Estride Harmony and the International Academy of Saddle Fitters
Estride Harmony is used in professional saddle fitting by the International Academy of Saddle Fitters, turning saddle fit from something judged by eye and hand into something measured, recorded and shown to the client.
About the IASF
The International Academy of Saddle Fitters, IASF for short, specialises in delivering high-quality saddle fitting courses to develop the next generation of world-class saddle fitters. With a passion and focus on equine welfare, their team of industry experts has years of experience teaching and working within the saddle fitting industry.
Their courses run as a structured four-stage pathway, so students can join at whatever stage suits them — from a refresher on the basics through to advanced practice — and progress to accredited qualifications recognised across the equine industry.
- Industry-leading expertise — taught by recognised leaders in equine welfare and saddle fitting
- Recognised certification — accredited qualifications respected across the industry
- Equine welfare at the heart — an organisation driven by a passion for horse welfare
- Clear steps to a new career — a structured four-stage pathway from beginner to professional
Visit the International Academy of Saddle Fitters →
Why pressure measurement matters in professional fitting
A saddle that looks correct standing still can behave very differently under a rider in motion. Pressure that cannot be seen, or felt through a hand, builds into sore backs, resistance, shortened stride and over time lameness that gets attributed to everything except the saddle.
Harmony records pressure across the whole panel through every pace, so a fitter can:
- Show the client what is happening rather than describe it. A heat map is harder to argue with than an opinion.
- Compare before and after a flocking adjustment or a change of saddle, within the same session.
- Identify bridging and pressure concentration that a static check cannot reveal.
- Separate saddle problems from rider problems, since the mat records the rider’s effect as well as the saddle’s.
- Keep an objective record of each fitting, which matters when a horse is shared between a vet, a physiotherapist and an owner.
See how it works
A walkthrough of Harmony in use: fitting the mat, recording a session, and reading the resulting pressure map.
In practice
“We teach students to use their hands and their eyes first, and that does not change. What Harmony adds is a way to check what you have concluded — and to show a student the difference between a saddle that looks level and one that actually loads evenly.”
Lisa Fay, International Academy of Saddle Fitters
Using Estride Harmony in professional fitting for several years
Training to fit, and fitting with data
Estride works with the IASF to put objective pressure measurement into the hands of qualified fitters. If you are training as a saddle fitter, or already practising and considering adding pressure measurement to your service, we are happy to talk through what the equipment does and does not tell you.
See how Estride Harmony works →
Talk to us about professional use →