SADDLE FITTING
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Secure your preferred date for a tailored saddle fitting session.
Holistic Saddle Fitting: Experience a thorough and holistic saddle fitting process that includes both static and dynamic assessments.
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FEES
Saddle fitting fees and more
Saddle Fitting Appointment Costs
A Saddle Fitting appointment is $190 (plus travel) per horse (1 or 2 saddles) and up to 75 mins. The same price is charged for two horses who share a single saddle between them.
If extra time is needed then it is charged at $20 per 15 mins.
Materials are charged separately. Wool is charged at $0.60c per gram used, Bates/ Wintec Easy Change Gullet plates are $59.90 each, Bates/ Wintec Cair Shims are $15-$22.
Adjustments such as gullet changes, stitching repair work, or other recommended work will be discussed and quoted for before being undertaken.
Test Rides
A Saddle Fitting appointment is $190 (plus travel) for up to 120 mins of time. This may include a selection of saddles brought along, and some self-selected options.
If a secondhand saddle is purchased, materials fees may also apply on top of the test.
If a new saddle is purchased, the test ride fee in included in the saddle price, as are any materials or gullet adjustments.
New Saddle First Check
A new saddle 1st Check Saddle Fitting appointment is $100 plus travel, up to 60 mins of time, and materials used (within 16 weeks of purchasing a NEW saddle through Auckland Saddle Fit)
Return Fitting
This applies to a horse/rider combination who have already had a fitting and has been left with some saddle options to privately find and purchase.
This has a time limit of 6 weeks from the fitting, and is charged at $100 plus travel for 60 minutes. If extra time is needed then it is charged at $20 per 15 minutes.
Materials are charged separately.
Not all situations fit in a box, so if yours isn’t covered above, please make contact for a price.
Cancellation Policy & Booking Fee
Auckland Saddle Fit is a small company with limited spaces. So that appointments are given to those that are genuinely after a saddle fit, a deposit is required and a booking fee & cancellation fee policy will be sent to you before your booking is confirmed, which may be non-refundable.
Please read our Terms of trade
FAQs
Your saddle fitting queries answered
What brand of saddles do you fit?
Auckland Saddle Fit works with all brands of saddles. A saddle is assessed by the shape and size of it's tree and panel, and whether it can work for the shape of the horse and rider. Wool and Cair panels offer the more adjustability, but latex panels can be rebalanced with the use of shim pads.
How often should my saddle be fitted?
Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) recommend that as a 'gold standard' saddles should be fitted every 6 months.
Some combinations will need a fitting on a more regular basis (shared saddles between horses or heavy workloads), and others may only need annual checks. Auckland Saddle Fit recommends taking regular weight measurements around the girth area to check for weight/ muscle/ age/ work related changes, to help indicate when a fitting is due.
Why is a saddle fitting important?
A saddle fitting is similar to a car service. We want to address any small changes that could cause a problem, before they start. A well fitting saddle keeps the hard parts of the tree off the sensitive parts of the horse. It also keeps the riders weight kindly distributed throughout the tree and panel. When the balance changes, the saddle can start to move/rock and cause painful pressure points.
Saddle fittings are also used to pick out suitable saddle choices when you change your horse, or need a new (or new to you) saddle for an existing horse.
Don't forget, saddle fitting also incorporates how the rider fits in the saddle.
Can I share one saddle between two horses?
If the saddle is a suitable choice for both horses, then the answer is Yes. The widest horse is the one that must be fitted to, and then shim pads can be used to balance and fit the saddle to the second horse.
What is a good fit for the horse?
A good fit for the horse allows the tree and panels to distribute the riders weight in motion as kindly as possible, and protects the sensitive areas of the horses back.
What is a good fit for the rider?
A good fit for the rider keeps your body as still as possible to stay with the horses movement, and allows your joints to absorb shock without being damaged.
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