I'd Rather Be Honest With You Than Take Your Money.

Why walking away might be the clearest sign of a practitioner doing their job...

Every so often, a post appears online that makes you stop scrolling:

Recently, Jess Parsons Equine Performance shared that in the space of just three weeks, she had turned away six saddle sales and stopped fittings mid-session because the horses in front of her were not one hundred per cent. Her reasoning was simple: no saddle, however well fitted, was going to solve a deeper issue already present in the horse. So instead of continuing, she referred those clients back to the appropriate professionals and paused the process until the horse was ready.

It is a powerful message. Not because it is radical, but because it should be far more normal than it is.

We talk a great deal in the equestrian world about getting the right fit, the right kit, the right support, the right team around the horse. But the truth is that none of those things can do their job properly if the horse is already telling us that something is wrong. In that situation, carrying on regardless is not helpful. It is not fair. And it is certainly not best practice.

That is what stood out to me most in Jess’s post. It was not simply that she turned down sales. It was that she was willing to say, publicly, that stopping was the right thing to do.

There is real value in that kind of honesty.

A saddle fitting should be the beginning of something better.

It should support comfort, confidence and communication between horse and rider.

It should help a partnership move forward. But if a horse is sore, restricted, unsettled, compensating, or simply not presenting as they should, then the fitting is no longer the starting point.

It becomes one small part of a much bigger picture.

And sometimes the most professional thing a practitioner can do is recognise that and step back.

That does not mean they are failing the client. Quite the opposite. It means they are putting welfare before profit, long-term outcomes before quick fixes, and the horse’s needs before the pressure to provide an immediate answer. That is the kind of approach more people should be speaking about - not just in practice, but in public too.

Because posts like Jess’s do something important. They help educate owners. They remind riders that not every issue can, or should, be solved in one appointment. They reinforce the idea that good care is collaborative, and that referrals are not a sign of weakness or limitation, but of sound judgement.

Vets, physios, dentists, nutritionists, saddle fitters, coaches - when they work together, horses benefit. That is when we start to see the best possible outcomes, not just because each person is doing their own job, but because they are willing to recognise when another professional needs to step in first.

There is also something reassuring in what Jess said to the owners involved: "that asking questions, looking deeper and getting things checked says a great deal about the kind of owner they are". I think that matters. Owners do not need to feel embarrassed if a fitting cannot go ahead as planned. In many cases, choosing to investigate is one of the most responsible things they can do.

The fittings that take longer to get to are not wasted time. Often, they are the ones done most properly. They are the ones where the horse has been listened to, where concerns have not been brushed aside, and where the final outcome stands a far better chance of being a lasting one.

This is why more practitioners need to be clear about it: not every horse is ready today, and not every appointment should end in a sale.
That is not poor business. That is best practice. And even more important, ethical practice.

And in a horse world that can sometimes move too quickly towards the next answer, the next product or the next appointment, that kind of integrity deserves to be seen, shared and valued.

All credit to Jess Parsons Equine Performance for raising this so clearly. Her post was a timely reminder that doing the job properly does not always mean proceeding - sometimes it means pausing, referring, and coming back when the horse is truly ready.

We are delighted to be chatting to Jess on The Equitas Podcast, soon so keep an eye out for this discussion.