Rider Testimonials

I had originally bought my Schleese saddle for my veteran mare. Unfortunately due to soundness issues outside my realm of control I decided to retire my mare earlier than expected. Since buying my current girl as a late two year old she has changed shape many times and my saddle has been able to change right along with her. Every time I have it adjusted I’m amazing at the difference it makes for her and for me. My last adjustment was just 2 weeks ago, right after she turned 5, and on 4/28/13 we won our first o/f class (first class and first win) and she got Grand Champion in her Baby Hunter division. She brings me so much joy, the least I can do is make her as comfortable and happy in her work as possible.

Hi Amazing Schleese Folks!
I started my big, bold Morgan gelding, Sherman, under saddle lightly when he was four years old after two summers of lunging and long-lining. By the time I actually sat myself on his back, he was well-versed in both voice and rein commands, and it appeared that our future was, in the words of Tom Petty wide open.Late in that first under-saddle summer, Sherm experienced a growth spurt, and my beloved favorite saddle was no longer wide enough for his broadening back. I replaced it with a wider version of the same saddle and continued our light ring work through the end of that season. Over the next eight months, however, Sherm continued to grow…and grow…and as he grew, my attempts to keep up with his width led us down a dark path. The wider-enough saddle, I failed to notice, had far exceeded the appropriate length for this short-backed breed. It took far too long to figure out that with every stride, the saddle was bumping him in the loins, and his own free movement was driving it up over his shoulder blades, where the tree points were digging into his sensitive tissues. Being a game, eager-to-please horse, Sherm tried for a long time work in this saddle, but finally at the end of his 5 year old summer, he just stopped, literally. This always-wants-to-be-first, leader-of-the-pack, eager, ready, forward horse literally refused to work under saddle at anything but a walk. Sometimes I could lunge him with the saddle on and get some trot work, but no canter, and often these sessions, which had been so good when he was younger (and wearing a saddle that fit his younger, smaller body), deteriorated into running, bucking, balking sessions that frustrated us both. Clearly, something was not right. Concerned and afraid of causing damage I could not undo, I actually gave up riding for six months. I took time off and seriously looked at changing equestrian careers– Sherm would be great at driving; maybe I could convince myself that I’d enjoy CDE if that’s what it took to keep him happy. It was a disappointing and depressing autumn as I felt I’d lost my partner just when he’d finally gotten mature enough to enjoy.

Fortunately, my veterinarian had purchased her first Schleese earlier in the year, and had been so impressed that she posted her personal testimonial on her Facebook page and was talking about the saddle to anyone who was interested in listening. I gave her a call to ask if she was still happy with it after a season’s use, and to ask her if she thought perhaps Sherm was a Schleese candidate. With the help of the awesome doc, I tried several Schleeses out of her tack room, saw first-hand the incredible difference that the Schleese size and shape made to Sherman, and was able to find a used one on eBay just before Christmas– a JES Elite with an upgraded shoulder-relief #2 panel. I rode in it a dozen times before Sherm’s official Schleese saddle fitting in February, and even those few rides demonstrated to me that I’d made the right choice. Gone were the fussiness and ear-pinning during tack-up. Gone was the resigned, low-energy response to mounting. Gone was the balking, the inversion, the head tossing, and the running out from under me in the trot (when I could get it). Sherm was again moving forward, being his normal goofy-gelding jolly self, and working for me, despite the intermittent nature of our work (without an indoor arena in upstate NY in winter) and despite both of us being out of shape after six months off. It was starting to feel like I had my boy back again; that alone was wonderful.

In February we had our fitting with the ladies from Schleese, who visited us on one of this past winter’s many brutally-cold days, and the saddle was evaluated for its appropriateness for both horse and rider. The evaluation was great for Sherm– just about the only saddle that would fit such a short back– and acceptable for me (my butt could use a size larger, but we’ll have to manage for now). Adjustments were made to fit Sherm exactly, and we were released to get both our butts in gear, firmed up, and slimmed down.

More winter misery interrupted a serious return to training for about six weeks, but over the past month, Sherm and I have been back at it, and I cannot rave enthusiastically enough about what an amazing difference this saddle has made. Sherm is happy to work, eager to do what I ask, delighted with himself and his own progress (he is a Morgan, after all). We’ve returned to some casual ring work, but have spent a great deal of our getting fittime out on cross country and hill-climbing hacks. Over hill and dale, up and down steep grades, across country at all three gaits, through big what was that?! Swooping Morgan spooks, this saddle does not budge– it doesn’t shift side to side; it doesn’t ride up his shoulders, not even going down steep hills! It sits right where it’s supposed to, all the while giving him the shoulder freedom he needs to stride out comfortably. The level of happiness, cooperation, trust, and pleasure Sherm clearly demonstrates during every ride out just breaks my heart with joy. He is once again the phenomenal go-pony his heritage and his personality shape him to be. Though we’ve been enjoying every minute of rollicking out there in the wide open spaces, we’ll get back to serious dressage work again in a few weeks, having scheduled ourselves for a boot camp weekend with our favorite trainer. None of the joy we’re experiencing, nor the fantastic plans we’re making, would have been possible without your amazing saddle.

Thank you, Schleese, for giving me my boy back again, and for setting us free to love riding together. We’re not going to the Olympics, or to Rolex, or to Dressage at Devon. We’re regular ammies, out there as often as we can get out there around running a farm and holding down a day job. But Sherm deserves a saddle that fits, and I am thrilled at the benefits of a happy, comfortable horse. We’ll continue to keep up with regular fittings, and may one day graduate to a custom Obrigado (drool-drool)! Thanks to you, our future truly is once again, wide open, and we could not be more appreciative.

OH MY GOSH!!! Somebody kick me. I just received my first Obrigado saddle for demo and rode my husband’s horse. Several years ago, I trained on this horse myself for almost 2 years and finally gave up for something more comfortable, more fun, easier to ride, etc. I was TOTALLY AMAZED at the improvement in his movement and the lightness that I immediately felt in the OBRIGADO. It made me want to ride him more and that I have not wanted to do at all in years. Jochen, I am impressed! This saddle made a huge gigantic difference in this horse. He truly says Thank You!

You fitted my saddle the end of January. It was a new Obrigado and I was not sure I liked it yet, and you told me to ride in it awhile and see what happened. Well, I just wanted you to know that as of today I officially am in love with this saddle. I have been liking it a lot, but today it all really clicked. (Lucio was in love a long time ago, actually.) It is really comfortable, and also puts me in a very good position and allows me to be really close to my horse. Lucio’s shoulders are so much freer and his back so much happier that he is much easier to ride. Things got better a year ago when I switched to a Schleese. This saddle is really working and I am so happy.

Also, my younger daughter Hannah rode Lucio in it yesterday and she had not ridden in a good while, and she loved it too. She said it was the most comfortable saddle she had ridden in. She had such bad pains from her previous saddle that she would be in tears and got a lot of UTIs from riding. It is part of the reason she stopped riding. She said she would like to start riding again.

Testimonial from a client who responded to a post on Chronicle of the Horse Forums.

Hate to say it, but 99.999% of all riders/trainers/vets/chiropractors have no idea whether a saddle fits or not- and Jochen Schleese has done the research and the innovation to determine what does fit. My 3 year old started to give me the same signs as this mare [bucking] – thank God I was lucky enough to attend a lecture by JS the next weekend and I then did quite a bit of investigating what he had to offer. I took the plunge and even with a loaner saddler in the interim the results are phenomenal. No more issues with my young horse, and my older horse who I was on the verge of retiring because of cascading soundness issues is now going better and sounder every single day- and doing work which he has never been able to do before. Of course, I was able to change the saddle on my young horse BEFORE he learned to defend himself by rearing and bucking and it became a habit. A new saddle is considerably cheaper than sending her somewhere to another “fixer” trainer.

Dear Schleese team,

All I can say after riding in my new Schleese saddle is, WOW!!! I ride a 20 year old quarter horse and he was like a different horse. He moved like a much younger horse, full speed ahead. I had so much fun riding in the Eagle. As for myself, no more band aids to prevent sores on my legs. I feel very secure jumping. This horse is very difficult to get on the bit and round. My riding instructor and I noticed that he is much more willing to go round and keep round. Not bad for a 20 year old school horse that was never taught to go round in his life. I also ride a thoroughbred school horse in his twenties. I look forward to putting the Schleese Eagle on this horse. My riding instructor told me that my leg position is the best that is has ever been.

Thank you so much for designing such a wonderful product. It was well worth the expense. I know the horse thanks you too! He even looked happy

Thanks for taking the video, Balou looks fantastic!!! I am so happy with the evidence of improvement in his passage and trot extension, even just on the first ride. The Obrigado [Saddle] clearly allows him greater range of motion through the shoulder. Heis always had a good passage, but some of those steps were the best Ive seen him do! And we have a respectable GP extended trot too!

Can’t wait to ride again today…

Good Morning Miriam. You correspond and work with many people and you are fabulous!
After having my Schleese saddle remade for my young Connemara it is now like owning a different horse! His movement is now forward and he is obviously happy and comfortable. The change in my gelding is phenomenal! Also no more bucking. If you remember he didn’t canter. Just buck around the arena!

I brought home my new Wave dressage saddle late this past summer.

I just want to tell you and Jochen that my horse and I are now on a different planet with respect to her performance and movement and my riding. My trainer can confirm that this saddle has changed EVERYTHING for us! I can now ride in true balance and consequently my mare is free to move to her true potential. I never imagined we could go forward with the freedom and confidence that we now both have to give to our work!

Thank you all.

I was able to attend the seminar given by Jochen and Connie at Pacific Crest Equine in Exeter CA and I can’t tell you how pleased I was. I learned a great amount and was able to take advantage of the thermography the next day. My Schleese custom saddle got fitted perfectly by Matt and Deb and I got to watch the fitting process on other horses as well. It was a wonderful two day experience and I am hoping it can be repeated in the spring with Western saddles added to the saddle line. It seems there was a lot of interest from the working cow horse world. Thanks again for coming to our area!

I just wanted to give you a positive comment: I’ve had my saddle for several months now, and I feel like I have my horse back! He was so lame for so long, and now he is happy with his work, getting fit and ‘beefy’, and giving me hope that I can actually show him again. Thank you so much! I love what the saddle is doing for my horse.

I just wanted to update you on the special HK Plus that you made for my horse and me. Although I was not 100% convinced the day that we tried the new saddle out at Christiane’s, I can honestly say that we both love it now. It feels very nice for me and Devoto seems to be working better from behind. Steffen (Peters) was able to ride in it finally and he was impressed too. He felt that it was the best Schleese saddle that he had ridden in because it has some of the flexibility that he likes in a saddle as compared to his. His seat did not fit in the female crafted seat so he was not personally comfortable in it, but I can’t say that it matters to me because it fits me beautifully :-)))

Thank you for your attention to detail, and to working so patiently and generously with me to find the right solution for my horse, we both truly appreciate it.