Becoming a Saddle Fitter

While doing an extended overland backpacking trip in Africa I met my New Zealander husband, and not long after that I moved to New Zealand to be with him. I worked in dairy farming, but the hours were dreadful, so when a job came up at Clarke’s Saddlery in Christchurch I took it. It was here that I took a keen interest in becoming a saddler, completing an apprenticeship in making and repairing leather and canvas items, which then led to saddle fitting under the guidance and training of second-generation saddler and saddle fitter Nathan Clarke. To this day I am so thankful for the opportunity that Nathan gave me, as it paved the way to where I am today.

When I was competent enough to take the lead, Nathan went on to follow his dreams and I became the house saddler/saddle fitter at Clarke’s. During my time there I met Josephine Giles Dancy, who was a Society of Master Saddlers Qualified Saddle Fitter from England and owned The National Saddle Center of New Zealand and the NSC brand of saddles. Working with Josephine opened many more doors into the world of saddlery.

In 2007 my husband and I, and our growing family, moved back to Langley, BC. Expecting there to be many local saddle fitters here, I made plans to pursue my dream of becoming a police officer. However, within a month of returning to BC, my phone began to ring with requests for saddle fittings and consultations. After doing some research and realizing that there were no local saddle fitters, I decided to go and get an international saddle fitting qualification in the UK.

The Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) runs a course followed by a serious 2-day exam that you are only allowed to take after 3 years of working with a SMS Qualified Fitter. So off I went to England and after a stressful week (knowing there is a 50% fail rate) I came away with my SMS Qualification. To this day I continue to travel back and forth to the UK, and many other places, to continue my education.

Making it Her Own

Not long after getting my SMS Qualification, I acquired ownership for the NSC brand for North America. At the time, this saddle brand was only available in the UK and New Zealand. As horses all over the world are different shapes and have different needs, and the riders all require different things from saddles, I then began to design saddles for my own NSC line of saddles. These saddles have been successfully selling in BC and Alberta.

In 2014, a USA partnership was formed between myself and good friend Dr. Jennifer Smith of Portland Oregon. Dr. Jennifer Smith, a veterinarian, and I became friends after being introduced as she was looking for saddle fitting training. We launched NSC USA (www.nationalsaddlecentreusa.com) and now have a thriving business supplying saddles and NSC products all over the US. Jennifer and I talk multiple times a week as each other’s sounding board in the lonely and complicated world of saddle fitting.

Over the past 20 years I have gone from a top level eventer to a fully immersed dressage rider and two years ago I “accidentally” went back to eventing. This started after taking up fox hunting on my friend’s Canadian gelding. I got the taste of jumping and galloping again and when summer rolled around I decided to join my daughters out eventing. I ended up taking over the Canadian gelding,  Jack, and now am slowly moving up the levels.

Having spent 10 years in Langley, BC riding only in the dressage world it allowed me to get to know all the trainers of the area. I listened to what they wanted, I watched their horses and riding styles, and formed bonds and relationships. To this day, the respect flows both ways and NSC has secured ambassadorships with most of BC’s top dressage riders. We are working with a few top eventing riders as well and are super excited to get more into the eventing circuit and jumper world.

I have spent a lot of time working with and training saddle fitters in the US and Canada. I love to share my knowledge and learn from other working saddle fitters. As a saddle fitter and saddler there is a lot that I can do to saddles that other saddle fitters may not able to offer. My unique skills and experience set me apart as a specialist in saddle alterations, flocking and adjusting saddles for difficult-to-fit horses.

My approach is to look at every saddle fit as a challenge and to find how I can take a given saddle, horse and rider combination and make it the best that it can be.

Book A Saddle Fitting

Saddle fittings offered throughout BC, including Vancouver Island, and across Alberta, with my fully equipped cube van, SAM.