It's been a few years since I saw Marianna Batterbury, independent saddle fitter and another holder of the Monty Roberts' Preliminary Certificate of Horsemanship. Today Guilda's owner had arranged to meet her at mine to fit a saddle for lovely Guilda. Like a lot of our starters, Guilda will be going treeless.
Marianna is based in Surrey and can be contacted through info@bettersaddles.co.uk and has a website at http://www.bettersaddles.co.uk/
I have always done girths up gently and bit by bit while I am getting ready. For a young horse that might buck I used a breast girth to avoid having to tighten the girth up too far. Marianne taught me a great new technique for doing up the girth looking at when the horse was ready and offering to accept it. The girth strap is pulled outwards instead of upwards and you wait for the horse to breath in and press against the girth. Will try this and report back.
I have always done girths up gently and bit by bit while I am getting ready. For a young horse that might buck I used a breast girth to avoid having to tighten the girth up too far. Marianne taught me a great new technique for doing up the girth looking at when the horse was ready and offering to accept it. The girth strap is pulled outwards instead of upwards and you wait for the horse to breath in and press against the girth. Will try this and report back.
