Bespoke Leatherware - qualified saddlers and bit fitting consultants

16/02/2025

Fantastic day at Hartpury University yesterday with The Society of Master Saddlers and Centaur Biomechanics discussing the complexities of Bridle-Horse interaction with some incredible research followed by a fascinating head dissection to improve our understanding of the delicate facial structures of the horse!

Self development never stops and what a wonderful group of people to be learning and progressing with! 🐴

13/02/2025

I’m excited to finally be able to share my website with you all! There’s plenty of work to do still so please feel free to offer any advice on what you would like to see on the website 🥳

Also I would love to expand my testimonials page so if I have helped you and your horse please comment with any reviews 🤩🐎

www.bespokeleatherware.com

Here at Bespoke Leatherware your horses comfort and happiness comes first, the aim of all our bit fitting consultations is to create harmony between horse and rider where the horse is able to move freely and correctly - happy horse, happy rider!

01/02/2025

It’s so important to make sure a youngster is started off in their education correctly with a comfortably fitting saddle and bridle and a bit that suits the conformation of their mouth and will help them better understand the new things being asked of them.

This lovely boy had a tendency to get his tongue over the bit when he was first bitted as he didn’t like the feeling on his tongue, so we went with a hanging cheek with a fixed mouthpiece to hold the bit off his tongue.

An invaluable tool I often use with young and very sensitive horses to let them feel the action of the bit from the ground to make sure they’re not overwhelmed by change, we want to encourage positive experiences only!

31/01/2025

Some horses are much more relaxed in their appointments than others! 🤣

It’s very important to check our horses mouths for any changes that may be happening, this lovely mare is Mystery and she has a habit of windsucking. This has caused some changes to her incisors that needs monitoring and careful management by their equine dental technician.

An easy check we can do on all our horses is to gently run our hands down the sides of their face from the bottom of the eye down to the corner of the lips and watch for any reaction from your horse, a sudden jerk of the head could indicate sharp edges having formed on the outside of your horses molars. A tight bridle can push the soft inside of the cheek against these sharp edges and cause intense pain.

Make sure your horse is up to date with their dental technicians to avoid any discomfort! 🦷

30/01/2025

A great image showing just how many facial nerves there are in the head that can be impeded by an incorrectly fitting bridle. The most common issues I find are:

1) Browbands being too tight - this pulls the headpiece into the base of the ears and creates pressure throughout the temple and TMJ
2) Cheepieces too long - is your buckle done up on the last hole? This can cause the buckle to press into the sensitive TMJ
3) Nosebands too tight - if you can’t fit two fingers between your noseband and the front of your horses face then it is probably too tight and is restricting your horse

Does your horse rub its head when you take off the bridle? This is often a sign of an ill fitting bridle, check the 3 areas mentioned above and speak to a qualified fitter if any of these are an issue for you and your horse.

30/01/2025

Voting is now open to nominate your favourite equestrian professionals! There are so many categories to choose from you can nominate your farrier, instructor, dental technician or even your bit and bridle fitter 🥳

The equestrian world is a hard one with crappy weather and often heartbreaking choices, we all only do it for the love of the animals ❤️🐴 Make someone’s day and show the people you appreciate just how much they mean to you by voting for them this year!



https://www.equestrianbusinessawards.co.uk/nominate?

Nominate your chosen equestrian professional, business or charity who has gone above and beyond. Self-nominations are also accepted.

29/01/2025

Here at Bespoke Leatherware we understand that every horse is unique and so my approach to each horse is different. Some horses are wonderfully sensitive and show us instantly when something is wrong and that makes my job easy! 😝

However lots of horses, especially the older types, can be much more stoic and have been ‘just getting on with it’ for years so their reactions can be much more subtle. Not only this but what we expect from them would vary hugely! Many of my clients call me in if they are stuck in an area of training with their horse, often because something is missing in their line of communication, and so I have been able to help partnerships excel in their dressage tests, jump bigger tracks with more confidence and wow with their new found range of movement in the show ring. However a lot of the time my sessions are aimed at making sure a horse that has been restricted and misunderstood, sometimes for years, is able to express itself and be seen, allowing us to make the changes they need to be happy and ensure the riding experience is more enjoyable for both the horse and the rider!

I pride myself on working with owners to find out what each horse needs to improve on with its way of going/ what the owner is hoping to achieve moving forwards so I can help choose the best bit and bridle combination to facilitate this. Some horses (especially those early in their education) we want to stretch out and forwards, some more established horses we want to encourage an elevated outline and cadence, others simply need to be happier in their day to day work - all of these types deserve the opportunity to be as comfortable as possible and I’m lucky enough to be part of the teamwork that can make this happen 😍

05/01/2025

Heartbreaking to see injuries like this left untreated, as flight animals horses are unfortunately capable of hiding great pain and discomfort 😔 it is always worth questioning a horses behaviour…

24/12/2024

Merry Christmas from all of us at Bespoke Leatherware!! 🎅🏼🎄
We will be having a quiet few days off and any messages will be replied too in the new year 🥳

Thank you to all our wonderful clients and their lovely four legged friends, it’s been wonderful meeting you all and we can’t wait for all the new adventures 2025 brings!

19/12/2024

Very excited to add this new bit from Expert Bits to my collection for you all to try! The comfy barrel mouthpiece is one of my most recommended so I’m looking forwards to trying out the comfy loop - perfect for people looking for a step up from a snaffle without progressing straight to a universal 🥳

January bookings are starting to fill up so book now to avoid disappointment in the new year 📆🖊️🎉

21/10/2024

The lovely Max after his bit and bridle fitting 😍 such a lovely boy who was previously very unhappy once a contact was taken up with tail swishing, ears back, head up and tossing, mouth open, nostrils flared and hollow choppy strides. His owner had given him a full MOT and his bit check was the last box to tick so we were very excited when by the end of his session he was relaxing and seeking the contact for himself! It’s lovely to see a horse transform so quickly and we are very excited to see how he gets on over the next few months!

23/09/2024

Rare weekend availability this Saturday 28th September in and around the DN21 area! 🐎

Here at Bespoke Leatherware your horses comfort and happiness comes first, the aim of all our bit fitting consultations is to create harmony between horse and rider where the horse is able to move freely and correctly - happy horse, happy rider!

Message us today to get booked in for your bit and bridle fitting sessions as only a few slots available! 📆🖊️

27/08/2024

Just a few of the bridles we’ve fitted lately here at Bespoke Leatherware - qualified saddlers and bit fitting consultants 🐴

Don’t forget we are happy to fit a bridle you already have, create a bespoke made to measure bridle to fit your horse perfectly or supply you with a beautiful Henry James Saddlery bridle - whatever your situation we are here to work with you to make sure your horse is as comfortable as possible!

18/07/2024

We have a new addition to the Bespoke Leatherware team! Meet the beautiful 3 month old Dalmatian Harley 😍 she is accompanying me on all my bit and bridle fitting sessions so feel free to say hello! Apologies for any delays in replies, she’s kept me quite busy these last few weeks! 🤪🐶

09/07/2024

How often do you look in your horses mouth? 🤔

A quick check can let you know if your horse has any injuries and help you keep track of their dental health.

It’s so important to maintain our horses teeth with a qualified dental technician, every 6 months for horses up to 6 as their teeth grow much faster 🦷 and every 12 months for older horses.

A horse evading whilst in work can often be a sign of dental pain, which is why I always advise clients to make sure their horses are up to date with their dental technician before booking to see me. 📅🖊️

03/07/2024

As the redeveloped bridle fitting qualification enrolment is opening on 8th July for the August and January cohorts, read Grace's journey which may convince you it's a great career choice.

Grace told us, "I am very excited to be able to call myself a Qualified Bridle Fitter with The Society of Master Saddlers! After 14 years in the industry it’s wonderful to see these new qualifications being developed, ensuring every professional is working to the same standards and putting horse welfare first."

She started her journey as a saddle and bridle maker training at Capel Manor college in 2010 and this is still a huge part of Grace's business today. "I have always had a creative streak and a love of horses, I wanted a career in which I could help make a difference for the horses that do so much for us so when I discovered this course everything fell into place! It is wonderful being able to incorporate my bridle making skills into my fitting sessions as this means my clients are able to commission a completely bespoke bridle that fits their horse's individual needs, optimising horse comfort and performance. I have also been fortunate enough to train as a bit fitter which allows me to make sure the combination of bit and bridle is working safely and effectively.

It is my aim to share the knowledge I have worked hard to gain over the years to help owners better understand their horses, the area of bit and bridle fitting has previously been overlooked so it is wonderful to see this changing!

At the heart of all my sessions the horses comfort and happiness comes first, aiming to create harmony between horse and rider where the horse is able to move freely and correctly – happy horse, happy rider!"

Well done Grace, you truly can offer a full service to your clients, very best wishes to you.

10/06/2024

Very excited to finally be a Society of Master Saddlers qualified bridle fitter! 🥳🐴 🏆

This is a very new qualification so I’m honoured to be part of such a talented group of professionals dedicated to improving horse welfare! Time to get the certificate framed and the car cleaned for the updated stickers 😍