Amana Saddle Fitting Services

14/11/2025

I’m sure this will be a great talk!!

One week to go!
Come and learn how to read your horse’s body language and behaviour 📚. This talk is full of photos, videos and case studies.
Date: Thursday 20th November
Venue: Bradbourne RDA Club House, Sevenoaks. TN13 3DH
Price: £15PP
Link to book tickets in comments.

Also a great opportunity to meet some local likeminded people. Please tag or share with anyone who might be interested.

09/11/2025

Lest we not forget 🐴

I SPOKE TO YOU IN WHISPERS
By Neil Andrew

I spoke to you in whispers
As shells made the ground beneath us quake
We both trembled in that crater
A toxic muddy bloody lake
I spoke to you and pulled your ears
To try and quell your fearful eye
As bullets whizzed through the raindrops
And we watched the men around us die
I spoke to you in stable tones
A quiet tranquil voice
At least I volunteered to fight
You didn't get to make the choice
I spoke to you of old times
Perhaps you went before the plough
And pulled the haycart from the meadow
Far from where we're dying now
I spoke to you of grooming
Of when the ploughman made you shine
Not the shrapnel wounds and bleeding flanks
Mane filled with mud and wire and grime
I spoke to you of courage
As gas filled the Flanders air
Watched you struggle in the mud
Harness acting like a snare
I spoke to you of peaceful fields
Grazing beneath a setting sun
Time to rest your torn and tired body
Your working day is done
I spoke to you of promises
If from this maelstrom I survive
By pen and prose and poetry
I'll keep your sacrifice alive
I spoke to you of legacy
For when this hellish time is through
All those who hauled or charged or carried
Will be regarded heroes too
I spoke to you in dulcet tones
Your eye told me you understood
As I squeezed my trigger to bring you peace
The only way I could
And I spoke to you in whispers......

05/11/2025

It's a good idea to have your saddle professionally checked at least twice a year – or more often during times of change, e.g., for young horses, rehab, or a switch in discipline.

👇 Here's what to expect from a Saddle Fitting appointment: 🐴

🔹 Prep starts early
Fitters ask key questions in advance and explain all fees clearly.

🔹 Joined-up care
Following a referral, they may contact your vet, physio, or coach – with your permission. Collaborative care supports both horse and rider.

🔹 Space & horse ready
Have a clean horse, clean tack, a well-lit, safe and secure area ready for in-hand and ridden assessment – and all riders present.

🔹 Professional conduct
Well-presented, respectful and friendly to you and your horse. Clear communication and safe working.

🔹 Thorough protocol
Veterinary, treatment, and behaviour history; rider conformation, activities, and aims; horse conformation, back-palpation, templates, and in-hand gait observation; static and ridden fit assessment.

🔹 Fitter’s eye
Expect your fitter to observe you ride from multiple angles looking at gait, saddle movement, rider balance, and overall harmony.

🔹 Current saddle first
They’ll assess your existing saddle first, and if suitable, assess fit in hand and ridden, making adjustments for optimal fit.

🔹 Trying alternative saddles
Your fitter will bring a selection, assess static, and then ridden fit, making adjustments as needed.

🔹 A key part of the process
Experts in saddle fit, they respect your experience, sharing observations and welcoming your input.

🔹 No hard sell
If you need a new saddle, you’ll get clear info with no pressure to buy.

🔹 Paper trail
A written record of the appointment, invoice, and full terms and conditions (inc. right to cancel in the UK)

🔹 Safety first
Appointments will be halted if horse or rider welfare is at risk.

🔹 Book ahead
Professional fitters are in demand: expect a 6–8 week lead time

What’s something a fitter has shown you that made a real difference? Share your story below.

Fitters – feel free to share this post with your clients!

04/11/2025

A few of my clients have asked me about pole work exercises recently. I am not a trainer or therapist but I do enjoy learning about different exercises to do with horses on the ground which I like to try out on my own horses. These are particularly helpful now that we are moving into the wetter months and daylight hours are short!

I really enjoy Gillian’s podcast and saw this helpful post on some pole exercises that are easy to complete if you’re short on time!

10 x 6 walk poles in the rain - slow and short!

Limb range of motion increases ✅
Slow speed and short pole distances to optimise back posture ✅ (Douglas et al., 2025 & Walker et al., 2025)

No time for grooming, rug on because it’s raining, and walk only today for Lottie. Keeping wellies and thick coat on for me!

Nice short adapted session to fit with the lovely UK weather and my diary today 👌🏻💪🏼

04/11/2025

Your horses physiotherapy appointment is only as effective as how your horse lives in between treatments.

If your horse has reoccurring poll tension, feeding from haynets, having a disharmonious contact, riding a horse overbent etc in between treatments will still mean your horse has tension in their poll when it comes around to their next appointment.

If your physiotherapist provides stretches to do and you don’t do them, the problem will continue to bubble.

If your horse is uncomfortable, and your physiotherapist recommends that they see a vet to investigate further, don’t continue to ride your horse.

If you only ride straight lines, rarely hack, and your horse is constantly sharp and spooky so they’re lunged more often than not in a training aid, your horse is going to have reoccurring rib, neck and back pain.

If your horse is stabled for most of the day, or equally spends most of the day in fetlock deep mud, they’re going to be braced and they’re not always going to feel the full benefits of a treatment as treatments will focus on alleviating the “brace” and not on improving performance.

If you’re riding in a saddle that doesn’t fit, hooves that are unbalanced, or an arena with too deep a footing… changes need to happen so that your horse is able to thrive and develop and not just survive in between treatments.

The quality of a veterinary physiotherapy treatment is arguably just as important as the life your horse leads in between treatments.

As horse riders and guardians, we should be seeing the body under the skin; the nerves, the fascia, the muscles and really envisioning caring for this in everything we do 🤍

03/11/2025

IASF Insights - October Edition

Read our first newsletter right here!

Learn from our expert tips, meet our Featured Fitter and find out what the IASF Global Network has planned for 2026!

Click the link to access the full newsletter.

https://www.iasf-members.com/so/49PesrIwI?languageTag=en

03/11/2025

This looks to be a really good event!

03/11/2025

Amen to this!

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.