Saddle fitting consultation
At a saddle fitting consultation, we aim to be thorough and work to approach the fitting of a saddle with a range of observations about your horse, rider, level of work and general health. We undertake a static/stable consultation which will include an information conversation about the history of any pathology, saddling issues, lameness and existing problems. Observation and examination of the horses head, neck, back, pelvis and limbs will be made without the saddle and bridle to identify any sensitivities or pain. We work to take into consideration the whole horse and believe that this is the best approach when considering the long term saddling options for any ridden horse. Asymmetries at this point will be noted as they can have a effect on the fit of a saddle.
Ridden work and assessment will be subject to the fitter deeming any existing tack to be well fitting enough to make any ridden assessment. If a saddle is considered to be unsuitable and cannot be adjusted on site to an acceptable fit, a mounted consultation will not be offered. A ridden consultation is not obligatory, but in the event that the horse cannot be observed in motion, a waiver will need to be signed by the owner/rider to the effect that only advice made through the stable consultation can be given. The only way that an accurate fit can be achieved is through a ridden consultation where the dynamic structures of the back, shoulders, pelvis and limbs can be seen.
A full consultation will be given on existing saddles and these are reflected in the report submitted to the client at the conclusion of the session. This will give details on how the saddle can affect the movement of the horse and recommendations for alternatives can be made. We carry a small number of new & 2nd hand stock saddles, and demo saddles for those wishing to order a custom option.
Sourcing 2nd Hand saddles:
We can sometimes source a 2nd hand saddle for you, please be advised however, that such saddles can take up to 6 months to source and you will be charged for each visit to try out specific saddles. If you have very specific requirements for a 2nd hand saddle, these can take longer and it is often more useful to order new. Please note that we do not source saddles outside of our preferred suppliers and 2nd hand saddles carry no guarantee. This is the risk that you will take when asking for assistance with a used saddle. We take very careful steps to make sure that all 2nd hand saddles sourced by us are sound, with the leather being of good quality, girth billets in working and safe condition and the trees and panels are checked for symmetry. We do offer an adjustment service for most saddles but adjustments are accompanied by a waiver that if the tree is old (which means it can often be brittle and a risk of cracking/breaking), we cannot be held responsible for damage during adjustment with a retemplating machine. If in doubt, we always say it is best not to attempt adjustment of older trees. Please see our fee structure for saddler visits, repairs and adjustments.
Buying a new saddle:
We carry some new saddles for sale at point of consultation which we would have endeavoured to match to the details of your enquiry form which is emailed to you prior to booking in an appointment. You can try any saddle during the course of a consultation. We usually allow a time period of a maximum of 2 hours for demo of saddles (horses rarely give us an accurate indication of comfort after this time due to tiredness, lack of concentration etc). If you would like to extend a session, we reserve the right to charge a further fee by the hour.
New saddles can either be purchased at the time of appointment (please see terms on payment and post purchase trial or ‘cooling off’ period), or a saddle in custom design, leather, colours and sizing can be ordered (see terms regarding custom orders) and deposit paid on receipt of the invoice after the visit. We will advise an approximate lead time on all new saddles which have to be made at the time of the visit – please allow up to 12 weeks for a new saddle from the point of deposit payment.
If a saddle is purchased from stock on the day, we will adjust and flock/balance the saddle to fit and advise on the timescale for a revisit. This is usually no longer than 16 weeks after initial fitting. Sometimes it can be sooner due to the way the saddles are set up and/or type of flocking used to suit each individual horse.
All fitting appointments are paid separately each time a visit is booked to assess and adjust a saddle. Where a new saddle purchase is made, the consultation fee is waived, but travel costs are still incurred. We charge travel to each and all clients regardless of the work carried out / any saddle purchased.
Distance fitting / Postal fitting
Our valued customers overseas (IE: Those outside the UK, EIRE, Spain and Portugal) can be serviced using our distance fitting service. This means we will, to the best of our knowledge, fit a saddle remotely using your information that we request from you. You will be asked to submit photos, videos, templates and size/weight data for us to correctly pair you with a suitable saddle. PLEASE NOTE, that we are dependent on your information being accurate, if it is not, then we cannot be held responsible if the saddle does not fit. We recommend you have a suitably qualified and reputable fitter take the templates for you if you are not confident doing it yourself. We also recommend that you have your fitter check the saddle upon arrival before you ride. We honour the 14 day window to declare a return for refund or exchange under distance selling regulations, but we reserve the right to refuse such facility beyond this time period.
ALL return costs are met by the buyer and must be insured fully and tracked with the customs paperwork declaring that the item originated in the UK. We are not responsible for customs charges inside the recipient country in the case of a returned saddle to us.
Adjustment and refitting of saddles not supplied by Plateau Holistic Equine Ltd
We can refit and retemplate other saddles not supplied by Plateau Holistic Equine, these are charged accordingly with the usual visit/consultation fee and also a separate fee for adjustment and reflocking. Please see the fee structure for details.
Visit, travel, demonstration and adjustment fees
Cost of local visit fee @ £80 – includes within 20 mile radius of the business address.
@ £90 inside the county of Lancashire in the UK, or 90 euro Inside the Province of Almeria whilst working in Spain.
@ £100 outside the county of Lancashire in the UK or 110 euro outside the Province of Almeria whilst working in Spain.
Travel is charged to all visits outside of Lancashire in the UK or Granada Province in Spain. The cost of travel is charged as follows:
50p per mile for UK or 40c per Kilometer in Spain / Portugal. These are a one off charge and can be split between all of those booked in for the appointment on that particular trip. If there are fewer people booked in on a trip, the more expensive the travel will be for each client.
Adjustment of existing saddles not purchased from Plateau Holistic Equine Ltd are charged as follows, in addition to the consultation fee:
£40 for retemplating / Widening / Narrowing according to a wither profile
£20 for overflocking to rebalance the saddle
Adjustment of existing saddles purchased from Plateau Holistic Equine Ltd are charged as follows:
£30 for retemplating / Widening / Narrowing according to a wither profile
£30 for overflocking to rebalance the saddle.
Please note that all visit and assessment fees are non-refundable. The client is paying the fitter for their travel and time taken to advise on saddle fit & saddle fitting knowledge. These charges are non-refundable even if the client decides they wish to return a saddle during the trial period, or a suitable saddle cannot be sourced for the horse in question. We have many years of fitting experience, and you are paying for our time and advice. We reserve the right to reject fitting a saddle at the time of consultation if we feel the horse will benefit from a programme of rehabilitation work. The travel & consultation fees still apply. Such matters can and will be discussed at the time of the appointment.
When a client wishes to return a saddle, in the case of measuring up, we often do not charge for the initial measure up consultation. If the client also wishes to cancel, we will charge a £100 flat rate reduction for our time and administrative costs + standard mileage at 50p per mile which will be deducted from the refund. ALL deposits paid for a saddle are non refundable when the saddle is in production if the client wishes to cancel.