Orion Saddles

08/06/2026

🐴 A question for horse owners…

If you could buy ONE saddle that adapted with your horse through changes in shape, muscle development, fitness, age and workload…

Would you?

👍 Yes
🤔 Not sure
👎 No

Most of us expect to replace saddles as our horses change. But what if your saddle could change too?

That’s one of the reasons I love working with SMART Saddles

Their flexible saddle system is designed to move with the horse and can be adjusted as your horse develops, helping provide a long-term solution rather than a temporary fix.

For young horses growing and changing shape…
For horses returning from injury…
For veterans losing topline…
For horses in regular work building muscle…

A SMART Saddle can often adapt alongside them.

So tell me…

👇 How many saddles has your horse had in the last 5 years?

And if you’re curious whether a Smart Saddle could work for your horse, send me a message to arrange a consultation.

05/06/2026

Are you still thinking about trying a new SMART Saddles? Take a look at this…

Fabulous start to the season for another happy client putting their new Hunter Jump by Smart Saddles through its paces at their first Trec competition of the year in Devon.

🐎 Stella seems a lot more comfortable too putting best her foot forward and gaining a first place rosette! 🏵️

Photo credit to https://dellsphotography.pixieset.com/

03/06/2026

🌟 Gloucestershire 🌟

I have one slot early morning for 18th June for Gloucestershire!

Make the most of shared travel.

If you’re in need of a check on you SMART Saddles or any other saddle.

Or if you’d like to trial a Smart please get in touch today.

If you’re in Lacock area I have one maybe two slots for the late afternoon of 18th June on the way home!

03/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/18p38EXpWg/?mibextid=wwXIfr

This!

If I see something unusual with your horse I will always ask about their history and if they’ve seen a vet. If the vet has not been I will refer you and stop the saddle fitting.

I will not fit a saddle to a lame horse, it isn’t fair on the horse and it is potentially unsafe for the rider!

Horses do not have a voice and I feel I have to be that voice from time to time.

Please do not take offence, I’m only trying to help.

Horses welfare is the absolute top of my priority list when I’m saddle fitting!

*** IF YOUR HORSE IS LAME IN WALK, YOU NEED TO CALL YOUR VET! ***

This really shouldn’t need any explanation, but following a message I was sent last night, it clearly does.

If your horse is lame at all, you need to call your vet. Do NOT just give your horse some Bute (or any other pain relief) without a diagnosis, as you may not be able to save the horse by leaving it 24 hours whilst masking the lameness with pain relief. That’s not being dramatic. You need a diagnosis.

If your horse is obviously LAME IN WALK, it is a SAME DAY EMERGENCY. At the very least, he/she needs pain relief!

A horse will very rarely look lame in canter, so it’s extremely unlikely you’ll be able to see a lameness in canter, even if you can see it in walk.

A horse in extreme pain, with an obvious lameness in walk, will still canter across a field if he/she is spooked, or even to get to their friends. This doesn’t mean the horse isn’t in pain!

A horse cannot “fake” a lameness. Not even MY horses are that intelligent 😉

I could write a book on this, but I don’t want the important message to get lost….

IF YOUR HORSE IS OBVIOUSLY LAME IN WALK, YOU MUST CALL YOUR VET THAT SAME DAY.

IF YOU LEAVE A HORSE HOPPING LAME, YOU ARE CAUSING UNNECESSARY SUFFERING, WHICH IS A PROSECUTABLE OFFENCE.

Please share, as I honestly cannot believe anyone would leave a horse on three legs, without calling their vet, and yet it continues to happen.

NB. Yes, your farrier may be able to help if it’s definitely a foot abscess, but your horse will still need some pain relief, and your farrier isn’t obliged to attend urgently, as vets are!

Unrelated photo of George, qualifying for the National Show Jumping Championships as a 6yo!

07/05/2026

Are you at Badminton Horse Trials this week?

If you are and see me around come and say “hi!”.

I’ll be there with Montague Saddles - Julie Knaggs today!

What are you shopping for?

Who are you excited to see ride?

23/04/2026

South Wales clients, I’ll be in your area on 1st June and have consultation appointments available.

This is a great chance to make use of discounted travel rates while I’m nearby.

I offer professional saddle fitting consultations with access to SMART Saddles and Cavaletti Collection, helping horse and rider find the right fit for comfort, balance and performance.

If you’ve been thinking about booking, now is the perfect time to get in touch and secure a space.

21/04/2026

Behavioural issues in horses are rarely “just bad behaviour”. They are often communication.

As a holistic saddle fitter, I always look at the bigger picture. Saddle fit can absolutely play a part in behavioural changes, from the subtle signs that are easy to miss through to the dramatic reactions that are impossible to ignore.

Sometimes it may be small clues such as difficulty standing still to be mounted, ears back when the saddle appears, reluctance to move forward, tension through the back, hollowing, tail swishing or a change in way of going. Other times it can escalate to rearing, bucking, bolting, napping or refusing work altogether.

A poorly fitting saddle can create pressure, restriction and discomfort, but it is not always the whole story. Lameness, muscular soreness, dental issues, gastric discomfort, hormonal changes and mental wellbeing can all influence behaviour too. Horses carrying pain, stress or anxiety will often show it in the only way they can.

That is why a holistic approach matters. Rather than simply blaming behaviour or assuming the saddle is the only cause, I assess the horse as an individual. Movement, posture, muscle development, saddle balance, rider influence and the horse’s overall comfort all deserve consideration.

If I feel the issue may go beyond saddle fit, I will often refer horses back to a vet, physio or other trusted equine professional. Working together gives the horse the best chance of comfort, soundness and long term success.

When we listen to the signs early, we often prevent bigger problems later.

If your horse’s behaviour has changed, there is always a reason. They are not being difficult. They are trying to tell us something.

Orion Saddles
Holistic Saddle Fitting with your horse at the centre

available for test rides

09/04/2026

✨Did you know? ✨

Saddle fitting has been my world for around 15 years now, which still feels a bit surreal to say. Horses have always been a huge part of my life.

I’ve never been much a of a competitive rider, I’ve always focused of the relationship between me and my horse. I approach saddle fitting in much the same way. It’s not all about sales and “fashionable” brands. It’s always been about what’s right for the horse even if it’s the cheaper less profitable option for me!

🎠I started saddle fitting with the intention of helping people like me, those that perhaps didn’t have the biggest budget or want to go out competing. They just want the best for their horses.

🐎My journey in saddle fitting started with a very early “Ansur” saddle, that came with a horse I bought. It was great for that horse but the next horse I bought didn’t get on with it. I then met Lavinia Mitchell, who allowed me to shadow her and she trained me.

🐴I went on to develop my knowledge through a Introductory Saddle Fitting course and the Flocking module with the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) and have passed the SMS reflocking exam.

🏇Over the years I’ve worked with a range of brands including Amerigo, Equipe, Bliss of London, Cavaletti and SMART Saddles. This has given me a broad understanding of different saddle designs and how they work for different horses and riders.

👩🏻‍🏫 I’ve continued to invest in further education, including horse dissections and physio shadow days, to better understand how horse and rider affect the saddle.
As well as my background in Equine science which of course has guided me infinitely.

Saddle fit to me will always be horse led, I do not rush consultations, decisions or discussions.

Get in touch today if you feel I can help you.

I work with SMART Saddles and Cavaletti Collection

I’m also happy to check the fit of your current saddle regardless of brand.

Photos of some of my horses and I over the years.

28/03/2026

I found something really special this week.

📷 Photos of my first horse. Fletcher.

I truly thought I didn’t have any. When I found them tucked away I cried. Proper tears. It took me straight back.

🐴 Fletcher was my first horse as a teenager and he was… not easy. He loved a buck, had a rear in him, and definitely kept me on my toes. At the time I thought I just needed to ride better, be tougher, figure it out. In many ways, he did teach me to ride. He taught me feel, timing, determination, and a fair bit about picking yourself back up again.

Looking back now, with everything I know about saddle fit, I can’t help but wonder how much of his behaviour was actually him trying to tell us something.

We don’t know what we don’t know.

I came from a non horsey family and we did what we believed was right at the time. We got a saddle fitter out, bought the saddle they sold us, and trusted that it was correct. There was no reason not to. Now I understand just how much more there is to it. How much the wrong fit can affect a horse’s way of going, their comfort, their behaviour, and their whole experience of being ridden.

It’s a strange feeling looking back with new knowledge. A mix of gratitude for what they taught us and a quiet question of what we might have done differently if we’d known then what we know now.

Fletcher shaped so much of who I am today, both as a rider and in the work I do now. Finding those photos has reminded me just how important those first horses are. They stay with us.

I’d love to hear about yours.

Who was your first horse? What did they teach you? If you have photos, please share them in the comments. There is something really special about those early memories. 🤍

25/03/2026

✨ Horse owners… this might be new to you ✨

Have you heard of ?

They have been around for years… and are trusted by everyone from happy hackers to event riders.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I always look at the whole horse… not just what’s sitting on their back. Movement, comfort, behaviour, muscle development… it all plays a part.

That’s why I love working with SMART Saddles.

They’re designed very differently to traditional saddles. Fully flexible, no rigid tree, and made to move with your horse rather than restrict them.

From a holistic point of view, they can:
✨ Allow the back to lift and move more freely
✨ Adapt as your horse changes shape over time
✨ Support better comfort and muscle development
✨ Help with those horses that are just… tricky to fit

If you’re curious, or you’ve been having ongoing saddle concerns, feel free to pop me a message and we can chat about whether they might be worth exploring for your horse.

Kerry
Orion Saddles💜