Saddle Kind and Ethical Saddle Fittings. To my fabulous instructors Becki and Marie. To the fabulous family and friends for playing groom, driver, and those who stayed behind to look at the herd ###

05/10/2023

⛰️ We’re off to the for a long weekend ⛰️

I’ve had a lovely and busy week with you all & am ready for a romantic camping weekend in the lake district with man & dog😂
🗓️See you all on Monday for those appointments & message replies will be on Monday morning or Tuesday 🗓️

☀️ Have a great weekend everyone!☀️

05/10/2023

📣 FINAL WEEKDAY APPOINTMENT DATE & (rough) TIMES 📣 UPDATE: 8:30 NOW TAKEN.

🌱 & There we have it! All weekdays fully booked bar this date. The timings are flexible so pop is a message to get booked on. 🌱

📍After this date Ethical Saddle Fittings will be organising our appointments in advance zone days to reduce driving footprint, keep call outs low through sharing and make sure we’re getting as many horses comfortable as we can on our limited working days. We aim to do 2 weekend days a month in areas that have shown demand so definitely do get in touch. 📍

🗓️ We’ve got a feeling a Malborough/Pewsey visit will be due first so if you’re in that area and would like an assessment from us, get in touch ASAP. Also looking at a Chippenham/Calne date for November. 🗓️

Loyal clients please do not worry, our priority is getting your saddles checked so always message so we can prioritise a time to get you sorted.
🫶🏻 MJ, ESF 🌱

05/10/2023

On behalf of a client.
Looking for a Saddle Company 16.5inch GP or alike but no Dressage or pure Jump.
Brown preferred but black will be considered. Need photos of the back, side and front.
Point Strap will be a bonus but not necessary for sale.
Close contact preferred.
Suede considered.

Pictures below of something tried on and liked.
(Just too wide and not for sale as it’s mine!)

16.5 inch has NO EXCEPTIONS (seat & panel must align)

03/10/2023

We were out today in some bright sunshine near Devizes… but have unfortunately been crashed into! Blind bend, sun blind, going too fast van on a narrow lane. Luckily, the Landrover protects me at all costs, even when a van lands on it, and I am fine at the moment.

Clients with appointments this week will be receiving an update tomorrow about rescheduling if we cannot honour them due to this accident.

Please drive safe, winter is coming and the sun is literally blinding apparently.
###

28/09/2023

Brilliant post - Please read the caption as well as look at the photos though.

20/09/2023

🫶🏻 We love receiving clients photos out and about! Julie & Finn are modelling their S-Series, fitted by us, over some fences like pros. Julie has a fabulous partnership with Finn and an outstanding attitude when it comes to his comfort. I can’t wait to see what they achieve in the next season. 🫶🏻
-

20/09/2023

COLLECTION TO COMBAT KISSING SPINES

Kissing spines seems to be the lameness du jour these days. I’ve seen a bunch of posts and articles on the subject lately. Here are a couple of my observations. Nobody in those posts talks about training proper collection by engagement of the hindquarters. Most only mention lowering the head/neck. The thoracic sling is not, does not, and can not lift up the front end of the horse. That’s the job of the hindquarters.

13/09/2023

📣 Important Changes within Ethical Saddle Fittings

We have been wanting to share some relatively huge updates regarding our business hours and booking process. The last two weeks we have been working tirelessly to get our future plans in motion & have been absolutely manic - so thank you to all those who have been patient with us.

📣 At Ethical Saddle Fittings, we've always been committed to our principles, and to continue providing you with top-quality service, we've had to make some changes to stay in line with our core values & financially support ourselves harmoniously.

🕒 Starting from October 14th 2023, our business hours will be limited to evenings, weekends, and bank holidays. We understand that this may be an adjustment for some, but we believe this change will allow us to focus on our commitment to ethical practices and manage our financial side more viably.

Additionally, we will no longer offer online booking. Instead, you can easily make appointments by visiting the "Contact Us" page on our website or by sending us a direct message.

We are truly grateful for your support and loyalty over the years. By making these changes, we are ensuring that we can continue to uphold our promise of never selling saddles for commission. This decision allows us to keep our prices affordable for our cherished clients. Horse welfare must come first, always.

We look forward to spending our weekends with your beloved horses and providing you with the sensitive service you've come to expect from Ethical Saddle Fittings. Thank you for understanding and supporting us in this transition.

If you have any questions or wish to schedule an appointment, please don't hesitate to reach out through our website or direct message. 📧

Warm regards,
MJ
Ethical Saddle Fittings Team 🐎

30/08/2023

These photos are the ones I’m referencing during my ridden assessments, so clients, this is what we’re talking about. Please note stirrups can massive effect the COG and therefore balance of the rider and saddle. So please assess yourselves with and without stirrups, much like we do in the first stage of ridden assessments with ESF.
x

Training our eyes, things to consider when it comes to rider posture and saddle fit...

So these are not the best images but I was struggling to find one that wasn't blurry when I zoomed in/finding one perfectly side on but I think these show clear examples of why it's important to choose the correct saddle for both yourself and your horse.

We talk about wanting that head shoulder hip heel alignment but I think it's important to understand that some saddles make that virtually impossible - especially with how the stirrup bars are placed, some are just too far forward.

The saddle in the first photo does not fit the horse, it's tilting the rider backwards for a start which won't be comfortable for the horse and may lead to atrophy but even saddles that " fit " can put the rider in this position, we call it the chair position. There is a list of things this will effect including the horses balance, effect his whole way of going and will also make the rider fall back in the rising trot.

I say if we are following the horses movement we are behind that movement when we should be riding together as one.

26/08/2023

Guest blog for us.
Are you an equine professional who would like to share your knowledge and increase your audience reach and web traffic? Why not guest blog for us. We welcome blog posts about any subject, or just tell us about your business and what you do. We require a minimum of 300 words and 2 images. Never blogged before? not a problem, you can send us your article and we will format it for you. send any blog posts to [email protected] or contact us for more info.

07/08/2023

Morning all!
I’m out of office this week! Booked appointments for mid August are my priority on return.

We have grabbed a brilliant deal at Pardlestone Farm. I will be spending time with family but mostly the dog😂 In the day my mother and I shall be exploring the Quanttock Hills with two of my herd (Eric and Yogi). What a dream… it’s going to be a very wholesome and emotional trip taking my first horse & my ‘heart horse’ on holiday.

Some of you already follow my little herd on social media, but incase you haven’t found us and fancied being social - ahorsecalledyogi on Facebook & Instagram.

All love & enjoy the sun we have this morning! ☀️
MJ
xx

26/07/2023

👏

Discussing posture is a big part of my saddle fittings. Often times that includes the question of “what is the horses diet like?” Many people unknowingly aren’t meeting the horses minimal nutritional requirement, and that can have a pretty big effect on the topline of the horse.

I do not profess nor pretend to be a nutritionist. I just know a little, and always refer onto a nutritionist when I suspect something isn’t right. I also do the same for my own horse.

Here is an absolutely fantastic example of my own horse, Flux. I have worked with a nutritionist, and we were no doubt meeting his nutritional needs - or so we thought! Flux’s topline dropped the day after his spring vaccinations. So all riding stopped while we sorted through yet another hiccup. Everyone on his team was a bit shocked, but figured it would come back within a week or so. It didn’t! So we tried a bunch of other things; each time, we’d get improvement for less than 24hrs. After 6 weeks we decided it couldn’t have been all vaccine related and changed our thought process. All the while, this boy was no longer being ridden or lunged. We would go for hand walks around the property instead. 2 weeks before vaccines, I had taken him off Recovery Plus. He had seemingly come off of it without issues…..or so we all thought. Given it’s cost, I spoke directly with a nutritionist at Mad Barn and despite being on Omneity, full grass + quality free choice 24/7 we decided to try adding 3 Amigo’s. It was a bit of a Hell Mary, as technically he should be getting these amino acids in the grass. Well……I think the photos speak for themselves! Less roach backed, less belly distention, less dip at the base of his withers and overall more topline in only 6 days!!! Now we are back to where we were 8 weeks ago and can continue onward & I’ll start climbing aboard again.

Let’s also thank Flux for being the perfect model. 🤍🦛

21/07/2023

For all my lovely clients with chunkies coming back into work!

03/07/2023

Super excited to share we are sponsoring Class 26 – Total Novice – UP TO 60CM at Brinkworth Horse Show 2023.

Brinkworth Horse Show was the ultimate goal for little MJ growing up. After years of spectating, my teenage dreams came true in 2018 when I entered into (&then won?!) my first class there - Ultimate Family Horse.
Here is a photo from that class, my golden horse Yogi Bear and I trotting around (& tipping forward!😂😂) trying not to cheshire cat smile the whole way round🤩
Brinkworth Horse Show is a wonderful day, whether you’re on foot or in saddle. I hope to see a few of you there… who knows I may even bring one of mine!🦄

There are many more fabulous sponsors of other classes too! To find out more or enter a class, click the link below ⬇️

https://www.horse-events.co.uk/horse-events/brinkworth-horse-show130823/?tab=event_info&fbclid=IwAR1BrdpjJjBENkw6aOnI01Qa4QHT15wpuy-u1J6LtiwPuaPNb7zU22KSFOc

20/06/2023

🌴🌺 Taking a Break! ☀️ 🌊

📣 Ethical Saddle Fittings is closed until JUNE 30TH (not 31st😂🥲) for our much-anticipated vacation! ✈️🌍 This is our very first getaway abroad!
During this time, we won't be able to respond to any messages. Please book via our website and enquiries will be answered from our return date. 🤍

🙏 We sincerely appreciate your support and custom. We'll be back soon, refreshed and ready to serve you with our top-notch saddle fitting services. Thank you!

📍

15/06/2023

Allotting myself a few admin hours this late afternoon/evening/tomorrow morning (yes there are that many, wow! Thankful for you all) so please all rest assured I will be with you shortly 🤍

Thank you for your patience while we have been MEGA busy the past week. Aiming to work my socks off as usual before our official holiday closure next Tuesday! ☀️

06/06/2023

I did all the business studies before launching ESF, but none of it, really nearly none of it, actually prepared me for the reality of running your own small business. Serious thank yous to those who have helped with our new website, logo design, finance ‘stuffs’ & mental health support. Super pleased with this business today, but absolutely couldn’t have reached what I call success without you all behind the scenes 🤍

05/06/2023

Double Demo whammy with two of our personally recommended body & SOUL workers!

05/06/2023

✨ Understanding Our Call Out Fees ✨

Hey, ESF community! We strive to provide you with the best service & be transparent about our fees.

Our algorithm is designed to ensure fairness in our pricing. We calculate the call out fee band based on a simple formula: £1 per mile outward charge from our closest motorway junction, along with the minimum hourly wage for driving time. This helps us cover our diesel costs and make a small contribution towards vehicle maintenance, given the extensive mileage we cover as a mobile business.

At this rate, we believe it is the minimum necessary to sustain our operations and maintain the quality of service you expect from us. 🚚

Further minimising the cost for those of you located in band 3 or 4 call out areas is something really important to us at ESF. We always aim to reach out and suggest sharing the call out fee among other liveries on the same yard who may be interested in an ESF Assessment. 📍

While we try to suggest this upon booking for 3rd & 4th band clients, this opportunity is not limited that way. Even if you’re in our closest band area, you can still split the cost and make it even more affordable for everyone. 💰

To find out which band your area falls into, head over to our website at www.ethicalsaddlefitting.co.uk or send us a message with your address! You'll also find info on areas we cover and fees of the bands 🌐 The link is also conveniently located in our bio. ✨

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to assessing your horses with our saddle fitting expertise! 💫

05/06/2023

29/05/2023

It’s Bank Holiday Monday & we’ve been super busy over the whole weekend, starting off with clients in Faringdon & finishing today in Woolverton! We hope all our clients have spent the day with their lovely steeds to replace the typical Monday hustle. 🌿🐎

29/05/2023

Out of office is on!
A well earned week away with the family is beckoning (if our flight turns up!!!)
Please get in touch should you want to book an appointment. Still a few slots left in June.

26/05/2023

Happy Hackers, ticking these boxes is super important while out having fun in the countryside!

Happy Bank Holiday Weekend everyone!

Now if you are planning some lovely long rides on your four legged friend, here are some tips.

* Do change your trot diagonal and canter lead often. This will help keep your horse’s body and your own even and straight.
* Use your hills and use them wisely. Think of walking up hills on a long rein in a light seat, fantastic exercise for improving strength and increasing range of movement in a low impact way. Going across hills helps work abductor and adductor muscle groups effectively. Going downhill increases lumbosacral flexion and works the hamstrings.
* Transitions between and within paces are not just for the school. Work them into your hacking too. Do them on different surfaces should improve balance and proprioception. One of my favourites is walk halt transition when going downhill.
* Vary your horse’s outline when it’s safe to do so. Let that neck out on the way home if you can to avoid stiffness.

Enjoy & have a great weekend 😎