We would like to share our news, thoughts and

what's going on in the LM world....

What design of knee block is right for you?

Taking that little bit of time to look after yourself can have a huge positive impact on your riding and your horse’s overall wellbeing.

Every year we spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds on our horses’ treatments, fitness and equipment to make sure they have everything to keep them in tip top condition, however, how many of us put the same effort into our own fitness and wellbeing? 

We know most of us keep our horses on a budget but investing in our own fitness and alignment can save you money in the long run, as a more balanced horse is less susceptible to injury when being ridden.

As a fitter, straighter, better-balanced rider we can aid and support the horse in how they move on the flat and when in the air, allowing the horse to develop a stronger more balanced back, intern improving performance.

It’s not just physical, looking after our own mental health is also super important. Practising mindfulness or breathing techniques will help improve your confidence in the saddle, being in the moment and controlling your nerves while learning you can only control the controllables. Breathing is the being of everything!

When working with horses you never stop learning, so to keep all our Consultants at the top of their game we have quarterly education/ CPD weekends to allow everyone to share their knowledge and experience and offer additional training.

Saturday kicked off with the team being joined by Emily from E Equine Mechanical Horse. Emily has an in-depth knowledge when it comes to rider biomechanics and how to find your neutral seat, bringing out the best in any rider.  She shared her philosophy on rider position and with Millie’s help (mechanical horse) demonstrated the influence your seat has on each gait, and how by doing less achieves more.

This also gave us time to complete continued detailed research into the rider’s position in an LM saddle, and look at how you can shim a rider to fit the horse to assist with rider injury or imbalance. By using the movable knee blocks and padding out parts of the seat using thin shims allowed for better rider harmony, all without compromising the fit or balance of the saddle.

Day two looked at more rider physiology and knowledge sharing, focusing on rider biomechanics with Pilates and stretching, nutrition, body work and meditation.

LM consultants are not just saddle fitters they help their clients look at the big picture and what is going on underneath the saddle to create a more harmonious partnership.

Everyone went home totally empowered by the knowledge they had learnt, now to put it into practice.

May 2024

LM on tour

Before Covid, Jemma would make regular trips to France and the Netherlands to consult and fit saddles. Now with Covid over and Jemma getting back to good health, she is off on her European tour once more in June. The plan will be to hopefully make quarterly visits to Europe to see clients, with the first stop being France. Once regular trips are reestablished, Jemma and Mario will aim to do these trips in the LM Van. We are delighted to announce that they have already had interest in Germany.

Also off on her travels is our wonderful Ameilia Poole who is off to Belgium to teach a Masterclass in Horsemanship and True Balance in July.

We are so lucky to have such highly experienced and qualified horsewomen as our saddle consultants.

If you are a European client and would like a visit, please get in touch

We are commonly asked why do we not stock other brands of saddle? The explanation is simple.

As independent saddle fitters and designers we have a base range of innovative saddles that have been designed through many years of biomechanical research and rider testing to create a saddle that offers the horse the ability to move and develop their ‘best back’, while putting the rider in the most balanced position.

This is only achieved by a detailed saddle consultation to assess the best design to match the horses’ confirmation, discipline and rider physiology.

A great example of this comes when saddling native breeds, Welshies, Haflingers, and short back cobs where a shorter panelled saddle is required to accommodate back length, while still keeping the seat size for the rider. 

Over the last few years, we have been saddling more PRE horses who need a slightly different design to allow for their extravagant movement and compact body. 

In both cases allowing for a wider panel to fit a shorter but rounder back, allows for better weight distribution when the rider is on board without compromising on balance and stability. These small changes can have a dramatic positive impact on both horse and rider.

When it comes to the rider there are also many small design 'tweaks’ we can make to ensure the most balanced and connected fit.

For example: Rider leg length and height is a huge consideration when looking at the best design. The length of a saddle flap, position and size of knee block can all influence how a riders leg sits and how it effects their position and balance, and in turn automatically improves the horse way of going. Better balanced rider, better balanced horse.

So…. back to the original question… we have made a conscious decision to not to stock other brands of saddles because we believe we have the innovative design options to fit your horse and we can guarantee quality, balance and affordability. We know where each of our saddles comes from, the materials that have been used and the person who has made it. From conception to creation to sitting it on your horse’s back, we know the journey your saddle has been on to get to you with no compromise on quality and workmanship. Plus, we believe in our product and have a passion for the service we provide.

Most of our clients purchase a saddle for the life of that horse and beyond. Through regular saddle checks, flocking and shimming you won’t need to keep swapping in saddles for the slightest body change, but have the tools to make subtle changes to improve balance and performance.

April 2024

Let’s talk about the true cost of saddles.

In a world where the cost of living is constantly increasing, how do we stay in business without upsetting our clients, while still supporting our UK economy and keeping the lights on. 

At LM we pride ourselves in using British saddle makers to create our beautiful standard and bespoke saddles. We believe that supporting the UK economy will help save the wonderful art of saddle making in the UK for years to come. Saddle making is a skilled job and as such we need generations of apprentices working to learn their trade to keep the art alive. 

Since Covid and leaving the EU the cost of creating a saddle has gone up by over 20% this includes saddle materials, cutting and stitching equipment, fuel prices and the general cost of living, and all this before it has even left the workshop for delivery. 

At the end of 2023 we had to make the tough decision to increase the prices of our saddles to cover part of the increase to us.

In comparison to many big brands, we only make a very small mark up on our saddles, which gets swallowed up by our daily running costs etc. We believe passionately in our integrity and the service that is just as, if not more important than the sale of any saddle. Our goal is to offer affordable, balanced, beautifully designed and made saddles to all horses and owners, not to just the elite riders. Every horse and rider deserves to be comfortable in their saddle, have excellent after care and ongoing service.

However, on a recent market survey we are still under the average cost of a new saddle in the UK (Average cost a new saddle in 2023 was £2750) 

As our saddles are made in the UK they do cost a little bit more than buying from abroad, but they are crafted by skilled workers who are paid a fair wage, in good working conditions and all materials have been ethically and substantially sourced. 

Without us supporting British made products, companies can’t afford to stay in business, employ staff and train the next generation. 

We have seen a huge shift throughout the industry over the years from fast fashion to saddles being made oversee for a fraction of the price, yet the products are still being priced more than if it was made in the UK. This is meaning that the quality of British products is getting devalued, is being pushed oversees and therefore we are sadly seeing the possible loss of manufacturers that have been renowned for producing quality products that are made to last and what they are renowned for.

However, we stand strong alongside our UK manufacturers and believe in mindful purchasing, where you buy quality once and it last for years to come alongside an excellent service.