The Refined Equine LLC

Consultations- These services are combined during a standard fit session:

Equine Back Evaluation- Your horse's general physical condition will be evaluated, with focus on the back to see whether or not your saddle may be causing problems. Measurements will be taken and templates made of the shape of the back for use in fitting a saddle. All documents will be scanned and saved in PDF format for your conveneince.

Saddle Evaluation- Your saddle will be carefully and thoroughly inspected for proper fit using the templates custom made from your horse's measurements. We will check saddle construction and wear on the panels, skirts,and billets. Recommendations on adjustments and repair to your saddle will be discussed. Saddle will be evaluated off the horse, on the horse, and with rider up.

• Repair and Reflocking- After inspecting your saddle, it may be found in need of work to ensure safety or customize the fit to your horse.

Flock Lift- Relatively new saddles might just require a light refreshing to maintain shape. New wool flock will be used to lift the existing flock in the panels to ensure consistent contact with your horse's back. This is the most common type of service for saddles that are properly and regularly maintained.

Partial Flock- It may be found that the flocking in the twist, pommel, or knee roll areas is in need of replacement due to uneven wear or excessive pressure( jumping is the most common cause, as is an imbalanced rider).

Full Flock- If your saddle is older, used often, or used on several different horses, it may be in need of a full reflocking. The saddle will be taken apart and inspected for damage. Repairs will be made as needed and discussed. The old flocking will be removed from the panels, the saddle will be sewn back onto the tree, and the panels re-flocked with top quality white wool. If you have had the Horse Back Evaluation done, the saddle will be flocked to fit the templates to guarantee the best possible fit to your horse. Includes a complimentary touch up service to check fit and wear after 20 hours of use.

Western saddles-  Many brands of saddles can have shims put between the tree and the panels to make adjustments as your horse changes with age or condition.

Repair- Minor repair can be done with a fast turn-around time. Billet replacement, repair of broken stitching, and popped quilting on knee rolls and panels can all be done. 

Saddle Purchasing Assistance-  Have you found that your saddle cannot be adjusted to fit your horse, or are you are in the market for a saddle? Don't need the frustration, don't have the time to do the running, or don't feel confident in making a purchase without a consultation? We can assist in the process. We can accompany you to tack shops, or can take your horse's templates ourselves and shop for possible saddles to fit. We will run the saddles from the tack shop to your horse and back again if necessary. A tremendous benefit to having a set of templates is that you will have an electronic file to forward to tack shops. They can recieve the templates and the instructions for use and tell you if it's worth the trip out!

We now offer thermographic imaging! If you have lameness issues, such as a possible abcess or tendon strain, our thermal camera can help pinpoint the problem area. It can be a very useful tool in conjunction with xrays. You can check hoof angles for even balance and weight bearing. The image below shows stress on the right front coronary band as well as through the tendons. The farrier was able to correct the angle after a couple shoeings.

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Results and all images will be saved to CD for the client

Saddle is first evaluated for fit and basic adjustments are made if necessary. The rider then will spend 30 minutes on the horse in the saddle with no saddle pad. This will allow for time to let the rider relax and get into their normal point of balance. The saddle is then taken off and scanned for uniformity of contact and adjusted accordingly. The rider re-mounts and tests the use of seat and leg aids to ensure that they are comfortable with the corrections that were made. Thermal images and adjustment results are burned to CD for the client.