Topic outline

  • Welcome

    Welcome to The Society of Master Saddlers Introduction to Saddle Fitting Course. 


    In this course you will find all of the Theory webinars. 

    This course page is for those currently completing the Theory elements only. 

    Periodically we may add relevant quizzes and supplementary information to the course and you will receive a push notification from the site page to notify you of such changes. Please make sure you add Moodle emails to your contacts. 

    Throughout this course page, you will find restrictions in place to guide you through your education journey and ensure you view all of the essential materials. 

    Enjoy the learning journey! 

  • Course Information and Policies

    • Meet the Team Book

      The Society of Master Saddlers are fortunate to have a team of world leading saddle fitting lecturers and work closely with many other world renown and well respected allied equine professionals, who help deliver the course.

      Our regular lecturers are all members of the Society of Master Saddlers and our guest lecturers are leading industry experts in their field experienced in delivering educational webinars worldwide.


      Not available unless: The activity Course Overview is marked complete
    • Gain an insight into how to navigate Moodle and what the icons mean

    • Our Course Partners BETA are proud to be involved with The Introduction to Saddle Fitting Course.

      About BETA: 

      Mission Statement: “The British Equestrian Trade Association works to support our members in their efforts to achieve the highest level of repute, knowledge and profitability”.

      BETA was formed in 1979 and has grown to be recognised and accepted as the official representative body for the equestrian manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade by Government and leading riding organisations.

      We currently have over 800 member companies, covering a wide range of businesses including not only retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, but also agents, dealers and many service based businesses. All our members are involved in some way with equestrianism.


  • About You

    Thank you for signing up to the Introduction to Saddle Fitting Theory Course for Overseas.  

    We hope you enjoy the theory component of this course and look forward to seeing you in the future on other courses. 

    Please take the time to supply us with your information as this helps us get to know you much better. 

    Look forward to seeing you soon! 


  • Veterinary Observation - Part I


  • Veterinary Observations - Part II

  • Saddle Trees

  • Saddle Construction

  • Common Faults

  • Safe Handling

  • Record Keeping

  • Static Fit

  • Ridden Assessment

  • Next Steps

  • Saddle Brands

    Please find below links to many major saddle brands. 

    Familiarise yourself with the saddles on their websites as they will be saddles you need to know about in your career. 

  • Practical Information

    • We are looking forward to hosting you for the Introduction to Saddle Fitting Practical Date 1st November 2024 at Moulton College, Northampton. 


      Equestrian Centre - Pitsford Gate 4 NN3 7QL

      The equine indoor arena will be where the teaching is held predominantly. This is accessed via Gate 4.

      When entering via Gate 4 there are two gatehouses either side, please follow the road to the crossroads and turn left here. Following this road down you will see signs for the Equine Therapy centre, please turn left here and follow the road round to the right where it bends.

      Make sure you follow the road around and park in the larger main car park for this campus.

      Please Do Not Park in the Therapy Centre car park otherwise you will be asked to move your vehicle, and this may interfere with your taught time as the lecturers will not have time to wait for your return.

      Lunch will be served according to the day’s timetable and will be in the Pitsford Coffee Shop. It will be an over-the-counter choice.

       

      Health & Safety

      Whilst it is not compulsory for you to wear a riding hat whilst at Moulton College, we highly recommend that whilst around the horses, a suitable riding hat is worn. You will need to provide your own.

      You will also find a health and safety declaration form within this Moodle course page - You will need to sign this before participating in the course. 

      You are required to wear yard standard boots and appropriate clothing/trousers (no shorts) during this course.


      Fire Alarms 

      Please note that there are no scheduled fire drills that Moulton has made the Society aware of at the point of writing this email.

      Therefore, should a fire alarm sound please gather at this designated fire point:

      Pitsford (Equestrian Centre) – Pitsford Car Park


  • Practical Day Timetable

    • For the 1st November the timetable is approximately as below: 

      Please ensure you have completed your health and safety forms digitally prior to arrival and let Yasmin know of any dietary requirements. 
      Time         Activity         Location 
      8.30am        Registration - Meet & Greet         Equine Indoor Arena Reception 
      (Near the hydrotherapy unit, there are some picnic benches to look out for, Yasmin will meet you here. 
      9.00am  Lecturer Introduction & Health and Safety Brief  Equine Indoor Arena
      9.30am  Session 1 Equine Indoor Arena
      10.30am Break & Question Opportunity Equine Indoor Arena
      11.00am Session 2  Equine Indoor Arena
      12.00pm Session 3 Equine Indoor Arena
       1.00pm Lunch  Pitsford Coffee Shop 
       2.00pm  Session 4  Equine Indoor Arena
       3.00pm   Networking & Brief of Next Steps towards QSF   Equine Indoor Arena
       3.30pm  Session 5  Equine Indoor Arena
       4.30pm  Questions & Answers from the Day  Equine Indoor Arena
       5.00pm  Close of Day.  Equine Indoor Arena


      All sessions are round robins, with a division into groups of approximately 8 people. 

      Stations include: 
      • Conformation & Templating
      • Tree Width Fundamentals. 
      • Saddle Construction/Identifying common faults. 
      • Saddle Fitting the Static Horse
      • Rider requirements and their influence on saddle selection.