Occasionally people will be fortunate enough to find a good used Schleese saddle on ebay or second hand or hand-me-downs from somewhere else – but the reality of it is that sometimes despite being fitted as closely as possible they may not actually be the best choice for both a specific horse and rider. Over the years we have changed our designs as our knowledge of equine anatomy and biomechanic requirements increases, so that older models may not be as ‘horse-friendly’ as the newer saddles…

I always said I was really happy to have had only girls, because I would never make a good “boy daddy”. When I grew up in Germany, I was trained in what is generally perceived to be ‘sissy stuff’ here in North America – ballroom dancing, ice dancing, and riding. I would have been lost having to take my male children to early morning hockey tournaments, baseball games, or football camp. (not to mention that I truly enjoy watching sports where every single competitor does something…

Although I have broached this subject superficially in a past blog, I would like to address the last two key points in more detail, as they are important in determining the proper saddle fit especially for women – which is 85% of Schleese’s market – and makes us the only female saddle specialist in the world!…

I have a client who is having problems that some of you also may have experienced. She has a horse with an old injury at the withers which, with pressure from any saddle over time with repeated contact created immense pain for him, which eventually resulted in him bucking off the rider. He is now pain free, has had Mesotherapy, and has shown that he (at this moment) is not in pain but has now a learned behavior to not tolerate anything on his back, any saddle etc. He is still bucking and…

This is an issue which has arisen time and time again – I hear it all the time. “I bought a custom saddle [note on  tangent – there is a lot of misconception of what truly construes ‘custom’ anything – but I digress] and I expect it to fit me and my horse for as long as we live and never need adjusting”.  Okay, that’s a bit exaggerated, but I think you may understand where I’m going with this. True, you may be lucky and find a saddle that you feel is comfortable for you and you feel…

Hello everyone – I hope you had a good Christmas holiday (if you celebrate it) and a good holiday season nonetheless even if you don’t. I wish you all a happy and healthy new year with much success in your riding endeavours!…

For this blog I’m going to try something a little different – I have invited my wife Sabine to take the floor – and be warned; this is going to be a pretty blatant pitch for the difference a female saddle can make to your comfort and riding!

Hi – this is Sabine Schleese writing to you; this guest appearance is actually due to a conversation I have recently…

I am often asked for reference material and what I recommend for anyone wishing to educate themselves in a little more detail after they have a saddle fit evaluation with one of our saddlefitters, so I have come up with a list of books that I use as part of my ‘saddlefitting bible’. If any of you have come across a book that would be a great…

Dear Julie,

My friends and I have a problem with our saddles rolling over to the side when we get on. My horse in particular has a flat, broad back with wide withers. Any suggestions? I know we are cinching our…

I had the immense good fortune to be in South Africa with two friends for much of the world cup soccer finals – a week in Johannesburg and a week in Capetown. I’m glad I had the sense to wear earplugs, because otherwise I would have been deaf by now from the combined noise of the vuvuzelas and the crowds!…

Saddle Fit and Draw Reins

Training Equipment Gone Bad...

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Does your saddle slide forward no matter what kind of girth or…

I have been asked now several times to address the subject of fitting western saddles. As you may know, my specialty is English saddles – and mainly dressage – but for what it’s worth, here are my thoughts on western saddles.

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Hello from Florida, where I have been travelling the last couple weeks and tried to get in a couple of days holiday at Ft. Myers Beach with my family. What happened to the weather? It seems to finally be getting warmer, but of course it’s now that I’m leaving for California! We’re doing our third clinic together with Heike Kemmer at the end of…

Last week after Family Day I had the chance to go skiing in Collingwood on one of my quick two days home between trips. The analogy of the day’s experience and how it paralleled what I sometimes come across in saddle…