Chantelle and Moose regained their confidence Showjumping after trialling the SMART Eventer saddle.

“Easy Girl Van Huise Ruesdael (Moose) was characteristically an enthusiastic jumper. When she started to hesitate into her fences, it was clear that she wasn’t happy and her rider, Chantelle, suspected that the problem might be saddle related. 

They tried out a SMART Eventer saddle on rental - and in just one session the difference was amazing.  Moose regained her confidence and her jump and is now consistently placed in British Showjumping classes. 

Chantelle Johnson and Easy Girl Van Huise Ruesdael (aka Moose) in the SMART Eventer saddle. This is probably her best performance to date – placed second in a very well attended discovery class. 

Moose does not like dressage.  However, the SMART Pro Dressage saddle gives her great freedom of movement.  Chantelle lives in hope that Moose will choose to display that freedom in a controlled fashion in an actual Dressage test one day!

Moose was relatively well behaved in a recent test and I think the SMART Pro Dressage saddle actually puts us into a slightly better position now we’re getting used to it.”

The above video shows Chantalle and Moose being placed second in the British Novice class Showjumping, qualifying for the second rounds.

 Chantalle and Moose training video.

Sally Johnson

March 2018

“The service and advice from Solution Saddles has been second to none; they made finding the perfect saddle very easy...

Solution Saddles sent a number of their SMART saddles along with recommended accessories to try out with the help of an experienced Solutions Saddles Approved Advisor.  

My aim was to find a saddle which would enable me to feel more confident and stable, especially when jumping, without compromising my horse's movement.  It was highly beneficial to be able to try a number of the saddles so thoroughly and find the one that fits.  

To me, finding the right SMART saddle felt similar to finding the perfect pair of shoes.  After riding in a variety of SMART GP and SMART Eventer saddles in various sizes, I knew immediately when I had found the perfect size and shape — it just felt right for me and my horse.  Who would have thought a saddle could make such a difference?  

I believe I have purchased a saddle which will be with me for the rest of my life, an unusually permanent investment in the ever-changing world of riding.  

Thank you very much!” 

Helen Williams

Originally sceptical of the treeless saddle concept, Rachel now refuses to put a treed saddle on her ex racehorse’s back since discovering the revolutionary SMART saddle range.

"I recently purchased a SMART Pro Dressage saddle for my ex-racehorse who has been diagnosed with kissing spines. He struggled to swing through his back properly, which was often being picked up in affiliated dressage tests; believing this to be his back, I never thought I would improve it. 

Before discovering the SMART saddle range, I was very sceptical of treeless saddles and believed they created pressure points. That was until a friend recommended Solution Saddles’ SMART saddle range and I thought “what have I got to lose?”.

It was the best decision I have ever made! My horse just loves it; he swings through his back and is happier to step under more with his hind legs. At first, it took me a couple of weeks to get used to the different feel and not block my horse from moving forwards. However, since buying the saddle, we have had some positive comments from BD judges and are now extremely hopeful that we will move up a level this year.

My horse’s physiotherapist also could not believe how good his back was; he showed no pain at all, which has been unheard of over the past two years.

SMART saddles are truly revolutionary, they have changed my mind and my horse’s way of going completely - I would never use anything else on my horses. I would now like a SMART PRO Jump saddle for myself and a SMART Native for my daughter’s 11.2hh pony. I refuse to put a saddle with a tree back on my own horse, so no jumping for us for a while.

SMART Saddles are just the best and I would recommend them to anyone. A massive ‘Thank You’ for developing such brilliant saddles!"

Rachel Longworth

April 2018

SMART Customer story: From SMART Native GP to SMART Eventer

"I couldn't afford both a SMART Jump and SMART Dressage saddle, so decided to change to a treed saddle… what a mistake that was!’’

I backed my croup-high, wide, big shouldered young horse in a SMART Native GP saddle, which fitted her very well. The saddle always sat very securely and my mare moved well in it, but as she changed shape and levelled up I wanted more in front of my knee for jumping and hunting. I couldn't afford both a SMART Jump and SMART Dressage saddle, so decided to change to a treed saddle - what a mistake that was…

We lost right canter lead and my mare became increasingly asymmetric as she tried to compensate for a weakness from previous surgery. She had physiotherapy and we made repeated attempts to fit a treed saddle to her, but with no success. My mare either could not move (quite literally; she stood and kicked out in protest) or she moved the saddle over to the left because of the asymmetry and her movement.

Eventually I decided to reinvest and arranged for a SMART Saddles Approved Advisor to come out for a home consultation visit. In just 3 months of owning my new SMART Eventer saddle, I have an evenly muscled horse who is getting 7.5 and 8's in her dressage and I can jump without worrying if I and/or the saddle will stay put!

Although expensive, I have found the SMART Eventer to be absolutely worth it – no doubt it will save on future vet bills too!

Photos at riding camp.

Sam Edwards

April 2018

SMART Ambassador, Penny Lawn, is gearing up for the 2018 season

“The horses have all gone well over the winter, getting good results out and about at dressage and showjumping competitions. One of the horses that is in for schooling has really benefited from working in the flexible SMART Dressage saddle -  winning every dressage test that she has entered!

Eye of the Tiger is aiming for 1* this year, we started with a run at Osberton UA and have Oasby and Lincoln to look forward to next.

Queen of Rock is having a career move, having been asked to join a group that will start Team Chasing in April - I'm very excited about that!”

Good Luck Penny! We can’t wait to hear how you get on.

Customer testimonial: Emma had only positive results since trying a SMART PRO Dressage saddle

Background:

Horse - Cassie, 16.1hh, Holsteiner mare. Schooling at Elementary Dressage.

"My mare, Cassie, is quite wide and had changed shape a lot since starting work with a new trainer. My very good traditional saddler noted that our saddle wasn’t fitting well anymore, due to the resulting change in her muscle tone.

Under saddle, we were having particular problems on the left rein, which I had first attributed to a problem in her mouth. After a visit from my Equine Dental Technician, he found that there were no problems with her mouth at all.  Cassie also had visible muscle atrophy on one side, a lack of taking contact on left rein, and was becoming stuffy in canter."

The SMART PRO Dressage Saddle:

"My first impression of the SMART PRO Dressage saddle was that it was not only very light but also extremely comfortable. It came with a selection of movable blocks, both for the thigh and the knee, which I tried and chose a style that suited me.

The Approved Advisor who conducted the Home Consultation Visit did not rush us and was keen to get the right saddle model and fit for both of us. Following the test ride, we opted for the try-before-you-buy rental service and were left with the girth, saddle cloth, shims and other accessories for the duration of the trial. There was no pressure to purchase the SMART PRO Dressage saddle, but after just a few days, both myself and Cassie knew we loved it!

I started off on lower intensity schooling sessions (40 mins door to door with lots of warm up/down) building up to the normal hour. I noticed an instant change in that Cassie seemed more equal on both reins and was lighter in the contact - this is improving every time I ride. She also felt freer and her walk seemed (even) bigger. The medium work had considerably more power and the canter had a marked improvement on both reins.

I have been able to go back to an eggbutt snaffle, which hadn't seemed 'strong' enough for a while. I also noticed that the muscle behind the saddle that I have always wanted to be stronger is starting to develop. The muscle atrophy has all but gone and rugs/massage pads no longer slip one way, which means she is becoming more equally muscled.

After having ridden in the SMART PRO Dressage saddle for a while, I had my Mctimoney Chiropractor to visit. Previously, she has always found tension in Cassie's poll, neck and shoulders but since using the SMART saddle, she couldn't find any tightness in these areas at all - or in the rest of her back.

I am SO glad that I made the decision to give a SMART saddle a try - there is still a slight stigma attached to them, but I can happily say, as someone who owns a lot of bling, that there absolutely shouldn't be. - I don’t know why more people aren’t thinking outside the box and giving SMART saddles a go!"

Emma Smith

Approved Advisor: Ann-Marie Marek - Ceredigion

As a trainer for Intelligent Horsemanship and an accredited Ride with your Mind Coach I regularly
see behaviour and physical problems with horses which can be tracked back to poor saddle fit.
Unbalanced saddles can also significantly affect the rider position which has a direct impact on the
ability of the horse to move correctly.

I found Solution Saddles in 2006 when I had three very different sized horses who needed saddles.
My Solution Saddle allowed one saddle to fit all three horses and had proved to be a godsend when
I’ve had horses in for staring or training. My saddle has been fitted to numerous horses and allowed
me to demonstrate to owners how much their current saddle is contributing to the poor
performance or behaviour of their horse.

On a personal level I really appreciate how much freedom my Solution Saddle gives my horses. Their
movement has changed dramatically and when their shape fluctuates through the year it is so easy
to accommodate these shape changes with small adjustments to the fitting.