The adjustable SMART™ saddle, for security and confidence in the saddle

 

Ebony and I came together by an amazing chance set of circumstances during the Covid pandemic. I am a novice rider in my fifties and I have never owned a horse before. I made friends with the owner of a horse in the field adjacent to my house and, within a year, Ebony had been rehomed to us! She is nineteen years old, about 15hh and a Friesian/cob cross. She is very green, so we have spent a lot of time building up her confidence on the ground and hacking out.

I was borrowing my friend’s saddle but I really felt I needed something more secure so that I was confident going out, which is the best way to get Ebony working with a rider at present. I had a visit from a fantastic SMART™ Advisor who really put in a lot of time and effort to keep in contact and meet our needs, especially when the fitting was delayed for many weeks due to the Scottish weather!

I now have a SMART™ PRO VSD saddle and the fit is great both for Ebony and for me, especially with the adjustable knee and thigh blocks; she is really ready and keen to work now. The next step is to decide on her bridle and get her out of the halter.

I am hoping to buy another horse and we will keep Ebony as a companion, so the SMART™ saddle is intended to fit the new horse as well. It also fits my friend’s horse, by simply changing the shims, which means I can have lessons on him in the arena. 

In the meantime I am enjoying working with Ebony and learning so much every day!

Kathy Dale

Happy, comfortable and confident: the perfect fit with a SMART™ saddle.

“I’m so glad SMART™ saddles were recommended to me. ‘Hugo’ is a very chunky monkey; very wide with a big shoulder and short back.  Everyone’s comment when they met him before he was started was  ‘you’re going to have fun finding a saddle to fit him’ - how wrong they all were.

The SMART™ saddle is amazing! It fits Hugo perfectly all the time, so putting on or losing the odd pound doesn’t matter and, as he’s changing shape and developing muscle, the saddle just accommodates any changes. It allows him full and free movement in his shoulders and back which encourages him to use his body correctly.

We have done many miles now in it, both in the school and out and about exploring the countryside. Both Hugo and I have been happy, comfortable and safe in it. 

 

The quality of the SMART™ saddle is impressive; there has obviously been a lot of thought gone in to not only the design but also the materials used. 

SMART™ Saddles are so easy to deal with, they are so helpful if you have any questions or queries. Having a decent trial time to try the saddle out properly was amazing and gave me confidence in both the saddle and the company. 

I also love the fact that the SMART™ saddle will fit any horse, so when chunky monkey #2 gets started later in the year, I can pop this saddle on and know it’ll fit him as well as it does Hugo – plus, I’ve got a very comfy familiar saddle to start his ridden career in too.”

 

Clare Mercer

SMART Advisor: Sarah Pizane, Aberdeenshire

 "I have been involved with horses for most of my life; competed in British Eventing and British Dressage and I have an interest in biomechanics. For the last 30 years I have been training horses using natural horsemanship techniques for all areas including, behavioural issues, starting horses and ridden work. 

I have been riding in SMART ™ saddles for many years now. I came to them after finding it almost impossible to find a saddle for my little Thoroughbred, the change in him  with a SMART™ saddle was instant so I've never looked back."