Saddlery: The Custom Fit Difference

The purchase of a new saddle is a substantial expenditure, but like correct shoeing and competent veterinary care, a well-fitting saddle is vital to the welfare of your horse. It can also substantially improve your comfort and performance. American riders are becoming increasingly sophisticated about the vital importance of riding in a good saddle. Albion, which is very well known in the U.K. and continental Europe, has always been in the top echelon of high quality saddles, and many of my clients have been Albion owners for years. Some, however, have contacted me after much frustration trying to find a saddle to fit both themselves and the horse. Afterwards, the most common assessment I have had from clients who have bought a custom-fitted Albion saddle is that their horse moves more freely than ever before, and that they have never sat in a more comfortable, correct saddle.

Albion is one of only a tiny number of saddle makers that is trying to promote an alternative to the typical American saddle-buying experience of trial and error, hit or miss. The ideal is that every saddle sold should fit the horse it is sold for. Every buyer should have access to a fitter, not only to make the best decision about purchase, but in order to sustain the ideal fit over time. In support of this ideal, certain models of Albion Saddles, including the SLKs, can only be sold and delivered through an Albion fitter.