To meet today’s high standards of fit for both horse and rider, Martin Wilkinson Saddlers provides a second to none saddle fitting service for all
types of horse and pony. We adhere strictly to Society of Master Saddlers guidelines and protocols, always templating your horse at every visit
and keeping those records for several years. You can be assured that the saddles we offer you will be the best for you and your horse both in
terms of design and value for money.
On booking your visit from one of our saddle fitters we will take comprehensive details of both you and your horse so that the van is stocked with
the most suitable saddles for you to try. It may be when we visit you, that we find your horse is an unusual shape and in that case we will order
a customised saddle for you.
We also provide a saddle checking service, mainly for those customers who have bought a saddle from us in the past, and as our saddle fitters are
all also fully qualified Master Saddlers you can be assured that they can alter your saddle on site where appropriate. Larger jobs such as a
total reflock will be taken in to the workshop where tools and facilities are more appropriate.
We also stock a wide range of accessories such as Numnahs, bridles, stirrup leathers, stirrup irons, and our qualified staff are always on hand to advise so that you make the best choice.
Martin Wilkinson Saddlers are also qualified fitters for Fairfax bridles and girths.
Here at Martin Wilkinson Saddlers we are not tied to any particular saddle manufacturer so we can stock those saddles which we think can offer our customers the best in value for money design and fit. We are agents for a wide range of saddle makes (see below) so should be able to find a saddle to fit even the most difficult of horses.
We also stock a small range of quality second hand saddles.
To arrange a fitting visit please phone the shop (01727 821020) or email [email protected] Jenny our diary manager will take down all your details and requirements and will call you back when a fitting or check can be arranged. To be as economical as possible we try to arrange visits in the same area and in a logical sequence to reduce mileage and emissions. Once the day is arranged Jenny will call you again nearer the time to let you know the time of the saddle fitters’ visit.
Please have your horse ready, clean and dry with a bridle on. You - or te horse's handler - should be correctly dressed to handle the horse and ride if necessary. While we like to assist customers as much as possible please be aware that it will not be possible to fit in extra horses once an appointment has been made – we try our hardest to adhere to the times given to our clients, traffic permitting, however, if our fitters are presented with extra horses, this means that other clients times will be delayed.
By Rosemary on Friday, the 2nd of November, 2018
We are absolutely delighted and proud to announce that Martin has been awarded the title Master Saddle Fitter by the Society of Master Saddlers! This is a prestigious new award to recognise the expertise, knowledge and experience of the most senior and talented qualified saddle fitters. So far only six have been awarded and Martin is the only saddle fitter in England to have achieved this accolade. He was one of the first to have been awarded the status Qualified Saddle Fitter and has continued to build on his experience and expertise, researching and designing saddles for manufacturers and customers to ensure the comfort, safety and performance of riders whatever their discipline.
There is nothing more important as a professional rider than being close to your horse and for me riding in an Albion Revelation gives me an ideal feel; but it’s not only the saddle itself - the fitting of the saddle is as important as the equipment itself.
I have worked with Martin for so many years I have lost count, he has a wealth of knowledge and knows exactly what to do to fix any issues I have ever had. He understands precisely what I am saying when I describe the feeling I have and can turn that into practical action.
Martin and his team are responsive and efficient with high standards of workmanship, I wouldn’t use anyone else to support my team at Bayford Hall Farm.
I just wanted to say a massive thank you to yourself, Martin and the whole team at the saddlery. It was a fantastic day thoroughly enjoyed by everyone!
I believe It is so important to us as future vets to have an understanding of how our two professions can work together and we are very grateful to Martin for his role in promoting this.
Martin Wilkinson has been my saddler of choice for many years now and I always find him and his staff very helpful. He is professional and makes excellent suggestions of saddle choice which have improved the way my horses have moved. In recent years, I have used his saddles on horses that I have been riding for owners. I only ride on the flat and compete in riding club and affiliated dressage competitions and my results have improved since using the saddles that Martin has fitted. I have started riding a new horse since May 2017 and competed him for the first time on 15th July 2017 in the Riding Club Area Dressage qualifiers using a newly fitted Kieffer saddle and Fairfax girth. To say the horse's way of going improved is a massive understatement! We competed in 2 classes, finished 3rd in the first class and 6th in the second and ended up qualifying for the Nationals - his owner and I are delighted!
I've been using Martin Wilkinson saddlers for over 8 years now for a range of horses - ranging from my previous event horse, dressage horses and my daughter's ponies. The service has always been excellent and I've always been happy with the selection of saddles available. After a poor experience with a previous saddler, I am confident that Martin always puts the best interest of the horse first and that the saddles he fits are the most suited to them and the rider. We currently have 2 horses and 2 ponies, all of whom wear saddles purchased through Martin Wilkinson ranging from Albion, Prestige, Equipe and Kent and Masters.
My current competition horse, Jenson, who competes British Dressage and British Show jumping has an Albion Kontact Lite jump saddle (purchased as new) and an Albion SLK dressage saddle (purchased second hand) both of which fit him perfectly and he goes extremely well in them.
My daughter's latest pony, Lucky, was an extremely difficult pony to fit as she is rather broad shouldered, was a bit overweight when we got her and my daughter rather petite! She is going very well in her Kent and Masters GP - which is fully adjustable, meaning that when the saddle was last checked we were able to reduce the width once she had lost some weight, with no fuss and minimal cost.
Martin and his team have always provided me with friendly, reliable and prompt service, from fitting saddles, crafting bespoke items and making superb alterations that are far better quality and speed than the manufacturer themselves. My saddles are checked regularly by Martin and I have complete trust and confidence in the service him and the whole team provide.
My highest priority is the well being of my horses, integral to this is their comfort whilst they are training. I place huge importance on looking after their muscoskeletal system, including ensuring that all horses have an appropriate saddle fitted professionally and maintained on a regular basis to the highest standard.
Martin Wilkinson has provided such a service to us for nearly 20 years, taking care of all our saddlery needs. Providing and fitting the best saddles currently on the market to us, always keeping himself informed of new research and development within the industry so that we have access to the leading products available. Martin checks the saddles of our competition horses every six months, adjusting and maintaining where necessary, anything from re-flocking, adjusting a tree to mending a broken bridle.
This support is vital to the ongoing health of our horses and I believe fundamentally important to allowing our horses to perform to their true potential.
happy clients
saddles in stock
years of service
Awards
Martin is a Master Saddler and Society of Master Saddlers Qualified Saddle Fitter. He started Martin Wilkinson Saddlers in 1973 at the height of the first recession and has gone from strength to strength. Now Martin spends most of his time visiting yards to check and supply saddles. He lectures to veterinary students at The Royal Veterinary College on back problems caused by ill fitting saddles and is very active in the Society of Master Saddlers.
Rosemary joined Martin Wilkinson in September 2007 to cover for maternity leave - and has stayed ever since! Rosemary comes from a background in training and development in both the public and private sectors. She has run her own management development consultancy, Rosemary Neale and Associates, providing management training and consultancy in the UK and overseas. Rosemary now oversees the HR and administration functions. She owns two ponies and competes in Horse Driving Trials and Private Driving showing classes.
Kate joined us in 2007 and is a fully qualified Master Saddler and Saddle fitter, and spends her time visiting customers and their horses to supply new saddles and also to solve saddle fitting problems. She regularly updates her saddle knowledge keeping up with new designs to give customers the best advice for which saddle is suitable for them and their horse.
Jenny Gray-Wallis, MCAM (OCEPT), is a fully qualified and insured McTimoney-Corley Animal Manipulator and equine spinal therapist and now brings these skills to Martin Wilkinson Saddlers to provide a specialist service to our customers. She also runs the diary for our saddle fitters, trying to get appointments for you as soon as is practically possible. Jenny owns her own horse Mouse and has evented up to a high level, having previously been head travelling groom for the British Junior Eventing team.
Nicole joined Martin Wilkinson in 2015 as a bench saddler but has progressed to become and Master Saddler and Qualified Saddle Fitter. Nicole is also a qualified fitter for the Fairfax range of bridles and girths.
Szilvia joined us in 2010 from Capel Manor College where she had undertaken her initial saddlery training and is now a fully qualified Master Saddler. Szylvia undertakes all the alteration and repair work to saddles and bridles and even takes on handbags as well. Nothing seems to phase her and faced with the most difficult repair or bespoke work Szilvia sets to and makes a beautiful job of it.
Martin Wilkinson Master Saddler
Coursers Farm, Coursers Road
Colney Heath, St Albans, Herts AL4 0PG
