03/06/2025
TEMPLATING ✍️
What is it and why SHOULD your fitter be doing it!
So you might’ve seen your fitter get a bendy thing and a pen and do some magic and end up with a drawing? This is a template ( or tracing). A template is essentially a record of the shape of the horse on the day. Usually taken at 4 fingers behind the scapula then 4 fingers behind that, then at the last rib and a wither profile. This provides information to the fitter as to any unevenness or atrophy and the general shape of your horse. Fitters should be doing this EVERY time (YES EVERY TIME!)
On the first go this may seem like a fairly pointless exercise as it is just a drawing of your horses back shape? But from a fitters perspective this does contain useful information, and really comes into its own when you retemplate - especially if you have changed the saddle!
This is Sols template - I first saw Sol around 7/8 months ago where I had to break the news to his poor owner Amy, that the saddles she had were actually causing him some significant discomfort and really weren’t workable for him at all! Alongside physiotherapy, and new saddles for Sol over the span of this time - look at the difference in his template (blue line is February, black line was 1st June)
This template shows me that he’s really working properly over his topline now - his core is enaging and lifting through. It’s by no means perfect and Sol is a 19yo ex racehorse with hock Arthritis (anyone who can tell me which hock is worse from the template gets a gold 🌟) so he will never be completely round, but it’s a huge improvement.
Well done Amy & Sol!
