Montague Saddles - Julie Knaggs

Fab article from the Osteopathic Vet!

But another symptom can be your saddle suddenly slipping to the right!

🐎 If your saddle suddenly decides to shift to one side, and both you and your horse haven't had a reason for this to happen, it could well be the change on the grass making the hindgut a little uncomfortable! 😕

Smart Saddles don't tend to suddenly move unless there is an injury,
however one week this summer I had seven, yes seven calls all with the saddle moving right! This was more than the whole of the previous year!

So add saddle slip to the list of possible symptoms!

If you have this happen with your Smart saddle, WhatsApp me for a saddle check and a chat! 😀

✨Please share!!

Apparently we are an Exhibitor Spotlight! 🧡✨🐎

I will be joining the SMART Saddles team at the Horsemanship Showcase, complete with the usual ginger enthusiasm, plenty of biomechanics and a willingness to answer all the most awkward saddle fitting questions ever 🧡

The SMART Trail Saddle will be there, a genuinely clever saddle for riders who want comfort, security and freedom, whether they are hacking, schooling, trail riding or spending long days exploring the countryside.

It is lightweight, flapless and wonderfully comfortable, while the award winning SMART FlexTech™ system allows it to move and respond with your horse. Add fenders or webbers, attach your saddle bags and off you go.

We always have a LOT of clients visit the show, do come say hi and see what's new! Sit in the saddles, and discover just why I enjoy working with them so much.

📅 25 to 27 September 2026
📍 Bury Farm Equestrian Village
🎟️ www.horsemanshipshowcase.com

🐎 EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHT – SMART Saddles 🐎

Looking for a saddle that's as comfortable for you as it is for your horse? SMART Saddles will be joining us this year at Horsemanship Showcase - The Horsemanship Event of The Year 2026! 🌿

The SMART Trail Saddle has been designed for riders who love to explore, whether that's hacking, trail riding, schooling, or spending long days in the saddle.

Featuring a deep yet balanced seat, lightweight flapless design, and the award-winning SMART FlexTech™ technology, it flexes with your horse while providing exceptional comfort, stability, and security for the rider.

With additional D-rings for saddle bags and equipment, plus the option of fenders or webbers to suit your riding style, it's a versatile saddle built for adventure ⛰️🐎

One of the things we love about SMART Saddles is their commitment to helping riders find the right fit. All SMART Saddles are available for test ride and rental before purchase, with expert fitting advice available from their trained SMART Advisors.

If you'd like to learn more about the SMART Trail Saddle or explore the wider range, be sure to stop by their stand during the Showcase and chat with the team 👀

📅 25–27 September 2026
📍 Bury Farm Equestrian Village
🎟️ www.horsemanshipshowcase.com

Sponsored by:
Ariat Europe The Round Pen Company SMART Saddles BreathEazy Finer Forage - Naturally Better Horsefood Flying Changes Mindset Western Equestrian Society

Route planning is underway and I have a few extra appointment spaces available! 🧡

If you are on or near any of the following routes, now is your chance to combine appointments, share the travel and book a visit for a Test ride or refit!

Send me a message before the spaces disappear! 🐎✨

2 Sept Crowborough and M23 area

3 Sept Calne and Chippenham

18 Sept A303 and Blandford

Nothing like an endurance rider taking her horse and Smart saddle on holiday and giving them both a very good run out! 🐎

Got a cheery message from Caro Long!

“125 miles, with the last day around 25 miles and today in driving rain all day. Saddle all good and no rubs this year 👍🏻😊”

Apparently, this is what endurance riders call a holiday! 😂

A comfortable horse, a happy rider and 125 miles completed with no rubs, despite long days in the saddle and some truly grim weather. That is exactly the sort of message I love receiving. 🧡✨

Not just a saddle. A SMART Saddles!

When you wonder why your horse is getting through a HUGE amount of bedding... 🤦‍♀️🐎

Skipping her dinner bowl and TWO haynets to investigate the lovely damp Strawmax I’d just added underneath her bed... and then proceeding to wolf it down!

Well, that explains why her bed seems to last approximately five minutes and why her stable looks such a state every morning. She’s not marching around trashing it. She’s snuffling through it looking for the tasty bits and chowing down! 😂

So, apparently I now need Highland pony proof bedding.
Requirements are quite simple...

✅ No shavings
✅ Not remotely edible, or even vaguely snack shaped
✅ Really absorbent
✅ Suitable for a very wet mare
✅ Ideally still actually in the stable by morning

All suggestions gratefully received, because clearly Strawmax has accidentally been added to Molly’s menu. 🧡✨🐎

Birthday week is nearly over and I’ve had a lovely few days off! 🎂🧡✨

Next week I’m back to work, and I’m already looking ahead to September. The schools will be going back, holidays will be over and life starts settling into something resembling a routine again. Which also means there is finally a bit more time for the horses! 🐎

So while you’re planning ahead, have a read of this great little post from SMART about what is actually happening inside the saddle as your horse moves.

If a saddle check has been on your list, or you’ve been meaning to come and try a SMART Saddle, get in touch now and let’s get something in the September diary.

Test rides are exactly that. Come and have a go, with no pressure, and see what you and your horse think. 🧡✨

🧡 RIP King 🧡

While supervising his owner Caitlin, this horse taught me an enormous amount about saddle fitting.

For at least the last ten years, King was my wonderfully awkward Thoroughbred volunteer, always willing to turn a hoof to whatever theory I needed to test. Different saddle brands, different products, different ideas, and endless questions. He was endlessly patient and only occasionally looked as though he was rolling his eyes at me and wondering what on earth I was doing now.

So much of what I know today has come not just from courses, qualifications, or textbooks, but from King. From watching, questioning, changing something, watching again, and being prepared to learn from what the horse tells you.

King gave me ten years of that learning.

He challenged me to look harder, think differently, and understand more. Some of the things he helped me explore over those years have become part of how I assess horses and saddles every single day now.

There are horses you work with, and then there are horses who become part of your education. King was most definitely one of mine.

Thank you, King, for your patience, your generosity, and for putting up with yet another one of my ideas. You helped make me a better saddle fitter, and I will always be grateful for everything you taught me.

Sleep well, lovely boy. 🧡🐎✨

And much love to Caitlin, who let me play for all those years. 🧡