Support for BALANCE Saddle owners.
One of the things that is a little different about the way we have always worked with people who use BALANCE saddles, is that wanted them to value their own ability to assess the day to day needs of the horses in their care.
The conventional/traditional model of selling saddles has tended to to encourage horse owners to believe that they are not capable of assessing the ongoing suitability of their saddle once they have paid for it!
Saddle fitters often rely on a steady flow of saddle checks, re-flocking and adjustment to supplement the income they make from actual sales. So, it is in their interest to encourage saddle owners to look to them as the experts and consider regular saddle checks to be an essential and responsible thing to invest money into.
We would never suggest that post sales checks are a waste of time and money in every situation. If someone is concerned that their horse is displaying symptoms that suggest some saddle related discomfort or interference, it is important that they don't ignore that and seek some help if they cannot assess and deal with the situation themselves.
However, there has definitely been a tendency in recent times, for the saddle industry to train horse owners to believe that 'saddle fitting' is something very difficult to learn and very difficult to get right. Something akin to combining the wizarding skills of Harry Potter and the scientific knowledge of Stephen Hawking!
No wonder that so many horse owners don't even attempt to assess the way their saddles are working themselves and yet, they are the very people who are best equipped to do just that.
In addition to being supplied with a saddle and appropriate pads that respect the way the horse's body needs to widen and function when in movement, the rider/owner needs to be encouraged to make use of the following advantages and skills.
- Knowing the horse well and being in an ideal situation to look for and to assess the feedback that the horse is always providing.
- Being able to take and record important information/evidence on a regular basis that helps to monitor how well the horse is using its body and also, how the saddle is working
- Being able to fine-tune the balance and comfort of the saddle on an almost daily basis if needed, by having a quick, simple and easy way to make adjustments the way the saddle is sitting on the horse.
- Knowing when it is time to ask for help from someone else .
BALANCE has always worked to provide horse owners with the equipment they need and also, the information and confidence they need, to assess and fine-tune the way the saddles they use, are working for their horses.
Here are some of the ways that ongoing support is available when wanted/needed.
- The BALANCE trained, Functional Saddling consultants all have considerable experience and knowledge to share when someone wants some hands-on help with their BALANCE saddle, or even with a different make of saddle, provided it is being used as part of a Functional & Constructive method. Contact them direct, to ask how they can help you. You will find them listed on this website and also on the THVsaddling.com website.
- The BALANCE Saddling Manual is full of information that can be a good reminder of how it all works. There is a downloadable copy of this on this website, in the downloads area.
- There is a constantly growing library of information in the FAQ area.
- There is a Functional Saddling YouTube Channel, with content that provides information.
- Many BALANCE enthusiasts who follow our Facebook Page and are a very helpful bunch who have a lot of experience to share too.
- You can contact THV Saddling and ask for help.
There will always be a need for the knowledge and skills of people who have spent many years of their life, training and learning about the way saddles are made, and the ways in which they work (or don't work) for horses.
It is important that this help is available when needed, but we do want to encourage horse owners/riders to feel that they can take more responsibility for the ongoing, day-to-day comfort of their horses when it comes to their saddling needs. This is so much better than only relying on a twice-yearly check.
A lot can change in the life of a horse within 1 month, let alone 6 months and the people who handle and ride that horse on daily basis are the people best equipped to protect his comfort, performance, and general health.