Our Services
What Service We Provide
We professionally fit saddles, bridles, and girths. Our goal is to improve the balance and comfort of your tack.
Our philosophy is to stay aware of the biomechanics research used widely within the field on projects – like product testing equestrian saddles, girths, saddle pads, bridles, and bits. These are essential for a good fit. We believe in staying up to date with the latest scientific research, techniques and continuing professional education-continuing beyond any initial training.
The prime responsibility of being a registered Society of Master Saddler Qualified Saddle Fitter is the Health and Welfare of the horse and the safety of the rider.
Saddle Fitting
Wearing a poor-fitting saddle is like wearing shoes that are too tight or loose – uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. An ill-fit saddle puts both horse and rider at a severe disadvantage. One of the most important things you can do for your horse is to ensure its saddle and girth fits correctly. Doing so will prosper the health and serviceability of your horse.
Horses change from season to season; therefore, a once well-fitted saddle may not fit depending on the time of year, feeding program, type of work, injuries, or whether the horse is on grass or off the grass; there are many more reasons, the list goes on….
Horse owners, riders, and coaches must carefully watch for any changes and red flags that may indicate a possible saddle fit issue or is it something else. Some red flags are a horse pinning his ears back, biting, horse head carried high in the air, or swishing of the tail while ridden- again, many more signs to indicate pain related that something going on.
Consult with your saddle fitter, equine bodyworker, equine Vet, equine chiropractor, equine dentist, and farrier before assuming it’s related to saddle fit. All are part of your team, keeping in mind the health, welfare and your safety- we all work together.
Remedial Fitting
Remedial Fittings help improve the position of the rider and the horse’s performance. Ensuring a saddle is balanced, front-to-back and side-to-side. Saddle slip requires adjustments (remedial fitting) on an otherwise good fitting saddle when necessary.
Sometimes TruFit use “visualize jackets” (worn by the rider) which have markings (shown above), along with tab markers on the back of the saddle, croup, and atop the horse’s tail. Our goal is to get a clear, straight line from the jacket to the saddle and to the back of the horse. Sometimes using “coaches eye,” we record the rider and horse in motion to further investigate asymmetrical movement.
Afterward, we discuss the findings with the rider and explain possible solutions for keeping the saddle balanced, front-to-back, and side-to-side.
Saddle slip is complex and requires a multi-disciplinary approach.
Onsite and Bench Flocking
Caring for your saddle includes refitting it and caring for the flocking. Your once well-fitting saddle will need checking for fit by your SMS QSF minimum 2x’s a year or sometimes more often, soft wool panels compress and form to your horse-these need adjustments. After a few years, the wool becomes dirty. When your panel feels hard and lumpy, you need to get it stripped out and completely re-flocked.
Proper flocking will correct the saddle’s balance or level a saddle on an asymmetric horse. Trufit always uses a high-quality wool flock.
To adjust the flocking, panels can be dropped at the front, back, or both. Depending on the needed adjustments, you can also work with the panel while it is still in the saddle. Trufit can provide the following flocking services:
On-site Flocking: When small adjustments can be achieved adequately without dropping the entire panel.
Bench Flocking (done in a workshop): Sometimes, it is necessary to drop the front or back of the panel or both to do the best flocking, as possible, and return to the client within a few days.
Regardless of where it is done, the saddle should be flocked to suit the back profile of that particular horse, and the saddle should be properly refitted afterward on-site, and ridden evaluation to confirm that all is good.
Flocking is intended to “cushion” and reduce trauma; if a saddle is over-flocked, it will be hard, and the cushioning will be lost.
Your qualified saddle fitter will recommend any adjustments necessary.
We believe in staying up to date with the latest research and techniques
Our philosophy: We believe in staying up to date with the latest scientific research, techniques through continuing professional education-continuing beyond any initial training.
Being very aware of concerns for the welfare of the horse and the safety of the rider. Working together with other equine professionals to educate owners, riders, and the public.
- Collected wisdom.
- Strive for elegant simplicity.
- Fit for welfare
- Continuing to evolve
Our Brands
High Quality Saddles
The quality English and European saddles of TruFit’s manufacturing brands can only be purchased through a designated stockist. TruFit is one of the designated stockist in the Western New York region for our manufacturer brands. Click on the logos below to find links to our manufacturer’s websites, or contact us to schedule a consultation.
