The Essence dressage saddle tree

The heart of every “Essence” saddle is the saddle tree we designed ourselves. “Essence” saddle trees are tailored to different needs, depending on the requirements of the riding style, the conformation of the horse and the individual demands of the rider.

The “Essence” saddle tree is made of an elastic fibre composite that offers excellent properties in terms of riding comfort, shock absorption, shape retention and durability. This material has proven itself very well. It is extremely stable and cannot break under normal use. At the same time it has a certain flexibility, which greatly increases comfort for horse and rider. We pay great attention to the production of the trees. After the shape of the tree has been created by elaborate handwork, every tree is reworked once more to achieve a perfect form. In addition, recesses and markings are made for fitting the seat cushion, so that all components can finally be positioned perfectly.

Construction of the seat:
In principle, the Essence saddle tree is modelled on the tried and tested wooden spring tree: each saddle tree is individually webbed with longitudinal and transverse straps. These form a springy, shock-absorbing base. Thanks to this flexible suspension, special seat bone cut-outs are unnecessary. Four layers of foam are applied to the webbing and ground into the final desired shape. Riders can feel that the extra work pays off, especially on horses with big movement. The shock-absorbing properties of this construction relieve both the rider's spine and the horse's.

So that every saddle can be re-fitted to the horse as it changes during ongoing training, we also place the highest value on the quality of the gullet plate . It has to withstand repeated reshaping without damage. That is why at “Essence” we only use gullet plates made especially for us from particularly high-grade steel.

To avoid pressure points from the gullet plate on the horse and not to restrict either the gullet or the freedom of the shoulders, we have developed a special process that allows us to integrate the gullet plate into the saddle tree so that it cannot be felt. By using a plastically deformable component in the pommel area, the gullet plate and saddle tree can be brought into different shapes. This makes all “Essence” saddles
excellently adjustable.