# Saddle fitter in Hampshire recommendations



## greenbean10 (14 January 2021)

Is there anyone who could recommend a good saddle fitter in Hampshire? My saddle needs urgent seeing to! Bonus if they are still doing saddle checks during lockdown as I know many aren't.

Thank you in advance.


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## pistolpete (14 January 2021)

Julie Knaggs. Montague saddles. She’s great.


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## planete (14 January 2021)

Clare Barnett, master saddler and qualified fitter.  Bearhouse saddlery in Fordingbridge.


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## JennBags (14 January 2021)

Georgina Davidge covers Hampshire and Sussex, she's great.


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## greenbean10 (14 January 2021)

Thank you all!


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## Baywonder (15 January 2021)

Tom Blachford at L For Leather in the New Forest is fantastic.


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## greenbean10 (15 January 2021)

Baywonder said:



			Tom Blachford at L For Leather in the New Forest is fantastic.  

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Thank you! Did he used to work for Martin Andrews? I think I have had him before and was really impressed. I have used Martin Andrews a few times and found them great but I believe they're not open at the moment due to COVID.


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## Baywonder (15 January 2021)

greenbean10 said:



			Thank you! Did he used to work for Martin Andrews? I think I have had him before and was really impressed. I have used Martin Andrews a few times and found them great but I believe they're not open at the moment due to COVID.
		
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Yes, Tom did work for Martin Andrews!  My DH spoke to Tom this morning actually - he is still working, but he has reduced the days per week he is going out etc.  Might be worth giving Tom a call to see if he can slot you in somewhere.

FWIW, I really do like Tom - he is a good, honest, down-to-earth chap - and these days that is a huge bonus!


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## ownedbyaconnie (15 January 2021)

I haven't used Georgina Davidge but she fits for AH (which is what I have) and I've only ever heard good things about her.


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## greenbean10 (15 January 2021)

Baywonder said:



			Yes, Tom did work for Martin Andrews!  My DH spoke to Tom this morning actually - he is still working, but he has reduced the days per week he is going out etc.  Might be worth giving Tom a call to see if he can slot you in somewhere.

FWIW, I really do like Tom - he is a good, honest, down-to-earth chap - and these days that is a huge bonus!  

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Brilliant, I will get in touch with him. And yes, from what I remember he was friendly which is a bonus! Thank you.


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## greenbean10 (15 January 2021)

ownedbyaconnie said:



			I haven't used Georgina Davidge but she fits for AH (which is what I have) and I've only ever heard good things about her.
		
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Thank you. I am amazed I have a few options now, I have been struggling to find a good saddle fitter for the last year - should have just asked here in the first place


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## Peregrine Falcon (15 January 2021)

Chrissy Radford is another to consider. I've used her for a number of years.


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## Sprout (15 January 2021)

Another vote for Tom, he came out to me this week to fit a long awaited new saddle.


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## dreams579 (15 January 2021)

pistolpete said:



			Julie Knaggs. Montague saddles. She’s great.
		
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Second this, couldn’t rate Julie highly enough. She’s got a truly holistic way of looking at the whole horse and how it moves and behaves, from feet, teeth, body in general, feed. She’ll delve into it all and then work out what that means in terms of saddle fit for you and the horse. Great at rehab work or performance horses. And you always come away having learnt so much from her. I would never use anyone else now - if I moved up to Scotland, I’d pay the cost of flying her! She’s that good!


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## greenbean10 (15 January 2021)

dreams579 said:



			Second this, couldn’t rate Julie highly enough. She’s got a truly holistic way of looking at the whole horse and how it moves and behaves, from feet, teeth, body in general, feed. She’ll delve into it all and then work out what that means in terms of saddle fit for you and the horse. Great at rehab work or performance horses. And you always come away having learnt so much from her. I would never use anyone else now - if I moved up to Scotland, I’d pay the cost of flying her! She’s that good!
		
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Amazing! Thank you so much she sounds brilliant


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## dreams579 (22 January 2021)

greenbean10 said:



			Amazing! Thank you so much she sounds brilliant
		
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She really is!


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## Tash88 (10 February 2021)

I did have Julie Knaggs before, she fitted my Lavinia Mitchell saddle and checked it a few times afterwards and I like the way she fits saddles, but I would never have her again as she hurt my horse and was completely disrespectful to me during an appointment. I'd had a disagreement with one of her friends (who was also my YO at the time), nothing to do with her and it was resolved, but she got herself involved and I think took it out on my horse and I. With her a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and although her saddle fitting and bit of the biomechanics stuff is good, the rest isn't. My horse was unhappy for days after he'd seen her and only truly better after a massage session. Both my YO and the lady who does my horse's massages (who also knows Julie) said I was right to be upset with her. 

I complained to Lavinia Mitchell about her and got a very sympathetic email back, but unfortunately she is no longer a direct rep for them so they couldn't do anything. She isn't a master saddler either so I couldn't complain to the association. But I would never recommend her as a saddler, or as anything else really. 

Helen Dart of Bookham Saddlery is great (I'll be going back to her), and I've also heard good things about Debbie Boylan.


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## Prunella52 (26 June 2021)

Tash88 said:



			I did have Julie Knaggs before, she fitted my Lavinia Mitchell saddle and checked it a few times afterwards and I like the way she fits saddles, but I would never have her again as she hurt my horse and was completely disrespectful to me during an appointment. I'd had a disagreement with one of her friends (who was also my YO at the time), nothing to do with her and it was resolved, but she got herself involved and I think took it out on my horse and I. With her a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and although her saddle fitting and bit of the biomechanics stuff is good, the rest isn't. My horse was unhappy for days after he'd seen her and only truly better after a massage session. Both my YO and the lady who does my horse's massages (who also knows Julie) said I was right to be upset with her.

I complained to Lavinia Mitchell about her and got a very sympathetic email back, but unfortunately she is no longer a direct rep for them so they couldn't do anything. She isn't a master saddler either so I couldn't complain to the association. But I would never recommend her as a saddler, or as anything else really.

Helen Dart of Bookham Saddlery is great (I'll be going back to her), and I've also heard good things about Debbie Boylan.
		
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oh dear sorry to hear that I tried to contact her she e mailed once and then she never rang back or answered the phone strange customer service!


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