Citori Reassessments show how horses backs can recover from ill fitting saddles.

3 June 2005

I brought my first Citori saddle nearly 2 years ago, after having great difficulty finding a saddle to fit my daughters Connemara pony. After Anthea performed an assessment on our pony we finally had a saddle that fitted well. The pony’s performance improved; going on to be South Island Preliminary and then Novice Dressage Champs. I have no doubt the saddle helped greatly. Since then we have had very good back up service from Anthea and Citori.

Regards Janet McLachlan

13 June 2005

I first contacted Anthea about 4 years ago when I began questioning saddle fit on my wee Anglo Arab who was then 21 years of age. She had distinct depressions either side of her wither which I had simply assumed to be normal, as that was how she was when I bought her. She would also try to bite when being girthed up, which I just thought was a bad habit. However, after reading more about muscle wastage and saddle fitting issues, questions arose in my mind...

Anthea was extremely helpful and I began to gain an appreciation for some of the issues I was dealing with. At that stage Anthea wasn't traveling to the Deep South for assessments, and in the meantime on Anthea's recommendation I began riding my mare bareback. To start with I found this difficult, but over the months I gained in confidence and ability until the day I let her run flat out down the beach in only a halter, what a rush, I was ecstatic!

Over the months of riding bareback, I noticed the hollows each side of her wither were filling in as the muscle slowly redeveloped. Here was my first visual proof that those hollows were not normal at all, and her previous saddles had not been fitting correctly.

Anthea then contacted me to say she would be holding a clinic down here - fantastic! I learnt so much at that clinic, what a brilliant experience. And of course it was lovely to meet Anthea in person.

My little mare moved more freely in a Citori than her original saddle, and did not bite when being girthed, so I knew she was happier about it too. Even though I only competed her at low level events (pony club ODEs, SJ etc.), she gave her all to me, and I felt I owed it to her to make her as comfortable as possible. You spend such a large amount of time on their backs, and expect them to perform complex gymnastics, yet not think about the discomfort they may be in while trying their best for you. Although buying a new saddle was a large financial investment for me, I felt that if I expected my little horse to try her best for me, then it was only fair that I should try my best for her.

We had three great seasons together riding in her Citori, she still SJ to 90cm and romped around pre-training XC courses at the age of 24 years.

And one of the best spin-offs from the whole experience was discovering bareback riding! We have such fun honing on our beach rides *grin*

At the age of 25 she began to find competition tiring, and didn't have the stamina that she used to. I felt she deserved to live life a little easier, and she now leads a life of luxury with fun romps down the beach on sunny days.

So last year a new horse joined the scene, a green 7yr old clydieX. This time I could start from scratch without needing to rebuild years of muscle damage, as she hadn't been ridden much in her first few years. I felt the saddle needed to be widened to fit her somewhat larger back, and Anthea came to check and confirm. Now Anthea might come under the guise of a saddle-assessor, but she is also an excellent instructor, and a few tips on riding my new green horse helped us hugely!

Once back with a wider gullet (and still looking like new after 4 years) we got into things... taking on a green horse was a new experience for me, and it was a huge help knowing she could work in comfort in a saddle that gave her the freedom to do what I was asking of her. And do what I asked of her, she did! My little unbalanced greenie that struggled to canter in a circle (let alone on the right lead) learnt fast, and by the end of the season we were SJ 85cm and completed our first pre-training ODE - clear! We are having a most excellent time, and I am really looking forward to next season.

Anthea is an amazing lady, she is a wealth of knowledge - the only problem is that she is always in such demand that her schedule is tight and I am not able to steal her for longer when she comes to visit! *grin*

I would highly recommend attending a clinic or having your horse assessed if you have the opportunity, even if things appear to be fine. The knowledge and understanding gained are invaluable, and your horse will thank you for it!

Cheers. Jo Forreste

Oh boy! We both love the saddle!!

Picked it up on my way to the lesson so didn't really have a chance to let the mare figure out that things were different. Well she figured it out. Warming up I'd trotted over half a dozen cross poles and my instructor (Alan) said "Gee isn't it nice to see this mare so happy for a change!" The mare just got better and better, was jumping with much more technique than she's shown for a while, and then went into "I'm so happy to be here mode" and nearly bucked me off a couple of times out of sheer exuberance. There was none of the really angry behaviour she's been giving me lately. I was grinning like a lunatic all lesson!!

I also found it great. I think I've struggled with those so called 'flat seat jumping saddles' because they tend to tip you forward. I ride pretty upright so always found those things very difficult and uncomfortable. This saddle is really comfortable and leaves me to find my own position.

It is so much better to ride in than those other awful FS Jumping saddles. How on earth those SJ riders manage to school their horses in them is beyond me!

I am increasingly seeing that if I have a couple of your saddles, I would probably never need anything else. Will have to work on that when finances allow!

I certainly am not about to put any other saddle on the mare now!

Diana (Auckland) 1 July 2002

October 2001

I have a lovely mare called Sweetheart. Her name is so apt and she is the type of horse that can be turned out for 4 months and yet when you bring her in she acts just like she had been ridden yesterday. Even though she is now in her teens, I believe she has been like this all her life. Back in January I was convinced she had succumbed to serious arthritis and was beginning to think about semi-retiring her. She struggled to walk out, shuffled down hill and generally seems to find being ridden a bit tough. However her nature would mean that she would always give 110% and never give up trying. I was fortunate to come across an article written by a lady who explained some of the problems she had experienced with her horse Sam and the similarities between her young 4 year old and my ageing mare were frightening. I contacted her and of course this is how I met Anthea. I set about on Anthea's recovery program and monitored Sweeties improvement however towards late April we seem to start going backwards and again began to suspect that arthritis was a major problem. Even riding bareback she was shuffling and had a very short choppy stride. Her trot was disunited and her canter was so rough that we simply did not canter much. I was privileged to have Anthea come and visit in May and the knowledge and experience I gained from her in just a few days is more than some people would learn in a lifetime. I spent some time with Anthea whilst she was running clinics and was amazed at not only her Saddling System and knowledge that she demonstrated time and time again but the improvement of every horse when they were ridden with the Citori. We visited not only some very highly priced competition horses but also some "happy hackers" like myself and I must admit I was a little apprehensive when it came to my turn to show her Sweetie. Anthea did her full assessment of Sweetie, explaining everything as she went and pointed out muscle development/wastage, current saddle assessments and leaving me with a written record of what we had discussed and a taylor-made recovery program for her. I also had a friend with me as an observer who is a selector for Manawatu and has worked with horses for more that 50 years. She also was impressed and humbled by Anthea's knowledge and genuine care and concern for horses. In less than a minute after saddling Sweetie with the Citori she discovered she could move without pain, her walk extended and I could feel her move under me. Pushing her into a trot she was hesitant and then as she gain confidence became so strong and extended that I couldn't keep up with her. Her canter was powerful and smooth - my lovely older mare dropped 10 years in age. I was lucky to spend a couple of days with Anthea's trial saddle and I am still to this day unable to express the difference it made. The only way I can try to explain it is "that I thought I had an old rusty Holden in my paddock and found instead found a Ferrari". I have recently purchased my own beautiful Fenmore Citori and never thought I would have the confidence in myself and my horse to participate in some of the adventures we have been having. It is now me that turns around for home rather than my horse who just wants to keep on going, riding is effortless and I know deep down in my heart that life has become fun and enjoyable for us both again. I owe this all to Anthea and know that words can never express my heartfelt thanks. I look forward to many years with my wonderful mare and know that when the time comes for her to enjoy retirement, my Citori will be enjoying more work with me on my adventures with my 4-legged friends.

Jane
Palmerston North

I met Anthea and the Citori saddle on her first visit to the South Island in July 01.

I had been having major problems trying to find a saddle that was suitable for my 5 year old Tb cross Trakenher who has a wide back. I am fortunate as my horse would let me know if a saddle wasn’t fitting as he would show soreness along his back within 1/2 an hour of being ridden in a saddle. Nearly a year later and not being able to find a saddle suitable and riding mostly bareback I heard about Anthea and the Citori and read some testimonials and thought that I had nothing to lose, so booked in for her clinic. Needless to say, after the clinic I ordered a new Citori saddle.

I have had my Citori now for 3 months and I wouldn’t part with it. It is the most comfortable saddle I have ridden in and from my horses point of view the only saddle that fits him.

Anthea is the only person I know that sells a saddle with the horse's comfort being the up most of importance and not to just make another saddle sale. She is so knowledgeable and only too willing to pass that knowledge on and help others.

I would urge every rider to make an effort, for your horse’s benefit, to attend a Citori clinic even if you think your current saddle fits.

I am pleased to say that I am back riding in a saddle with a happy horse; something I was beginning to think was not possible.

Zena North Canterbury

August 2001

To anyone interested in Anthea Burtons Citori Saddling System.

I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of Anthea Burton staying with me and hosted a series of Citori Saddling Clinics in July 2001.

The Citori Saddling System involves: wasted muscle, how to identify, redevelop wasted/damaged muscle, reading of sweat marks, recovery programs and fitting saddles.

I for one learnt so much in the time Anthea was with us in the South Island. Some of the results shown by the horses were truly amazing. I saw horses savage their owners when they bought their current saddles out, through fear of having this placed on their back and knowing they had to work in them. Horses that bucked and threw themselves around when they were first saddled, the owner thought this was normal. Horses that you couldn't get the girth done up on. Horses that wouldn't lengthen.... The list goes on. All these horses showed a dramatic improvement after being assessed and correctly fitted in a Citori saddle. I saw them lengthen, not buck, there backs came up and softened - working right through (in their current fitting saddles most of their movement stopped at the hocks), the horses head lowered, their strides became longer (like you see them naturally running free/playing in the paddock) I saw happy horses and happy riders.

Just to add to my "Citori" experience - Not once did Anthea put another saddle or saddler down, nor did she enforce the sale of her "Citori Saddle" - It was all for the wellbeing of the horse and the results spoke for themselves. I really look forward to Anthea’s next South Island visit. Keep up your wonderful work Anthea!!

Regards

Tina (animal technician)

August 2001

Dear Anthea

I am writing to say THANK YOU for making the long journey down to the Wairarapa - attending your Saddle Assessment Clinic was the best thing I've done for my horse in a long time. Now I know how to tell if saddles fit - and why they don't fit - and how to assess my horse's back and paces to see the effect of ill-fitting saddles. I think it's invaluable for anyone who owns a horse to know how to measure their own horse's back and to be able to fit a saddle themselves, because often we buy a saddle and it fits the horse for the first little while, but we don't monitor this ourselves (because we don't know how) and often end up riding in an ill-fitting saddle without even knowing it.

It was very interesting that for all three of my horses simply changing the saddle had SUCH a huge effect on their way of going. And that the Citori fitted all three - a very important fact when one's budget is limited, as is mine. The Fenmore Citori I am now riding in is the most beautiful saddle I've ever owned - the workmanship is superb and I can honestly say the quality far surpasses the price I paid. I really feel I got superb value for money. The first week I rode in it I oiled it as you recommended, and then we got caught in a horrendous southerly storm (during a lesson, so we couldn't throw in the towel for the day). The saddle had to be left in the house for the day and I couldn't attend to it until after work - B UT the leather is of such superb quality that I simply wiped off the dirt and oiled it again lightly - and you wouldn't even know it had been completely drenched for an hour (as it had).

But the thing I love about my Citori the best is that my horse's paces are just superb. My old saddle didn't fit him too badly, as you pointed out, but there wasn't room for his muscles to expand during work properly - and the muscle wastage on each side of his (huge) wither meant he couldn't extend under saddle as he could in the paddock. I used to watch him float across the ground and wonder why he didn't show those paces under saddle - I know now it was the saddle, not my riding. I now feel I have such power under me - the contact is even in both hands - he stretches down and lifts his back - something I've never felt him do before.

Here are some thoughts on the first day I rode in the Citori:

Beeches would like to remind everyone that he is a dressage horse after all - he extended when I asked him and you know how the Germans say to start the horses long and low - well he just did it without me asking! But deep - not flat. And stretchy circles - we will get 8's minimum!!!! He kept reaching down for the bit - like horses are supposed to do - we never could - he was always chucking his head up.

He has so much power in the trot too - I almost couldn't sit to it to begin with - what paces!!!! When I sent him to Kallista Field for dressage schooling she had a terrible time with him and while I picked up two ribbons on Angel the very next day (my first ever) she said Beeches needed a lot more work - the only reason I kept on with dressage with him was because she said he had outstanding paces - the challenge was just to keep get him to show them in a dressage arena! Well now I can - I'm going to the next Tielcey and I will even enter an elementary test (although we've only 64 points so we'll just be babies in there!) because I want everyone to say "WOW" to my horse's paces. I am so proud of him - and of you - t hankyou so much for designing this saddle!!

I showed it to my farrier (Colin Brewer - UK Master Farrier) and he thinks it's excellent quality and really liked the wide tree and the panels - he said it wasn't bulky with padding - only where it was needed. He said someone he knows has a horse with a huge wither and they can't get a saddle to fit it, so he'll get them onto me - plus he reshod Beeches with just normal shoes - he won't need the rolled toes anymore, he only stumbled because of the ill-fitting saddle. Can't wait for my Citori sheepskin to arrive - Beeches thinks the green poly pad isn't really worthy of him anymore!

Thankyou so much for designing this saddle, and for putting up with all the trials and tribulations along the way. Just looking in my horses' eyes and seeing them calm and happy while I'm saddling them, and able to lift their backs while I'm riding them, makes it all worthwhile for me.

Margo. Featherston NZ

Assessment of the Canterbury Citori Saddle fitting clinics

Held in Amberley 21 & 22 July 2001

Saddle fitting – What a nightmare!! Well, it USED to be.

I have a 5yr old 5/8 Clydesdale Mare who is very wide as you can imagine and I thought I did the right thing by getting one of our local saddlers to measure her and I had a lovely dressage saddle made. I was not happy with the fit of this saddle from day one and had the saddler out on numerous occasions to adjust it and ended up (I believe) ruining the saddle.

I tried EVERYTHING you can get from the saddleries and nothing fitted. I was at my wits end when I read about the Citori Saddling System on the Internet.

I contacted Anthea and she said she would be happy to venture down to the South Island and help me out. I rallied all my friends up and through word of mouth found a lot of others with the same problem as me. We held two clinics at my place and Anthea did one-on-ones with other people on the Friday (including me) with an additional clinic run in Cust.

My horse didn’t have major muscle wastage (thank goodness) but was slightly wasted on each side of her wither. I rode in my saddle and Anthea assessed my h orse’s movement and then I rode in the Citori.

Well, I am only pleased my husband was there to witness the difference as I know he wouldn’t have believed me if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

My horse is very lazy, doesn’t like to go forward and you only have to think downwards transition and she’s already stopped! When I asked her to trot in the Citori she was OFF!!

I had to grab onto her mane to stay with her, her stride was enormous and the impulsion was incredible. It was embarrassing to be seen riding in front of two strangers, looking like a compete beginner!

She was obviously very happy and free to move ‘naturally’ in this saddle and it was an amazing feeling. I was keenly waiting to see the others who were coming to my place to see if there was the same difference in their horses.

I have to say every horse (10 in total) that came and were ridden in the Citori showed an improvement in their paces. They seemed to grow long front legs as their strides lengthened and they just moved beautifully.

We had one little horse there "PF", he is such a neat horse but built a bit like a barrel on sticks (no wither at all). The improvement in that horse was so amazing that seeing that alone sold me the Citori all over again.

Anthea was brilliant, answering all our many questions and helping us to understand and learn to monitor our horses back and identify muscle wastage.

I can thoroughly recommend the Citori saddle (its lovely) and Anthea’s clinics, even if you think your saddle fits, its worth going along to learn how to assess your horses back and shape.

My Citori saddle arrived the other day and I have had to learn to ride my horse all over again, her stride has lengthened and is so free now that it sure feels different and she is enjoying going forward now. At a mini show the other weekend I was warming up on a loose rein doing extended trot everywhere and the people that know my horse had their mouths hanging open, they couldn’t believe it!!

We tried my Citori on my husband’s horse as well and the difference in him was also amazing so I am saving my lunch money to buy another Citori for him but until then, they will have to learn to share their toys!

Happy riding everyone.

Natalie. Amberley South Island NZ

July 2001

ANTHEA -

Thank you soooo much for being brave and coming to the South Island.

I have had so much great feed back from my people who attended the clinics who also bravely come and faced the wet weather for the benefit of their horses. I am buzzing about the Citori saddles and can't wait for mine to arrive. If anyone out there is having any doubts about their saddles, I can honestly say that the difference in my horse and the other horses that attended the clinics at my place was amazing. No other words can or will describe it.

RED - thank you for all your hard work as well, it was great to finally meet you as well. And last but certainly not least, a HUGE thank you to all the lovely people who expressed an interest and turned up to the clinics with their horses. It was fantastic to meet you all and to see the big smiles on all your faces after riding in the Citori saddles made all the hard work & worrying about the weather worth it!!

Happy riding anyone.

Nat Christchurch

Thank-you for your kind words regarding Winsome, she is a very nice 'little person' and it will be great to be able to make her life easier and more enjoyable.

I expected an improvement with your saddle, but not such an astounding one! It seems amazing to me now that I had not noticed the differences in her movement, and instead had put it down to 'choppy movement' and 'tension', rather than pain and discomfort from narrow points.

I can not believe how difficult the saddle had been making it for her, and look forward to recapturing her natural movement and letting her feel like a 'real horse' again. I only hope that more people check out their saddle fit with you (even if they don't think they have a problem).

I feel that what you are presenting is a breakthrough in terms of comfort for the horse. In my opinion, the 'conventional' approach isn't always right. I guess the only one that can really tell us how his saddle fits is the horse, and my horse told me a whole lot about your saddle - she was very impressed! I wish you all the best for the future and wish to thank you for making your findings available to the rest of us.

Best regards, Karen and Winsome Pauatahanui

Just a quick note to say a huge THANKS, for all your hard work on both Sat & Sunday. I must say that I found your clinic's to be very informative, and you made sense to boot! While I realise that I have quite a way to go before sorting out Dapper's back, at least I now know what the problem is and how to begin fixing it. Can't wait for your recovery notes.

Also, a huge THANK YOU for leaving your saddle with me, I am going to have lots of fun 'playing' with my boy - it is great to be able to ride again! I can see already that I am not going to want to give it back, although ultimately I will need a GP rather than a dressage, as I want to continue to event.

I have had lots of positive feedback from those who attended, all saying that they have learnt a lot and realise what they have to do to make their horses more comfy. You are a breath of fresh air and a saviour to our four legged friends!

Regards Delwyn, Auckland NZ

5 May 2001
The saddle arrived on Saturday as promised. The dressage day was really fun. Orlando was very excitable, so we didn't place, but we got good marks for paces and transitions, which was a real thrill for me because those are the things that we were finding very difficult before the Citori saddle.
I just want to thank you again for sharing your knowledge, especially since I have discovered for myself how some people just don't want to consider the possibility that their horse's problems with movement may be due to their traditionally fitted saddles.
Regards Vanessa, Auckland NZ

29 March 2001

I’ve owned my horse, a typical flat-footed TB, for about 7 months. He tends to be clumsy, and is prone to stumbling and stepping in imaginary holes. I put a lot of this down to his poor feet and ‘natural’ clumsiness. And although generally a sweet-natured horse, he’s very grumpy to saddle; I put this down to the fact that he has had wither sores in the past (before I owned him). He goes quite nicely in the arena, but he tends to fall in on the corners and stumble. He is also often reluctant to step out and really use himself, getting too heavy on the forehand. I put this down to laziness and/or boredom, and rider fault. But I did have the feeling that something wasn’t right (although I had had my saddle professionally fitted only a few months earlier).

Anthea’s clinic showed me how the weight of my current saddle is distributed, and why it has made my horse sore. It presses into his shoulder blades, making weight bearing difficult and movement even more so. It is too narrow in the gullet (though it is ‘medium-wide’) to allow his back to comfortably to carry my weight.

This explanation made a lot of sense to me, but I wasn’t completely convinced until I actually tried the Citori saddle. My horse, after a few moments of getting used to it, began to move forward far more freely. Transitions up and down were much lighter and less laboured. Without any schooling, he suddenly felt far more balanced and supple, and far more even.

I was extremely impressed with the difference in the way my horse went in the Citori saddle.

Vanessa. Auckland NZ

28th March 2001

A few weeks ago we purchased a delightful 14.1hh 16yr old gelding, named Smokey, who was to become our first family pony. Quiet enough for my 9 and 4 year olds to learn on, and a great confidence builder for myself returning to riding after an 8-year break, we could hardly wait for Smokey to arrive. The only vice he appeared to have was a habit of chest biting whilst being saddled, which was apparently due to being ridden, unknown, in a saddle with a broken tree.

After a two-week period of light work, 4-5 times per week, Smokey’s behaviour became less than desirable. Not only did the chest biting become more aggressive whilst being saddled, he also now did not want to be groomed, and made it known he would rather not be caught either! It was rapidly becoming a problem, as I could not trust him around the children. Being unsure as to what was causing this deterioration, I was beginning to worry that I was becoming too negative with him, and perhaps he was actually trying to tell me something was in fact wrong. I could not believe this was the same pony we had bought only 4 weeks ago, and as most caring horse owners do, decided to start down the track of the elimination process.

I therefore decided to start with the basics and have his saddle checked. Initially the thought had not crossed my mind as we had purchased the saddle from the previous owners, who had had his saddle fitted by an expert.

Then Anthea arrived, and we discussed to some depth the points of shoeing, confirmation and behavioural problems we were having with Smokey. Then came the saddle, with teeth bared, Smokey was not keen for this to be put on his back, and after an in-depth explanation from Anthea, it became quickly obvious as to why, it all seemed to make logical sense. It was then suggested we try the Citori. Smokey seemed a bit dubious at first, and then proceeded to settle down quite quickly.

I had never seen such a fast transformation. Both Anthea and myself rode Smokey, and I noticed improvements in him immediately that I hadn’t even noted earlier as being an issue. His ears were pricked and listening, his walk had extended, and I noticed that his trot, rather than becoming faster, was actually extending too! I had thought his lack of forward movement was just perhaps a bit of age and some laziness. He seemed much more at ease and was very willing to perform what was asked. Although still a little stiff the improvement was huge.

The reason his deterioration was occurring so quickly was due to the fact that we were working him more regularly than his previous owner, so it became apparent of his unhappiness much more quickly.

We are extremely grateful for the knowledge shared by Anthea and can only hope that my story will encourage those of you who are unsure, to see and try this for yourselves. I know now that Smokey will continue to improve, and bring our family many more years of pleasure, and become even happier than when we bought him.

Regards W MacKenzie & Smokey, Auckland NZ

28 March 2001

I have a large Andalusian with a roach back.

Though Navah did not complain to a great extent with the saddle I was using, I knew he would be more comfortable in a wider saddle then what I was using.

I had tired other wider saddles on him, but something was not right & he would nap.

I always mounted Navah by using the stirrup, something I will avoid now.

Navah would often fall back into the trot form the canter & found cantering a 20m circle hard work.

When Anthea inspected Navah there was noticeable muscle damage in the wither area from the narrow fitting saddle. There was more damage on the Right Hand Side. This was from a combination of the saddles fitting & mounting from the left side.

Mounting with a stirrup places a lot pressure on the horses withers as you pull your weight up.

We did things a little differently with Navah, by placing the Citori saddle on him first (before riding him in his regular saddle).

As I rode him out!!!

Suddenly!!! I had this power horse under me. His stride lengthened with a lot more activity. I could feel this zest of energy he had acquired from the freedom that the Citori Saddle had given him.

He loved the Citori Saddle & it showed.

We put his regular saddle back on to see if there would be a difference in movement.

I asked for a trot, his head went up in the air & he tired to bolt, something that is out of character for Navah.

I settled him, but he was tense through the back & neck because his current saddle restrictions.

It wasn’t until he discovered the Citori!!! Now he will not settle for anything less than comfort in a saddle.

The other strange thing is Navah will not let me mount using a fence from the near side. But he is happy to stand while I climb up & mount him from the off side. That has to be telling me something.

Wendy & Navah, Auckland NZ

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