Saddle fitting services and Booking
Independent Saddle Fitting Services in West Sussex, Hampshire & Surrey
As a qualified independent saddle fitter, I provide professional saddle fitting services tailored to both horse and rider. My approach focuses on achieving optimal comfort, balance, and performance through careful assessment and adjustment.
The goal of every saddle fitting session is to ensure correct weight distribution, eliminate pressure points, and allow full freedom of movement through the horse’s shoulders and spine. Understanding how the horse’s back and anatomy interact with the saddle is central to every assessment I carry out. Whether working with your existing saddle or advising on new options, each fitting is centred around the specific needs of you and your horse.
In addition to standard saddle fitting, I also offer remedial saddle fitting solutions to help resolve discomfort, behavioural issues, or performance limitations linked to poor saddle fit. If your horse has been showing signs of discomfort under saddle, this is often the most important place to start.
Service Area:
Saddle fitting appointments are available for private clients, livery yards, and riding centres across West Sussex, Hampshire, and Surrey. Appointments can be requested online at a time that works for everyone.
Why correct saddle fit matters
A saddle that does not fit well can restrict movement, alter the horse’s way of going, and create uneven pressure across the back.
These problems often develop gradually, which is why they can be easy to miss at first. Saddle fitting is not about chasing perfection on a single day. It is about setting the saddle up to work as well as possible for the horse in front of you, at their current stage of work and development. Read our quick guide to proper saddle fitting to understand what correct fit looks and feels like.
Correct saddle fit helps to:
- Support free, comfortable movement
- Reduce unwanted pressure or restriction or instability
- Allow even muscle development
- Improve stability and balance for the rider
What do we check?
We check things like the gullet width and clearance, panel contact and balance, length, condition of flocking, shoulder relief, bridging and much more. All of these factors go to making a better fit , comfort, and experience for both horse and rider.
Considering the horses structure
We make sure the horses muscular frame, such as the longissimus dorsi, spinalis, cranial nerve, trapezius, serratus ventralis and others are working correctly and considered during the saddle fitting process. Part of this is assessing the horses body score.
When to Book a Saddle Fitting
A saddle fitting or check is recommended in the following situations. For a more detailed breakdown, see our guide on 6 reasons to have your saddle checked by a professional.- When you are unsure whether your saddle fits correctly — through saddle length, gullet width, or overflocked panels, to name but a few
- If your horse has changed shape through work, growth, or time off — body condition changes are one of the most common triggers for fit issues
- After changes in workload or discipline
- If a new saddle is being considered — browse our saddle brands for options we fit and supply
- If your horse is showing signs of discomfort or a change in behaviour
- Signs of injury such as white hair, muscle tenderness, or soreness
- If the rider is uncomfortable in the saddle or feeling unbalanced — our sports therapy for horse riders service can also help address rider position and biomechanics
book your saddle fittingCommon Things We Find During a Saddle Fitting Session
Most of the time a saddle may need some flocking, re-balancing, or a gullet change, due to the horse changing through workload, training, or the seasons. It is always worth keeping an eye on those anomalies.
- Twisted trees
- Broken trees
- Torn girth straps
- Stirrup bars
- Torn seat or stitching problems
Most of this list is fairly uncommon, but I have seen them at times, and they can easily go unnoticed if the owner is not keeping a good eye on the condition of their tack. Understanding the parts of a saddle makes it easier to spot wear and damage during your own checks between professional fittings.
How Saddle Fitting Works — Our Step-by-Step Fitting Process
For a full overview of what to expect, read our dedicated guide on how saddle fitting works.
1. Understanding Your Horse and Riding Needs
The appointment starts with a focused discussion about your horse’s workload, way of going, recent developments, and your goals. This helps establish what the saddle needs to support, now and in the near future.
2. Baseline Assessment of the Horse
Before any saddle is assessed, your horse is evaluated without tack to observe back shape, muscle tone, and overall symmetry. This creates a clear baseline for determining suitability and fit, which forms part of the static assessment. Body condition is also considered at this stage, as it directly affects how the saddle will sit.
3. Evaluating Saddle Options
Your current saddle is assessed for balance, support, and pressure distribution. Where relevant, alternative saddles are trialled to compare how different designs interact with your horse’s conformation. We work with a range of brands including Cavaletti, GFS, Arena, Wintec, and Bates.
4. Assessment in Motion
When appropriate, the saddle is reviewed in movement and under saddle — also known as the dynamic fitting and assessment. This allows me to assess how it performs dynamically, including stability, balance, and freedom of movement once the horse is working.
5. Professional Guidance and Recommendations
You’ll receive clear, practical feedback on what works, what doesn’t, and why. I’ll outline realistic options, whether that involves flocking adjustment, continued monitoring, or considering a different saddle altogether. If you have a saddle you no longer need, find out more about our sell your saddle service.
Book a Saddle Fitting
Being a local and mobile saddler means I offer saddle fitting appointments across Hampshire, West Sussex, and Surrey, travelling to yards and private premises throughout these counties.
Appointments are available for both individual owners and group bookings, with visits grouped where possible to keep scheduling practical and efficient.
If you’re unsure whether your location falls within my usual coverage, please feel free to get in touch to discuss availability. You can call Ian Phillips directly on 0781 805 5691 or request an appointment online.
Contact
Tel: 0781 805 5691
West Sussex, UK and surrounding counties
Opening hours
9 am – 6 pm – Monday to Saturday
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