[QUOTE=halt;8656738]
I figure this deserves an update, if very belated.
I was excited to have Nancy Shedrick come out in the summer when my horse was in consistent work, and she looked at three of my saddles, only one of which had been previously fitted to the horse. Horse had been displaying some mild symptoms that he didn’t care for the fitted saddle so as mentioned in the OP I switched him to the non-fitted jump saddle prior to her visit.
So she came out, did a wither tracing, assessed fit of all three, didn’t reflock or even touch any of them, and charged me $250 dollars for on-farm visit and saddle consultation. I was surprised then that she did not reflock any, given her glowing reviews and was more surprised then for her to proclaim that one would fit without needing adjustment. She was very pleasant with me, however.
Okay, fine, I think “at least I have her professional opinion.” About a few weeks in on riding in the saddle she said fit the best (but didn’t reflock as I expected) horse started really demonstrating discomfort with the saddle - these were new behaviors he had not demonstrated before. For instance, he has never threatened to bite me or been girthy and he started to shortly after the saddle she approved was used daily. I gave him some time off.
I emailed her early fall with this news to no response. Emailed again intermittently between November and late December/early Jan and requested the wither tracings so I could have them on file. When Nancy originally came to visit I was very forthright with my long term plan (fit for this saddle now, give me wither tracings and in FEB/Jan’16 I will be purchasing a new saddle with the wither tracings she provides) Instead of supplying me the wither tracing, they sent a somewhat flippant reply a few months later that “obviously the saddle doesn’t fit anymore so we need to come out and remeasure the tracings”. I agree, the saddle doesn’t fit and never did, but I don’t think my guy’s body has changed much especially not in a two/three week time frame it took for him to start displaying saddle-sore symptoms. And secondly, I am so NOT interested in spending another $250 to have a saddle that “fits” not fit. I did some wither tracings myself but would prefer to compare with the notes taken in the summer by Shedrick Saddlery.
Anyway, it is now May and I still don’t have the tracings, or a saddle that fits the horse. I guess you could say I am a little frustrated at this point. My horse is not, as far as horses go, a difficult fit.
Presently, he is going fine in a friend’s borrowed saddle with Thinline pad and has not demonstrated any soreness or behaviors since - to my naked eye it fits him wonderfully with no bridging, rocking, or moving… but it needs to be reflocked. Are there any other knowledgeable fitters out there?[/QUOTE]
Without providing more detail than this, I had a similar experience. I also won’t use advanced saddle fit ever again.
I would use Diane Williams and Sara Kilguss over some of the names presented here. Sadly my wonderful fitter, Patty Barnett, is no longer fitting. I thought Gary had long since retired.
