"Fit is Everything - Infinitely Adjustable for Optimal Comfort & Performance!"
Jochen Schleese
"FIT IS EVERYTHING - Infinitely Adjustable for Optimal Comfort & Performance!"
Jochen Schleese
THE FEMALE SADDLE SPECIALIST
We specialize in anatomically appropriate saddles that are ergonomically designed to allow female riders to sit properly balanced and comfortably positioned (pain-free) to provide accurate ‘aids’ to the horse.
Through extensive research on rider anatomy, we developed innovative saddles uniquely designed for women, making us recognized in the industry as "The Female Saddle Specialist" throughout the world.
SADDLES JUST FOR WOMEN
Riding is one of the only competitive sports where women compete alongside men but are often using equipment made for men. Female anatomy can impact saddle fit. Riding in saddles that are not anatomically appropriate can cause pain and discomfort for both the rider and the horse.
Schleese is proud to be recognized as an industry leader in the design of saddles for women in english, western, jumping and pony.
100% QUALITY GUARANTEE
“Our unique infinitely adjustable saddle features combined with our Professional 80 Point Saddle Fit Evaluation gives us the ability to provide a truly custom saddle that will change the life of you & your horse.”
Benefits of our female saddles include:
"OUR PATENTED FEATURES PREVENT SADDLE RELATED PAIN AND POTENTIAL LONG-TERM BACK, HIP, KNEE OR PELVIC ISSUES!"
We set the industry standard with our
Professional 80 Point Saddle Fit Evaluation System
"The true meaning of custom fit!"
Our Saddle Fit Philosophy
As proud affiliate of Saddlefit 4 Life® (S4L), we are very dedicated in following the S4L philosophy, including the professional 80-point saddle fit evaluation system.
We help you find out how well your saddle fits you and your horse in this comprehensive evaluation and offer customized saddle solutions for maximizing comfort, balance and control. Resulting in a pain free ride -- For both horse and rider!
Our On-site Professional 80 Point Saddle Fit Evaluation includes a personal assessment, dynamic and static measurements, and analyses of horse, rider and saddle.
WE LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED
With 80 measurement points taken between horse & rider, there's no detail missed. Whatever the problem is, we have a solution! The data points we collect allows us to create the custom saddle of your dreams or fix the current one you're using.
55 POINTS TO HORSE
Dedicated to horse measurements using the wither gauge and Arc Device™ include: length of saddle support area (SSA), width of spine, symmetry and size of shoulders, height, width and size of withers, musculature; shoulder blade angle and width; width and curvature of the back; signs of stress and sensitivity – to name a few. Optional Diagnostic Measurement tools are available upon requests.
25 POINTS TO RIDER
Assessment of rider includes the fit of your current saddle, your anatomical build, seat size, flap length, flap angle, seat depth and support, position, balance and level of comfort. Various measurements and ratios are considered – upper leg, lower leg, hip, thigh height, weight, training level of horse and rider to name a few.
Every year over 6,000 horses and riders benefit from our professional saddle fit evaluation system. Click below to find out when we're having a Saddle Fit Event near you.
Learn the secrets of riding pain free for you & your horse.
Ask about a complimentary group Saddlefit 4 Life demonstration/lecture for your barn, group or association.
Some Of Our Many Trusted Schleese Ambassadors…
Madchen Giesler-Lewallen
U.S. Grand Prix
Jumper
ANNE
GRIBBONS
5* FEI Judge and Past USEF Coach
MIMI
STANLEY
U.S. Grand Prix
Dressage Rider
TINA & JAIMIE
IRWIN
Canadian Grand Prix Dressage Riders
EDIE
TARVES
Eventing – Canadian Olympic Event Rider
WERNER
GAVIN
International Dressage, Jumper and Event Rider
JESSIE
BONNEAU
World Champion Western Dressage Rider
MARCIA
KULAK
U.S. Grand Prix
Eventer
LEADING THE FUTURE IN SADDLE INNOVATION
With our NEW Bi-NateLine® (BNL) and PSI Panels, Schleese has the
LOWEST Saddle Pressure on the horse's back in the industry!
Bi-NateLine® SADDLES
We have listened to YOU – our valuable clients! – to create our new Bi-NateLine® (BNL) of saddles! You have asked for a lighter saddle, a softer seat, improved comfort, and a closer connection to your horse. AND we did just that but we took it a step further and integrated our state-of-the-art scientific diagnostic tools into the saddle to help determine optimal fit.
Our Bi-NateLine® (BNL) saddles are made on our infinitely adjustable lightweight patented AdapTree® which outperforms any other tree on the market today. This tree offers an industry-changing extreme close contact to the horse, soft-ride seat and an innovative “NW-Twist” – extra narrow twist for riders and at the same time the widest twist for the horse.
The Bi-NateLine® not only combines form with function but provides the lowest pounds per square inch pressure distribution on the horse’s back with the PSI panel. It will support a longer-lasting softer, closer saddle fitting.
Try out our new Bi-NateLine® for yourself and feel the difference Schleese makes! The development of these saddles represents the future of the industry!
THE REVOLUTIONARY
PSI PANEL
Our ability to ensure an optimal fit to the Saddle Support Area of the horse has been taken to the next level with our PSI Panel System! We can distribute the weight of the rider and saddle in this area much better, while even reducing the pressure per square inch to well below-accepted industry standards. This is especially ideal for horses with a smaller saddle support area for today’s riders. Reducing the pressure per square inch helps maximize the horse’s development and performance while ensuring a pain-free ride.
We are well ahead of the industry in our ability to fit all shapes and sizes of horses and riders with a variety of models, fully adjustable trees and various panel configurations. Our panel designs allow us to fit all saddle support areas and wither confirmations, while still ensuring the rider has the appropriate seat size. Accommodating the continuing shortening of the horse’s back (as a result of breeding trends) has made ‘saddle fit’ a true combination of art and science.
WHY IS THE GOAL TO LOWER & DISTRIBUTE SADDLE PRESSURE SO IMPORTANT?
Any localized pressure over 4.66kPa on your horse's back causes all oxygen, blood and nutrient flow to be restricted from the muscle tissue. Overtime this can cause long term damage to your horse.
When you lower the amount of pressure your saddle applies to the horse's back -- you lower the chance of PAIN, DISCOMFORT & INJURY.
"When you allow the blood to flow properly it promotes healthy muscle tissue which results in improved horse attitude and performance."
*Our saddles with the PSI Panel, have an amazingly low average pressure rating of 3.9kPA !*
SADDLE PRESSURE COMPARISON CHART
Many saddles today are over the allowable pressure threshold and pose significant risk to your horse's back health.
BELOW PRESSURE LIMIT
Health Impact On The Horse
✓ Full Blood Flow, Healthy Spine, Oxygenated Muscle Tissue
EXCEEDS PRESSURE LIMIT
Health Impact On The Horse
x Restricted Blood Flow, Painful, Long Term Back Damage.
*An ill-fitting saddle can reach pressure points up to 25kPA!*
Achieving a saddle with lower pressure distribution begins with a custom fitted PSI panel for your horse.
*Not sure if your saddle is causing damage to you or your horse?
"If you could build your own saddle would you build it to fit your horse standing still or to work with your horse in motion? -- That's just one part of custom fit!"
"Thanks to all who helped in getting this DREAM saddle made"
Betsy Shelton / California
"I’m so pleased with the saddle and can’t thank you and Jochen enough!"
Julianne Ozolins / Australia
"I have never felt more comfortable and balanced in a saddle!"
Kim Scott / British Columbia
A saddle truly for the life of the horse.
When we say our saddles are Infinitely Adjustable, we mean it!
Truly adjustable means...
When you look at adjustable saddles from any company ask yourself do they have all 12 adjustable points listed below? And are the width and angle adjustment independent of each other?
Infinitely adjustable is just 1 of the many amazing benefits you get when you go with a Schleese Saddle.
OUR 7 UNIQUE SADDLE FEATURES
Inspired by the feedback of riders and equine professionals, we are committed to ongoing research and innovation to create the most technologically advanced saddles on the market.
1. AdapTree®
Caring from the inside out, the Schleese AdapTree® is the first tree which adapts to the horse’s bio-mechanical movements. Through the calculation and implication of the rider’s weight, the AdapTree® is fitted and infinitely adjustable at any time by one of our authorized Certified Saddle Fit Technicians or Saddle Ergonomists.
The AdapTree® is built with a Flexible Tree made of Polyurethane and an Infinitely Adjustable Gullet Plate that allows us to constantly adjust our saddle to your horse's growth and on going development.
Also with Rear-facing, Shock Absorbing Tree Points, our saddle works with the horse, not against it.
Flexible Tree
of Polyurethane
Our tree adapts to the lateral movement of the horse while factoring in the weight of the rider to follow the contour of the horse's back.
Infinitely Adjustable
Gullet Plate
Allows us to make necessary adjustments to the tree width, tree angle, orthopedic fit, spinal clearance, billet alignment, panel length, horizontal and vertical panel alignment as your horse grows and develops.
REAR-FACING, Shoulder
FREEDOM TREE POINTS
Allows shoulders to rotate freely upwards/ backwards preventing potential chipping of scapular cartilage.
Revealed... The difference between Rear vs Forward Facing Tree Points & the Impact this has on Your Horse.
2. NARROW TWIST
Many riders love the feeling of a narrow twist. It gives them more control and they like feeling the horse. The twist is the part of the saddle you feel between your upper inner thigh.
The problem with this is most trees with a narrow twist minimize the weight-bearing surface for the horse’s back, especially between T10 and T13 joints. Excessive pressure in this area can lead to atrophy, ischemia and painful reaction to palpation, ultimately restricting the horse and causing them to not use their back correctly.
So how do we keep a nice narrow twist for the rider, but an appropriately wide twist for a better weight-bearing surface for the horse’s back to avoid pain?
In comes Schleese's revolutionary NW-Twist!
What we did was create a tree with an extremely narrow twist for the rider and a wide twist for the horse!
This gives the rider a comfortable seat with extremely close contact with the horse while providing the horse with optimal weight distribution and maximum freedom of movement to engage its back pain-free.
A narrower Twist also helps to accommodate hip articulation and Q-Angle of the female hip, allowing the upper inner thigh to be closer to the horse which in turn helps female riders to be more comfortably positioned to promote the giving of their ‘aids’ to their horse.
3. SHOULDER RELIEF
Shoulder relief in the vertical panels are innovative cut back areas behind the scapula to free up shoulders, providing a full range of motion and freedom in the sensitive trapezius area/intersection of nerve endings. Independent shoulder relief available on all models.
Note: pressure on the shoulder or trapezius muscle acts like a handbrake, causing the horse to reflexively hollow its back and resist the aids
4. GULLET CHANNEL
All of the Schleese saddles have extra wide gullets to protect the spinal processes and dorsal ligament system. A slight widening towards the cantle allows ultimate flexibility of the vertebrae for easier lateral work. This will also prevent damage to spinal processes and vertebrae.
5. SEAT COMFORT
Seat comfort is obtained through our Crotch Comfort™, a padded cut-out air pocket in the crotch area designed for riders who have problems with saddles that have too much pressure in the front.
This allows female riders to sit straight on their seat bones and relieves pressure on the front pelvic area (a benefit for women and men). It also includes a customized seat foam to provide various balance points for the seat. Both the twist (width of tree at the upper inner thigh) and waist (seaming in the pelvic area) accommodate individual rider preference.
Seat curve and foaming options provide added comfort and stability and preferred balance points for your position.
6. EXTENDED STIRRUP BARS
The Schleese saddles come with extended stirrup bar to allow a natural shoulder-hip-heel alignment for the rider.
For riders with a much longer upper leg than lower measurement (typically female riders with a very long femur) can opt for an extra extended stirrup bar option.
Image details: A = Dressage Extended Stirrup Bar
B = Dressage Extra-Extended Stirrup Bar
7. SADDLE DESIGN OPTIONS
This image shows a summary of saddle design options for you and your horse.
We like to break our Saddle Design Option into 3 Main Categories (see images below):
1. Panel Configuration
2. Seat Curve/ Cantle Height
3. Panel Wedge options
When you buy a Saddle from Schleese, a Certified Saddle Fit Technician will review all of these options with you to determine what is best for you and your horse.
PANEL CONFIGURATION
These images show you the different panel support options available for your horse.
Panel configurations options vary depending on the saddle you select.
Half, three-quarter or full panel options are generally available in the industry. Schleese now offers standard shoulder relief and 1/2 shoulder relief panels on all models!
Your professional Schleese saddle ergonomist will advise you what options are appropriate for your horse.
Typical Industry Panel Options
Green = 1/2 Panel,
Yellow = 3/4 Reg Panel,
Blue = Full Reg Panel
Schleese Shoulder Relief Panel Options
Dark Purple = 1/2 Panel
Light Purple = Full Panel
WEDGE RELIEF
The Relief Wedge panel option is suited for short coupled horses and is designed to sweep up under the cantle to relieve pressure in the lumbar region. High Wedge and Wave wedge are two other options. Your professional Schleese saddle ergonomist will advise you if this option is appropriate for your horse.
Wedge Relief Options
Red = Relief Wedge
Dark Red = Wave Wedge
Pink = High Wedge
SEAT CURVE
Schleese offers different seat curve options. Your Schleese professional saddle ergonomist will discuss with you and advise you what seat curve option best suits your conformation to ensure you're riding in comfort. Seat curves can also be coupled with seat foaming options for added comfort and stability.
Seat Curve Options
Green = Forward Balance Seat Curve
Pink = Center Balance Seat Curve
Red = Rear Balance Seat Curve
SHOP OUR SADDLE COLLECTION
Every saddle ordered is custom made according to extensive horse and rider measurements, analyses and recommendations using our Professional 80-Point Saddle Fit Evaluation System.
USED SADDLES
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TACK & ACCESSORIES
Join Over 200,000+ Happy Customers
"Since I have been using a Schleese saddle, I have felt more confident riding such a big horse."
My daughter bought a Schleese saddle for me after watching me fall off my Clydesdale. Since I have been using a Schleese saddle, I have felt more confident riding such a big horse. I find after riding for over half-an-hour, my back was not hurting anymore. The first long ride I had after getting the Schleese saddle was 2 hours! I couldn’t believe the difference in how I felt when I got down off the saddle. I was able to walk ‘normally’ (without feeling stiff and bow legged)! Thank you for making such a comfortable saddle that will fit any horse!
KIM WOOD // Ontario, Canada
"I am beyond DELIGHTED with my new saddle."
I just want to tell you, and please relay the information to Alexa and Julia who were out at Tundra’s this week, that I am beyond DELIGHTED with my new saddle—the prototype pony saddle. I don’t know if they told you, but my heretofore sluggish pony, Penny, bolted forward! I almost thought she was spooked. But the energy has continued, and even my barn manager noticed a difference in her demeanor! Her walk is freer, her trot is lovely, and her canter — well, I have to work on getting used to this new speed! Thank you very very much!
Leslie LowerY // Long Island, NY
"On the same wavelength as myself..."
Dear Jochen: Several years ago I read a review of your book, ordered it immediately, read it several times over & realized that here was someone that was on the same wavelength as myself. This was re-emphasized over the last several days. It was a real pleasure to meet you in person, learn from you & feel inspired to continue to keep trying to improve the lot of the horse.
DR. Sue DYSON // MA, VetMD, PhD, DEO, FRCVS