Piggy-Bank-with-coinsI cannot believe how quickly the summer is passing us by. It seems the older I get, the faster time goes. Does anyone else notice this?

It’s almost time for back to school and if you are parents like me, it’s a stressful time with budgeting and buying stuff for the kids going back. My girls are now out of that age and (more or less!) on their own, but given that our oldest has just gotten engaged and both an engagement party and a wedding are looming in the next year, we are back to budgeting with a vengeance.

But I digress somewhat… Given that your saddle is probably going to be the second most expensive purchase you will make when riding (after your horse – and sometimes it will even be more than your horse!), the price of the saddle is always of concern. We often come to saddle fitting clinics and hear things like “my budget is $1,000” or “I’m only looking for a good used saddle”. These are both very valid statements. The reason someone has made an appointment in the first place is often just to learn and to see whether or not their saddle fits or can be made to fit their horse.

I often get this reaction when I am in a barn doing saddle fit sessions for our clients and someone comes by to watch: “I’d love to buy a Schleese saddle, but they’re just too expensive.” We like to think that there is value in buying something that you can keep over the course of your horse’s life and development (As a matter of fact, we like to think that this is actually very environmentally responsible as well – don’t throw your saddle out; adjust it and keep it working for you!). Read the full article here.

~ Jochen Schleese CMS, CSFT, CSE, courtesy of Saddlefit 4 Life