CB Saddlery

Meet Liz… our workshop hen! 🐔❤️

A couple of weeks ago, Liz sadly lost her best friend, Foxy. Until then she had always been rather timid and aloof, preferring to keep the company of her own species rather than humans.

Over the last few days though, she’s decided that perhaps she’d quite like some company after all.

And it turns out that whilst most people have a workshop dog or cat… apparently now I have a workshop hen! 😂

She’s taken to climbing the stairs and joining me and Buddy in the workshop while I’m working. She wanders around inspecting everything, supervises proceedings, and generally hangs out with us for a while before heading back downstairs. In the evenings, she now sits outside the living room window, quietly reminding us that she’s part of the family too.

It’s been lovely to see her confidence grow and to watch her seek out company after losing Foxy. She may not say much, but she’s become quite the little companion, and I have to admit I rather enjoy having my feathered supervisor keeping an eye on things.

Who knew that the last surviving hen in the flock would turn out to be such a character? ❤️🐔

When “anatomical” still isn’t enough…

Meet Wotsit🐴

Wotsit has an unusual swelling on the left side of his jaw, just behind the TMJ. The vets have looked at it - a lot! After extensive tests, scans, prodding and poking, it was concluded that it is historic scar tissue. Most of the time it stays relatively stable and doesn’t cause any problem for Wotsit, but every now and again it grows.

❓The problem? Every bridle his owner tried rubbed the area.

She has worked her way through numerous off-the-peg bridles, including several anatomical designs that sit further back. Unfortunately, when the swelling flared up, they still caused rubbing and discomfort.

That’s when she got in touch about a bespoke bridle.

This one definitely required some thinking outside the box! 🤔

After a thorough consultation, we decided that a traditional bridle design wasn’t the answer. Instead, we created something inspired more by a headcollar, carefully designed around Wotsit’s unique anatomy.

There are still a few tweaks to make (the cheekpieces are currently a little long), but the important things are already right:

✅ No buckles over sensitive areas
✅ No pressure on the swelling
✅ Correct function
✅ A comfortable fit designed specifically for Wotsit

Every horse is different. Whilst many horses can be fitted successfully with off-the-peg bridles, some simply don’t fit the mould. That’s where bespoke saddlery really comes into its own.

Sometimes the best solution isn’t finding a different bridle, it’s making the right one. ❤️

A huge thank you to Russell MacKechnie-Guire from Centaur Biomechanics who presented to our bridle fitting trainees.
If you are interested in becoming a Qualified Bridle and Bit Fitter with The Society of Master Saddlers then you can book onto Cohort 5 of the ACBF beginning in August, here - https://www.mastersaddlers-training.co.uk/course/view.php?id=101

Back from a great evening presenting a session on “evidence based bridle fitting” for the Society of Master Saddlers Bridle Fitting Course. Great group, and questions. It was also good to learn more about the bridle fitting course from the fabulous training team - a thorough and in depth course on bit and bridle fitting.

Massive thank you to the SMS for the invitation. More on the SMS ➡️ https://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk

Good morning!! another sunny day. Day 3 of The Great British FarmFest at Stoneleigh. We welcomed the Shetland Pony Grand National Team to the stand. They have had a fabulous show and picked up our Fit4Welfare leaflets, a weight tape and a car sticker. Standing in front of Mr Hastie and today we have on our stand.
Catherine Baker CB Saddlery
Aimée J Cayless Southam Saddles Ltd
Charlotte Fountain
Christine McCarthy of Foxhill Leather
And Heather Gelder and Rachel Lewis Middleton from our office here at Stoneleigh

Have you ever thought about becoming a Qualified Bridle and Bit Fitter?

Take a look at The Society of Master Saddlers ACBF course by clicking on the link in the post below

SMS: Assured Certificate in Bridle Fitting including Measuring and Bitting Course Information | SMS The City & Guilds Assured Certificate in Bridle Fitting Course, including measuring and bitting, is your pathway to becoming a professionally qualified Bridle Fitter.  Developed and delivered by leading industry experts and qualified by The Society of Master Saddlers, this course gives you the k...

Today I had the absolute pleasure of being part of a fantastic event at Badminton Horse Trials, bringing together people from across the equestrian world to share ideas, experiences, and a common goal of improving equine welfare and understanding.

One of the highlights of the day was Kathryn Nankervis’ presentation exploring the research relationship between the Worshipful Company of Saddlers, The Society, and Hartpury University. The conversations throughout the day highlighted just how valuable collaboration can be when different skills, knowledge, and perspectives are brought together.

It really reinforced for me the importance of teamwork and community within the horse world. We often talk about “multidisciplinary teams,” and in practice that means professionals from different backgrounds working together — saddlers, fitters, vets, physiotherapists, trainers, riders, researchers, farriers, and many others — each contributing their expertise to achieve the best possible outcome for the horse.

No single person or profession has all the answers in isolation, but when people are willing to listen, share knowledge, and work collaboratively, we create far better outcomes than we ever could alone.

So, which teams or communities are you part of that help make life, work, or the horse world better?