About Julia

Hi! My name is Julia Fabiani with Arbitrage Tack. I am a saddle fitter and apprentice saddler.

I was bitten by the horse bug around 8 years old, and really allowed horses to take over my entire life. From junior high to just a few years ago, I was eventing and doing dressage in Areas 1 and 8, primarily on off-the-track thoroughbreds. Right before I went off to college, mom opened Arbitrage Tack. Over the next five years she discovered saddle fitting and how she could improve the welfare of the horse and rider in that field. While I was away at school at the University of Kentucky, mom began her education/profession in saddle fitting. I would come home on holiday and for the occasional summer where I would study her fitting notes, and she would study my equine anatomy and physiology notes.

Not entirely convinced saddle fitting was what I wanted to do full-time, I tried almost all the things during and after university: 

  • Small animal veterinary technician at a VCA Clinic (Versailles, KY) working 12-hour overnight shifts caring for the cats and dogs in the hospital, receiving emergency calls throughout the night, and assisting the emergency veterinarian with whatever emergencies were admitted overnight
  • Research assistant in primate physiology denaturing muscles and collecting/measuring/organizing samples from upper limb muscles
  • Equine parasitology research assistant where I performed fecal egg counts and assisted in cadaver studies of the young and mature equine digestive tract, lungs, and kidneys
  • Joined the Venture Capital Club at UK where my team collaborated with a Gluck Equine research laboratory studying inflammatory biomarkers in the equine athlete – specifically racehorses
  • Internship at an equine biomechanics firm (Equine Analysis Systems in Midway, KY)
  • Equine veterinary hospital technician at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital (Lexington, KY) attending to patients in the surgery & internal medicine barns, and triaging emergencies
  • Customer service representative at KBC Horse Supplies (Lexington, KY)
  • Office administrator in the Podiatry Department at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital (Lexington, KY)

After graduation in 2016, I was casually fitting barn mates’ horses, and found myself really enjoying being able to help both the horses and my friends in this capacity. I decided to give my notice at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in 2020, right as the world shut down in March. I intended on moving home and deep diving into saddlery and fitting. To do one thing, but do it really, really well. A post-graduate in saddlery and saddle fitting, if you will. 

I started in the workshop while the 2020 pandemic slowly faded. My saddlery mentor, Patty Barnett (East Crow Saddlery in Barkhamsted, Connecticut) generously let me pester her on the bench. I was going on fittings with my mom, watching countless webinars (gigantic shout out to Centaur Biomechanics), and stabbing myself endlessly with awls and needles. I was loving every single second of it. In 2021, I took the SMS Introduction to Saddle Fitting Course through the North American Saddlery School (Clear Spring, Maryland), as well as the Bench and On-site Fitting Course they offer. NASS offers great Advanced Saddle Fitting courses, which have been so helpful in my education. I started to feel more confident on the bench, so I  took the bridle and saddle making courses through NASS as well.

In 2023, I was feeling confident enough to take the QSF Assessment. I began arranging to fly over to England in 2024 to take my QSF Assessments (both flocking and fitting), as well as spend some time with bridle makers and saddlers. In October 2024, I passed my QSF Exam and was able to call myself a Qualified Saddle Fitter. It has been a great addition to my business, and I look forward to continuing my education with them as I work to become a Qualified Saddler, as well.

You can read more about my time in England here.