We tried a SMART saddle – and - Wow! Revolutionary is all I can say! Where has this saddle been all my life?!
Like others have said “how come everyone doesn't have one a SMARTTM saddle?” I feel I have discovered a magic, secret, hidden gift!
My pony Fran is my life, and I would do anything for her to keep her heathy, comfortable and happy. She is a little 14h Welsh x Arab that I bought to do endurance rides with; four years into our partnership together, she is on fire! Endurance is definitely her calling and she just loves it. However, to do this, I need the saddle to be *perfect* in every way for her.
In the 4 years I have had her, I have been through 4 x different saddles and saddle fitters - none of which have been right. Surely, it shouldn’t be hard to find a correctly fitting saddle for both Fran and after all, we are not in the Olympics! But she is as important to me as if she were. I was at my wits end...
I'm a lightweight adult with long legs and Fran is a 'round' pony, so getting a saddle that fits both me and her is tricky and, as my amazing SMART Advisor explained, the saddle must fit both of us to work in balance.
The SMART Advisor came out with various SMART Saddles to try with no pressure to buy. The try-before-you-buy is a great help; with her calm experience, time and patience, I didn't feel rushed at all.
Within 10 minutes, Fran was snorting and blowing that relaxed, comfortable, working sound. She was bending correctly and smoothly over her back, which usually takes me at least half an hour to achieve. I felt I could wrap my legs round her so much more and ride her like a 'horse rather than a little Thelwell pony. I felt the saddle 'locked ' me into place like a Lego brick, making me feel so much more secure and, in turn, balanced in the saddle. I didn't try another saddle; I knew this was 'the one'. It made riding a totally different experience - I felt like we were at the Olympics.
I was able to trial the saddle on rental for two weeks, which coincided with an endurance ride of 32km and she flew round, clearly a very happy comfortable pony - and the same for the rider!
With our new SMART saddle: As you can see, we’re going for it - in balance together!
My SMART Saddle has been worth every single penny, the fact that you can pay in instalments makes the whole buying-a-new-saddle thing a lot less scary and more manageable.
I cannot tell you how this saddle has revolutionised my riding life. I now know that I can go forward with Fran and my endurance adventures, in confidence, without having the constant worry about the saddle. It is also so lightweight, far easier for me to carry and less weight on her back.
So, my advice to you is: Don’t think twice, just book a test ride and you won’t look back.
The team on the office were also on hand to answer all my many questions and reassure me.
Jo and Fran the pony
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