Seeing the Saddle Fitter

The saddle fitter was also slated to be in the area the week of my grant, but alas, it was after I headed back home. No matter. She hadn't seen my Fairfax since I bought it from overseas last spring, so I was eager to get her eyes on it. Ruby has been working fine in it, and Mary "virtually" inspected it up on arrival, but a lot can change in almost a year! 

The saddle fitter has actually reduced her clientele and taken a full time job with Takt, but she still comes to my trainer's barn - lucky me!

I did still drool over some of the Takt saddles she showed up with though lol. 

"Jesus weren't we JUST here??"
- Ruby, I'm sure, lol

Ultimately the fit was still pretty good, but Ruby has put on some muscle since last year - she had been in the medium wide gullet (the Fairfax is adjustable using the K&M plates, bless), and it was starting to pinch her shoulders a smidge. The wide was maybe just a teeny bit TOO wide, but it gave her some room to keep growing that topline, so I'll keep using it with a half pad until the next time we see the fitter (or until Ruby expresses opinions about it haha. 

Most of the barn rides in Customs and the fitter praised my Fairfax for being infinitely easier to adjust lol. Although a bit scary to watch her disassemble it! 

We're friends on social media and she knows DH is fairly mechanically inclined, and she warned me to never let him screw in the plates and overtighten them - don't worry, I'm never letting him touch this saddle 🤣🤣

I didn't get a picture but I also had her cut off the middle billet - I use the front and back ones and I'm tired of the middle one just flapping around! 

After she swapped out the gullet plates, it felt good, but not quite perfect. She watched me ride for a bit, then took it to her work station to add a little more flocking on the right. Voila! Riding on it after that felt AMAZING! 

Ruby post-ride

You'd think Penny was the one having a rough day lol.

I'm glad I was able to get up there and see her! DH grumbled a bit but the analogy the fitter used that I related back to him was it's like doing routine maintenance on a car - and we all know he won't let any of our vehicles miss an oil change, haha. 

(Also secretly hoping now that it's wider I might be able to get away with using it on Ruby's momma too!)