A.D Equestrian Saddlery Services

07/11/2024

Those of you who read horse and rider may have already spotted this in previous issues but I am proud to say I was asked to feature in some of their editions of Ask The Expert. Here is the latest issue with my article in it 🤩

18/10/2024

Flocking 😊 and over flocking 😩

When adding flock a saddle fitter must be careful not to over flock the saddle (add too much flocking). Adding too much flocking to the saddle will create a hard panel and stretch the leather - not to mention make it uncomfortable for your horse!
Although a flocked panel is a wonderful tool to be able to adjust and try to make your saddle fit better, sometimes it just can’t be flocked to fit. When a panel is over flocked to try and “make” it fit it will likely be a poor solution for the horse.

Example of a saddle that had previously been over flocked.
Picture 1 is one panel over flocked and the other flocked normally.
Picture 2 is the amount of flocking you can see was pulled out was just from the over flocking of the back panel 😱

03/10/2024

Want to try a jump saddle but just not sure where to start or what might suit you and your horse? Here at AD Saddlery we have a large range of saddles to try. In most instances we are also able to offer a week’s trial on your favourite saddle so you can really make sure it’s the best fit for both you and your horse.

13/09/2024

14/08/2024

Had a lovely few days away in the Highlands but back to work tomorrow! Have scheduled in an admin day and will do my best to respond to all messages before the weekend. Thank you for your patience 😇

12/08/2024

Very eloquently put and 100% correct - please read and consider this.

05/08/2024

My lovely client Alexis and her beautiful dressage diva Cara having a play in some dressage saddles today. Saddles on show right to left are - Albion SLK, Albion Fabrento, Albion Revelation and Erreplus WR connect. The saddle on Cara is an Ideal Hayley.

29/07/2024

Go team GB 🇬🇧 🤩🤩

It's GOLD for Team GB 🥇🥳

Ros Canter Eventing and Lordships Graffalo, Tom McEwen and JL Dublin, and Laura Collett Eventing and London 52 complete on 91.3 to secure Team GB their first gold medal of Paris 2024 🤩

This also marks a record-breaking fifth eventing team gold for Great Britain and a defence of the title that Laura and Tom helped to secure in Tokyo 💪

29/07/2024

Notice

I am away on holiday from the 7-15th August.
Although I will take my work phone I will only be checking it now and then for anything urgent. For any general enquires I will reply on my return.

I have a couple of fitting spaces (saddle or bridle/bit) before I go away but I am already booked up for my first week back so bookings available from 21st August on return.

Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine 🤩

21/07/2024

Amen!

Your saddle is not a miracle worker. If your horse is a barrel, and there is a bit of wonkiness somewhere (you or the horse) and your saddle slips to the side… your saddle isn’t necessarily to blame. Instead, get it checked and if it’s ok, work on making the horse less of a barrel shape… and straightening them (and yourself!) up so there is less unevenness.

If your horse has big wide ribs and an itty bitty shoulder… or a girth groove that’s inches in front of the girth line… maybe your saddle slips forward. That’s physics. Your girth will always pull into the narrowest place. Sometimes changing your girth or the girthing on the saddle can help.

If your horse has massive shoulders, and hoiks them up into the air when they jump… those massive shoulders can push the saddle back. That’s physics. Again sometimes girths and girthing can help. But saddles can’t defy the laws of physics.

If you or your horse is uneven then yes we can pad/flock/shim saddles to help. But… working on evening them up is much more beneficial.

Sometimes, in an attempt to hold a saddle still, to fight against the laws of physics (and often to keep the rider happy), we can end up clamping a saddle too much. Personally I would rather see a saddle shunt forward/to the side/backwards a little bit if the alternative is to clamp it too much the other way.
What do you think?

09/07/2024

My day at Ideal stripping down a saddle

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a second hand saddle and as I tested it over my knee I heard the dreaded creek and crack of a weakened/broken tree.

As I am a SMS qualified saddle fitter and not a bench saddler (although have had to complete courses on stripping saddles and flocking of course) it is a weaker spot of mine and I like to go up and spend time with manufacturers doing CPD so I can continually improve.

So off I went with my broken saddle to strip it apart and arrange for a new tree to be fitted in it.

As you can see from the pictures once the panel is taken off the tree you can see the metal parts called springs and the nylon webbing used to attach the girth straps. Along with this you can see the foam that is used on top I the seat and the hundreds of staples used to attach the leather of the seat to the tree.

I have circled the weakening in the tree that we found which was the culprit for the noises along with some loose rivets.

09/07/2024

03/07/2024

Have had a great few days away up in Walsall visiting Albion and Ideal saddles.

I am now officially an Albion partner 🤩

I then spent a great day with Ideal doing some CPD and stripping down an old second hand broken saddle I purchased - more on this on another post.

Now driving down to Warwickshire for my last day with Erreplus saddles.

28/06/2024

A plea and reminder from me on a Friday afternoon. I have new bank details for anyone paying for a consultation with me be that saddle or bit/bridle fitting. Because it’s a new email as well a lot of the invoices are going into people’s junk folders.

Can I please request to check your junk folder and open the email fully to get the new bank details. I have quite a few outstanding invoices atm and can’t pay myself until they have been paid.
Thanks

27/06/2024

Ever wanted to try a Prestige Saddle? Come and join us with your horse on the 10th July! Huge range of jumping and dressage saddles to try on the day.

21/06/2024

Lovely weather to come and visit us at the Erreplus stand this weekend