Professional Saddle Fitters Association
Buying a saddle or checking saddle fit requires a specialised saddle fitting approach for the horse, saddle and rider combination to achieve the highest possible welfare and well-being standards for the horse or pony. This expert approach for all ridden equines is at the heart and centre of everything the not-for-profit Professional Saddle Fitters Association (PSFA) does.
Our core aim is to seek to improve riding horse and pony welfare and/or quality of life to a level that would assure the public that ridden work can be every bit as enriching for the equine as it is for the rider. We firmly believe that competent, ethical, saddle fitting is an essential element of that.
To achieve our aim, the Professional Saddle Fitters Association nurtures a culture of resource-sharing saddle fitting professionals committed to progressing their levels of customer relations as well as their saddle fitting expertise for the horse-saddle-rider unit as one living, thriving, partnership.
Full Membership costs £75 yearly (Trainees pay £65). To participate in the Professional Practice for Saddle Fitters winter webinar series, click here PSFA members can attend for free.
Read on to learn more about what we do and who can join…..
Download How to Get the Very Best From Your Saddle
Pay Your membership/Renew here
To maintain registration our members must:
Insure
Hold current professional indemnity insurance.
Comply
Comply with a Professional Code of Conduct as a commitment to competence, ridden horse welfare and high quality service.
Develop
Engage in a set number of hours of Continuing Professional Development
Do you believe one of our members is not upholding our standards? Click here to learn how to file a complaint.
Why Join the PSFA?
Working for the Equine
Elevating standards of ridden horse and pony welfare.
Raising Profiles
Proudly raising the profile of our Full members.
Marketing
Making promotional marketing materials available to Full members.
CPD
Providing a broad range of saddle fitting training opportunities for all members.
Improving Client Confidence
Assigning the post-nominals MPSFA to Full members to use after their name, assuring clients of their professional standing.
Discussion & Support
Encouraging a strong peer network in which members can discuss topics of interest and access support from the PSFA community.
The latest PSFA News can be found on the Facebook Page
See below for a selection of the most recent posts
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PSFA Professional Saddle Fitters Association
The PSFA nurtures a culture of resource-sharing saddle fitting professionals committed to progressing
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What's in the PSFA Webinar Replay Shop to help you better understand professional saddle fitting? ![]()
Webinar Shop - Professional Saddle Fitters Association
professionalsaddlefittersassociation.org
A major step towards future regulation of UK saddle fitters.The Equine Fitters Council was founded by two Livery Companies, the Saddlers and the Loriners Companies, after years of hard work within their respective industries to introduce voluntary regulation.![]()
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The Council operates the Equine Fitters Directory and by setting, communicating, and applying standards will oversee voluntary regulation of the fitting sector. ![]()
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Directors seated on the Council are impartial, experienced, independent, and passionate about lifting standards of welfare for ridden, driven, and working horses.![]()
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www.equinefittersdirectory.org ![]()
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#equinefittersdirectory![]()
#equinefitterscouncil![]()
#equinewelfare
A must for saddle fitters, the 4th Summit with our highly distinguished panel guests, Dr David Marlin, Bradley Whale and Jochen Schleese on the topic of Equine Back Templating was 2.5 hours of non-stop, very high quality CPD content. The replay is available here for just £12: professionalsaddlefittersassociation.org/product/replay-2-5-hours-saddle-fitting-summit-session-4...![]()
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We have created a free 30 minute clip from the replay here on YouTube for you to share: youtu.be/XABlQViweog ![]()
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In the 2.5 hour replay, eminent equine and equestrian scientist, Dr David Marlin from Ergon Equine Ltd, joins saddle innovators, Jochen Schleese from SADDLEFIT4LIFE and Bradley Whale, Human and Equine Osteopath and engineer from IPOTANE, to debate the science of accurately templating the horse's back. What is the significance of thoracic sling function? How and why does it change? Why and when is it important to take measurements? How applicable are those measurement records for saddle fitting and for validating the opinion of the saddle fitter? How can we protect the saddle fitter from controversy?![]()
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Our presenters once again bring the application of science, functional anatomy and biophysics of saddle fitting to the whiteboard for translation to the everyday world of saddle fitting. This very special session was an exceptionally deep dive with frank discussion on the topic of how to evaluate the equine back using imaging technology and what it can and cannot offer to the saddle design, construction and fitting industry. Our 3 distinguished presenters from the fields of saddle design and construction research gave 2 presentations each on this particularly challenging and often controversial theme.![]()
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Dr David Marlin opened with a variety of research projects on the very best of what we have available to us in terms of imaging and scanning. Jochen Schleese continued with the concept that the measuring process is easy but interpreting and applying the findings is much more complex. Bradley Whale approached the topic from a different angle whereby finding mathematical solutions to defining the available area on the horse's back for saddle fitting was in his view the most reliable method. He continued with results of a pilot study that he had carried out which showed that differences in surface angle of only one degree can substantially alter the back morphology by as much as 3cm width at the withers.![]()
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For the second phase, Dr David Marlin showed an impressive dynamic imaging technique which could track muscle movement and, in turn, strain regions which impact on saddle design and fitting. Jochen followed this with how horse's can be helped when a knowledge of the horse's dynamic anatomy is applied to saddle fitting and why, if the saddle does not fit the rider, it cannot fit the horse. Bradley Whale then presented the psychological aspects of how we either accept or reject facts, together with rider expectation and perceived skill level versus actual skill level and how their saddle might perform, impacting on the role of the fitter.![]()
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These intriguing presentations were interspersed with many pertinent and often candid discussions about the challenges faced by the saddlery industry.![]()
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Essential viewing for saddle fitters, veterinarians, coaches, therapists, riders and horse owners.
PSFA Saddle Fitting Summit #4 - Methods and Perspectives of Equine Back Templating
youtu.be
30 minute clip from a 2.5 hour replay available from the Professional Saddle Fitters Association website here: professionalsaddlefittersassociation.o...
Ticket sales for the live online event close today at 5.30pm London time. Last chance to book your virtual seat for just £12 with replay access.
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2 more sleeps. For just £12, this 90 minute online presentation features Dr David Marlin, Jochen Schleese and Bradley Whale. These 3 distinguished saddle fitting industry professionals bring professional researcher, osteopathy, engineering and saddle fitting design and construction to the virtual table. ![]()
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They will take a uniquely deep dive into the science of the justification for templating the horse's back for saddle fitting so that a number of challenges can be explored: What are the issues associated with fitting a saddle to the dynamic horseback? Is it useful for protecting saddle fitters when fitting complaints arise? ![]()
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Most importantly for ridden horse welfare, how can we ensure that the horse gets measured for a comfort fit in all ridden situations? ![]()
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This presentation promises to be highly informative for everyone involved with horses and saddle fit checking.![]()
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Follow the link to the PSFA website for booking. You will receive an email with the viewing link after making your purchase.
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It is that time of year again where the sun starts shining and we all clean the spider webs from our tack and dig out the jodhpurs ready to jump back on our horses for the better weather.![]()
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Do you know your tack is still ok for your horse? ![]()
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Have they lost weight over winter? Have they been out of action due to an injury? Have they grown since I last rode? These are all questions we should be asking ourselves before mounting our horse after a period of time off. ![]()
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We have designed a leaflet looking at some of the key points when checking the fit of your tack on your horse which are available from your PSFA registered saddle fitter. Also downloadable from thePSFA.org home page. ![]()
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If you have any doubt or uncertainty about whether your tack is fitting correctly please contact your saddle fitter and have them checked professionally.![]()
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A happy horse is a horse that is pain free and a good fitting saddle is sometimes all it takes.![]()
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www.thePSFA.org