The Springfield Saddler

14/01/2025

Slowly working my way through messages and admin which came in over the holidays. Hope you all had a lovely time. I think I've contacted most of you but if you haven't heard from me by tomorrow, drop me a message and give me a nudge. Thanks

10/01/2025

Looking for an instructor who concentrates on you and how you are using your body when you ride? A great way to improve your rider/horse communication.

20/12/2024

That's a wrap for 2024. Thank you to all my customers and followers on this page. It's been a great year with a nice mix of bridle & bit fits, mentoring and teaching and workshop jobs. Look forward to joining you all for 2025. I'll be back on January 6th. Meantime have a lovely Christmas and a guid New Year 😃.

18/12/2024

Temporary helper Marvin joined us in the workshop yesterday. Saddle fitters adding to their skills whilst creating a festive mood with Christmas songs and mince pies. Good job Chris and Kevin 😃.

25/11/2024

Delighted to have been asked back to talk to this group. Looking forward to it.

22/11/2024

To whoever left this at my door, could you pm me? I'm not sure what you want me to do with it. Thank you.

19/11/2024

Bitting issues are not confined to the horse's mouth. I can help the horse be as comfortable as possible in the bit you use but often problems of leaning, stopping and steering can be linked to a weak thoracic sling. Couple that with a bit that your horse doesn't like or a bridle that pinches and you can see how issues develop.

18/11/2024

An interesting study. It is lovely to receive a referral from another professional who has spotted a potential problem and advised the customer to have it checked out. You need to grab a coffee to read it all. Noseband height & tightness feature as does browband tightness. The only thing I'd add is that browband tightness is important but often it is the shape of the headpiece pressing onto the ears which gives an illusion of tightness so best to get it checked.

** 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗗 - 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗣𝗨𝗥𝗬 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬**

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗧 𝗙𝗜𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗗𝗢𝗠

𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗿𝘆𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀, 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗠. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝘀, 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗞𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗲-𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲

Open Access (read and download without a subscription): https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/22/3188

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆:

Horse owners employ a variety of equestrian professionals, e.g., coaches, therapists and fitters, all of whom play a role in safeguarding equine welfare. Bridle and bit suitability and fit contribute to the horse’s comfort and performance, and, hence, equestrian professionals forming a multidisciplinary team (MDT) have opportunities to support the horse owner on matters of bridle and bit fit. The aim of this study was to learn more about the frequency and nature of observations of bridle and bit fit made by professionals and the type of issues they see most often. The participants completed an online questionnaire designed to obtain information about their professional role and experience, whether they carried out assessment of bridles and bits as part of their professional role and what they perceived as the key issues of fit. Data were analyzed descriptively and statistically (p ≤ 0.05). The results from 377 respondents were analyzed: 184 saddle fitters, 116 coaches and 77 therapists. Of the three professions, coaches were found to assess their clients’ bridle and bit fit more than saddle fitters and therapists. Coaches and therapists agreed on the top three bridle fit issues, which were ‘browband too small’, ‘noseband too tight’ and ‘noseband too low’. The professionals reported that bits may not fit or be suitable for the horse and rider combination. Saddle fitters, coaches and therapists can all support horse owners in achieving optimal bridle and bit fit.

Massive thank you to the Worshipful Company of Saddlers and the Worshipful Company of Loriners for funding this research.

15/11/2024

It's been a noseband kind of week and I've decided this is as personal a choice for the horse as the bit. One horse just went better with no noseband. One has a flash type noseband, we tried a cavesson and his head was all over the place, tried a grakle and he went like a dream putting a huge smile on his rider's face. Then another who got really cross in a grakle but sweet as pie in a drop. We had other reasons for all the noseband choices but it brought home the need to always listen to your horse and give them a say in their choice of tack 😊. Photo of today's office 😍.

08/11/2024

Following on from yesterday's post, I felt that Liz Daniels talk on Riders Minds deserved its own space. A free 24/7 365 days phone or text link to trained helpers who can support you through any mental health issue from having a bad day up to suicidal thoughts. Whether you work in the equestrian industry or are a horse owner or rider this helpline is here for you. https://www.facebook.com/RidersMinds?locale=en_GB

Riders Minds is an online bespoke resource dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being

07/11/2024

It's good to talk. Sharing Laura's post because Godfrey's working lighthouse was a thing of beauty. CPD day with Scottish and North of England SMS members. Godfrey drove up specially to share his saddlery story trading Jamaica for a life with the King's Troop and wowed us all with his work. Talks also from Anne Currie Horsemanship : Quieting the Noise on our slowly changing attitudes to communicating with horses, Vet Alistair Crozier on all the wonderful ways horses can hurt themselves, Liz Daniels on Riders' Minds (more later) and Catherine, our president, brought us up to date with the work of the SMS and fell in love with Scotland 😍. Lots of chat, tea, food and cake. Ours can be a lonely life and it was lovely to be reminded of the saddlery family that we are all part of.

Some CPD in Perth today with many of my fellow Scottish fitters. Always good to catch up and meet some new faces. We also enjoyed talks from a local vet, Anne Currie Horsemanship : Quieting the Noise , Riders Minds and Godfrey Morris owner of crown_craft_leather who started his training the same year as me! A photo of his stunning work he brought to show us today an incredible lighthouse made of leather.

17/10/2024

A big step in the right direction as not only have the FEI adopted it but it has a definitive pass or fail mark.

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗙𝗘𝗜 𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗗

With a rollout plan, as of January 2025 the FEI will be using a new measuring tool to determine the tightness of the noseband. This new tool offers a “pass” indicating sufficient laxity or “fail” indicating the noseband is too tight.

This is a positive step forward as the tool will be used on the front (nasal bone) and not on the side as is currently done by the FEI. The tool has been designed to be more practical and horse friendly compared to existing tools.

Video: https://youtu.be/rJNYzf1W5lU

The tool will be available to purchase from the FEI therefore encouraging all riders, trainers and coaches to use it to check noseband fit.

09/10/2024

I can really relate to this. A lot of my time as a bit fitter is to explain the role of the bit. My personal story of discovery continues. I have had a long discussion with my horse over the years to find a bit he is happy in. This summer, due to his aging pelham causing a mouth rub (how embarassing is that for a bit fitter!!) we rode mainly in a bitless bridle. It worked grand in most situations but I found I didn't have the fine tuning I wanted for tricky gates or new cut hay fields! Back in a bit, I'm finding him much more relaxed and responsive to my aids and I can only think it is the work we put in over the summer where I couldn't rely on a bit in his mouth. His "control" issues are, I believe a good part me but also physical weaknesses in his body and psychological/ anxiety issues in his brain all of which we continue to work on improving.

26/09/2024

Bed time reading tonight 😃. Thank you Russell et al.

**𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗟**

𝗡𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘁

MacKechnie-Guire, R*, Williams, J.M., Nixon, J., Fisher, M., Fisher, D., Walker, V., Murray, R., Clayton, H.M

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 (read without a subscription):
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.14420

For the past four years, we have investigated the pressures beneath different nosebands when adjusted from 2.0 to 0.0 finger tightness (0.0 finger adjustment so that the noseband was touching but not compressing the skin).

Poor noseband adjustment could create high pressures that may risk pain or tissue damage. This study is a step forward in providing quantitative data relating to pressures associated with noseband type and fit when adjusted to various tightness’s.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀:

🐴No significant difference between noseband pressures when the noseband was adjusted from 2.0 to 1.5 finger tightness.

🐴Noseband pressures were highest on the mandible vs. the lateral aspect of the nasal bones.

🐴No differences were found in noseband pressures between the cavesson, flash or Swedish (crank) noseband types at 2.0 to 0.5 finger tightness.

🐴The Drop noseband had the lowest absolute nasal pressures (mandible pressures not measured) and significantly lower values than the other nosebands. We need to be mindful of the position of the traditional drop. More work needed.

🐴Noseband pressures were lower when ridden in trot, compared with when chewing a treat.

🐴Noseband pressures were cyclical (rise and fall) and not continuous – changing during the stride and the chewing cycle of the horse.

As always, this is a team effort. Thank you to our research assistants, riders, owners and horses.. Thank you to our funders, World Horse Welfare, British Equestrian, Canadian Sport Horse Association, The Worshipful Company of Saddlers and Hartpury University.

NB image taken from pilot testing and was not included in the main study. All noseband types are described in detail in the manuscript.

29/08/2024

Apologies for all those waiting to hear from me regarding bridle fits. I will be in touch in the next day or two.

31/07/2024

Very proud of these two. Our newest trainee saddle fitters, Keely and Ailsa arrived Tuesday morning having only touched saddles to put them on horses' backs. They have just left, each with two saddles completely reflocked and ready for use. Excellent work from both of them. One more step on their saddle fitting journey.

30/07/2024

I like this.

13/07/2024

Super pleased to hear the news that Kevin (KB Saddlery) and Chris (Chris Evans Equine Sports Massage & Saddle Fitting Services) both passsed their SMS Qualified Saddle Fitter Exams this week and are now fully qualified. They have worked incredibly hard over the last few years to gain the knowledge and experience needed to pass this rigourous test. Fantastic that Scotland has two new saddle fitters and I know they will be a credit to the profession. Well done guys!!