Amana Saddle Fitting Services

26/10/2025

RIP summer (said every saddle fitter/equestrian and equine professional everywhere today 🥲).

In memory of beautiful afternoons like this… Brooke and the beautiful Jet having their new Arena Saddles saddle re-checked last week ☀️ 🐎 . Lovely to hear the feedback this week - thank you Brooke ❤️.

26/10/2025

The ‘length’ of your saddle is just one element and the stamped size is not conclusive of how well it will fit your horse! Saddle brands, much like clothing brands differ and it’s definitely not a ‘one size fits all’ market!

𝗦𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁: why inches don’t tell the whole story 📏

We often hear riders say, “My horse takes a 17 inch saddle”. But not all 17 inch saddles are created equal. The footprint of a saddle, the actual space it takes up on your horse’s back, isn’t just about seat size. The shape, length and depth of the panels play a huge role too.

A 17 inch saddle with deep gussets or panels that extend beyond the tree will sit much longer on the horse’s back than a 17 inch with low profile, upswept panels. So while both are technically “17 inch saddles”, one may be far too long for your horse, while the other could fit perfectly.

That’s why it’s so important not to rely on seat size alone. What really matters is how the whole saddle — tree, panel, and footprint — interacts with your horse’s back.

This is where working with an experienced saddle fitter makes all the difference. The horse determines the tree and panel shape, while the rider’s build determines the seat size and flap configuration. Together, these elements create the saddle’s true footprint.

At 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 ♾️, we assess that complete picture, rather than just the number stamped on the saddle, to ensure your horse has the space and support they need, and that you’re balanced and comfortable too.

♾️

26/10/2025

Highly recommend Lucy if you’re looking for a trainer - ethical, friendly and effective 🙂

I’m now an ABTC-ATI. I’m already on the waiting list to be assessed for CAB (Clinical Animal Behaviourist) next 💪🏻 but I need a break first. I was hoping to get cracking straight away but after all that has happened, I don’t have it in me at the moment 😔. It’s a LOT of work. Hopefully spring next year. This assessment took me a whole year and I wrote 37,000 words. It was a huge undertaking. Big thanks to the whole team who helped and supported me. (Just realised this is only half my certificate 🙈 I passed the practical side too!!)

21/10/2025

With winter ahead of us, if you’re having your saddle reflocked this is an excellent + natural way to plug your gateways with your saddle’s old wool flocking.

Ask your fitter for some - I’m constantly trying to think of new ways to recycle old compressed flock! 🐑

A lot of people ask how long it takes for sheep wool to decompose. The answer is about 2 years for a full breakdown, but as you can see in this picture, a significant amount decomposes within the first year. This is my outdoor beds. Whereas indoors, it doesn't break down much at all.

21/10/2025

🧛 🎃 👻 Saddle Fitter Trick or Treat 👻 🎃 🧛

Spooky season is upon us and with Halloween in mind it’s got me thinking about some of the good and not so good I’ve seen and heard during my time doing this job.

I’ve listed these in no specific order and I’m inviting you to comment 💀 for ‘trick’ (not so good) or 🍬 for treat (good).

This post is not intended to guilt trip or shame but to bring awareness and education. I have no doubt that (for the most part) every owner wants to do the best by their horse(s) and get them comfortable.

Sometimes we can get confused with all the advice/different professionals/different training methods there are out there now. Other times we just have a gap in our knowledge that is yet to be filled. And that’s perfectly fine, we all have varying levels of knowledge and we all start somewhere.

Psst, there may be a 🍬 for the person who gets them all right 😉. Oh and there will be a follow up posts to discuss these!

🎃 Adding a thick sheepskin numnah will help my saddle to fit better because this is what all the top riders at ****** event had under their saddles

🎃 “I’ll see how horse #1’s old saddle works for horse #2” - N.B no SF appointment arranged for horse #2 to check this

🎃 Turning up on a cold rainy day after a long drive to a client be offered a hot cup of tea/coffee and a towel to use to dry you/your saddles off

🎃 Girths with elastic on only one side

🎃 Being told that the physio is really happy with your client’s horse

🎃 Horse not moving forward *under saddle* with the reason being cited as laziness

🎃 Owners choosing not to ride because they have a concern about their saddle. The horse is co-operative and not showing *obvious* issues or discomfort when tacked up or ridden.

🎃 “Please can you make my saddle fit as my vet has cleared them to ride” (horse has no topline and is cagey about being touched)

🎃 Horse biting during tacking up or when being mounted

🎃 Horse moving forward for the first time in a non-bracing posture after being ridden in a Connect Equine Ltd U-frame saddle

🎃 Not riding in the saddle fitted by the SF at an event because they’re worried about the horse’s *improved* performance

16/10/2025

Considering a career change? Want to work with horses? Interested in hooves (amongst other things)?

I’m now almost at the end of my first year of study with Areion Academy and can honestly say it’s been hugely enjoyable. I love that this course has already in just a few months taught me so many new skills, from knife sharpening to different ways of using technology to enhance my business to applying a balanced trim.

This month we did gait analysis and whilst this is an area you do study when you train to become a saddle fitter, I’ve been able to add some new focus points to my observations when I watch clients do their walk and trot ups.

If anyone is considering training to become an equine podiatrist I’d be happy to tell you more about the Areion training pathway 🙂.

16/10/2025

Animals are so smart 🥰

Further to my recent post on working on the ground and low cost tools we can utilize to help our ridden work…

Earlier this week I was working with my horses through some isometric exercises on balance pads. After tackling some more challenging stuff with my big boy “P” I moved on to my shettie, Truffs, who has to be reminded at times that the balance pads are not in fact footballs 🤣.

I had just gotten Truffs to put one of her hooves on once balance pad and went to retrieve the other which had been ‘kicked’ several feet away. Upon looking up I see my little pup balancing with his two front paws on the balance pad looking up at me, hopeful for a reward. 🐶

It would seem he’d quietly been observing the activities with the horses and had figured out what the task at hand was- I’ve never taught him to stand on balance pads before!

13/10/2025

Fully rate Integrated Veterinary Therapeutics for not only producing great, informative podcasts but also for drawing on how equine behaviour is impacted by a non-functional posture. More often than not horses with a base down posture are viewed as conformational and the link between the horses body and outward behaviour not viewed to be connected.

Functional Posture Transformation

This horse and her owner have been on a journey with me both online and in an in person clinic.

Within this 3 day Equine Functional Posture Clinic we worked on helping her stabilise very twisty hind limbs.

Working mostly on muscle activation, boy awareness and spinal alignment.

🧐The most notable changes in the images are;

- The angle at the base of her wither and the fullness in her Topline.

- Her belly and waist are much less contracted and her coat has a softer appearance

- Her neck flow into the wither has also improved

- Her hind end is fuller with her quads and gluteals starting to switch on.

Her feet were more comfortable with boots however the changes were visible without her boots!

She is a super lovely mare and we are working to create more connection between her brain and her body and we build strength and stability.

🌟Join the next ONLINE Equine Functional Posture Course NOW!!

https://www.integratedvettherapeutics.com/efp

11/10/2025

Prehab.

Today I listened to a podcast in which an equine and human physical therapist addressed some of the thoughts I’ve recently been reflecting on in relation to clients and their horses, but also my own body and my own horse.

Thoughts such as, ‘Why do we wait for things to go wrong before we work on the body?’. It’s also the case for people. So many of us run into physical issues early in life when perhaps we have had opportunities to delay or prevent them from even happening.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing (so they say), and one which sticks it to us all at some point. And more and more I wonder if we, the equestrian community, did not base our relationship with horses so much on riding them would we see such a marked increase in the amount of programmes, training aids, different types of bodyworkers, different courses, different tack. Many of which are designed to *fix* problems.

One of my favourite parts of this podcast spoke to the use of things like balance pads and poles to do groundwork activities … but also spoke to the fact that
1) we do not need to buy fancy equipment to help our horses
2) that progress can be achieved from simple isometric exercises- things like improving our horse’s balance (standing on 3 legs, for example) and
3) ridden progress can be achieved out of the saddle.

You read that last one right.

It probably seems strange - a saddle fitter posting so much about non-ridden exercise for our horses. But if hindsight has taught me anything its that in order to ride better and for saddles to fit better the body of both the horse and the rider needs to be right first.

That might mean spending time getting your horse’s feet right before you get on. Or allowing your new horse to settle in, improve its topline and getting all its health checks done before climbing aboard (or asking someone else to). Not putting pressure on ourselves or the horse to ‘be in work’ for fear of losing complete physical fitness and muscle. Or even to justify their expense.

I’m super proud of the clients who embrace just ensuring that their horses are happy and their bodies are functional, and giving their horses *time* to adjust if they’re starting with a horse whose body hasn’t been in the right place for some time. For putting the consideration into their tack, working with professionals and not just winging it. It’s all too easy for us to go out and buy that thing we saw advertised without really knowing if it works for our horse or us.

Because if it’s not and we choose to crack on anyway, well, hindsight tells me you’re lucky, really lucky if you don’t get bit later on.

Podcast by Equiscience here if anyone is interested in listening;

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qB2YMQCckJvLMRHDFTMCV?si=0WfyuG3DQmKr1x6nD_qd0Q

11/10/2025

This resonates so much with me! So many of us were taught to mount in a particular way when we were younger (me included) and at no point was saddle stability ever discussed.

10/10/2025

05/10/2025

𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝘁 🏇

We all know the importance of a correctly fitting saddle for the horse, and at 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 ♾️, we talk about it a lot. But what’s often overlooked is rider fit. We believe both are equally important, and our saddles are always designed with both in mind. 🫶

A common myth we hear is that taller riders automatically need a bigger seat. For example, a 6ft rider being told they should be in an 18 inch saddle because of their height. In reality, your seat size should be determined by your dress size, not your overall height. The seat of the saddle supports your pelvis and seat bones and should assist you to sit in balance in the middle of the saddle. It is the leg flap shape that accommodates the length and angle of your thigh and your leg.

For the same reason, if we put a 5ft rider weighing 6st in a 17 inch saddle, they would likely feel unstable, “sloshing around,” and their horse may feel the need to brace against that instability. Instead, we would recommend a smaller seat that supports their pelvis correctly and a leg flap shape to accommodate their thigh bone when sitting in neutral posture in the middle of the saddle. That’s what creates stability and harmony for both horse and rider. ⚖️

Tree shape also plays a role. Flatter trees with a more open seat and cantle give the rider more room, whilst curved trees or deep seated saddles offer less space, which can make the seat feel restrictive. In some cases, riders may need to go up a size to feel comfortable.

At 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 ♾️, rider fit isn’t an afterthought, it is fundamental, because the right fit supports both horse and rider, equally.

♾️