Royal recognition for SMART saddle range

The Solution Saddles team, manufacturers of the SMART^TM saddle range of fully flexible, patented sports saddles, were in great company as they celebrated the formal presentation of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.  The official presentation was made by the Queen’s representative Mrs. Elizabeth Fothergill CBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire, at the Van Dyke Hotel on Thursday 25^th November. Representatives from a wide range of stakeholders within the UK equestrian industry, including manufacturers, saddle fitters, trade suppliers and riders, joined together with local dignitaries to mark the occasion, which was a remarkable milestone for Great British saddlery design.

The SMART^TM saddle is the only saddle design to have ever been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise and one of only ten recipients within Derbyshire in the last ten years. The sense of achievement was clearly felt throughout the room as HM Lord-Lieutenant presented the Royal Grant of Appointment to SMART^TM Saddle designer, Dr Anne Bondi.

Accepting the award, Dr. Bondi said ‘’When my husband and I founded the company in 2006, we had no idea how many good friends we would make along the way. But, of course, innovators are not always universally welcomed. Innovation means change, and that is not always a comfortable place for a largely traditional and often rather conservative equine industry.’’ Dr. Bondi continued by extending her thanks to everyone present, noting that “you were confident enough in your own successful businesses to see that there was room for us to have our place in the industry too”. She ended by thanking everyone for joining the celebration of Great British design and manufacturing, saying, “It is a privilege to have your support”.

Managing Director, Charlotte Berridge, concluded: ‘’We have been overwhelmed by the positive response from the industry and we will continue to grow the success of the SMART^TM saddle range, both in the UK and internationally.’’

Dr Anne Bondi and the Solution Saddles team receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise from the Queen’s representative Mrs. Elizabeth Fothergill CBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire in a special celebration at Van Dyk’s Hotel.

Dr Anne Bondi attends a royal reception, held exclusively for Queen’s Award for Enterprise winners, at Windsor Castle earlier this month. 

Treeless saddle myth #1: Treeless saddles do not distribute pressure evenly

 

A common misconception is that treeless saddles are not capable of evenly distributing the weight of the rider because it is commonly believed that this is the role of the tree. There are many different designs of treeless saddles and they vary hugely in standards of manufacture and performance. The market-leading, Queen’s Award-winning SMART Saddle range’s innovative, patented designs are rigorously tested and proven to perform well over time and in all disciplines. The unique design features ensure that the SMART saddle will effectively support and distribute the rider’s weight, thus promoting healthy back development and long-term good back health.

This video clip is an example of pressure mat readings taken at a recent research day, when the latest SMART saddle designs were tested with multiple horse and rider combinations:

Saddles provide the interface between two living, moving beings. The pressure under the saddle changes throughout the stride cycle, which reflects the changing dynamic forces exerted both from underneath the saddle by the horse and on top of the saddle  by the rider. This recording shows clearly how well the design and materials of the fully flexible SMART saddle range perform:

·        Consistency

 The different shades of blue represent consistent low pressure values across the whole of the surface area of the saddle base panels without any evidence of peak pressures under the stirrup bar area.

·        Balance from the left-hand side to right-hand saddle

The overall values are similar from left to right throughout the recording. There is a slight bias to the rear of the right-hand panel; however, the rider center of mass trajectory (image 3), shows that this rider had a tendency to sit slightly to the right-hand side during this data capture.

·        Clearly defined gullet area

The weight-bearing base panels allow for a clear gullet space to accommodate the horse’s spinous processes. Fleeting flashes of blue in this area, and at the front of the gullet, typically represent contact from the pressure sensor cover or the saddle cloth and do not indicate downward pressure from the saddle itself.

 

Although there are limitations to the use of pressure maps in this application (sheer forces cannot yet be measured), there is great value in their use to observe patterns and make direct comparisons. Existing literature serves to give guidance on acceptable pressures underneath the saddle, which is a helpful reference when looking beyond the visuals to process the data. The average pressure value in this clip was 4.8kPa, which is less than a third of Werner et al’s 2002 study which identified average pressure values > 15kPa as potentially harmful.

SMART saddles have been routinely tested throughout the design and development of the saddle range. We have developed and practiced a set protocol for the many data collection days that we have carried out over the years, ensuring that our results are meaningful. We are pleased that these objective results consistently reflect our subjective findings; a fully flexible SMART saddle can effectively support horse and rider, distributing rider weight without creating peak pressures and offering a viable and beneficial alternative to traditional treed saddle designs.

Although processing the data can be time consuming, we look forward to sharing more of these results in due course!

Native focus: The SMART Native saddle – customise to your taste

 SMART saddles come with a choice of base profiles, providing optimal fit for all horse back shapes.

The SMART Native saddle range specifically suits horses and ponies with short, round back profiles with little or no wither. Utilising FlexTech Technology, the SMART Native saddle will flex to fit through changes in shape throughout the season; with the superior leather and customisable knee block options offering rider support, security and mobility for outstanding performance.

All new SMART Native saddles are now available with a choice of custom options, so you can design the final look of your saddle to compliment your style.

·         Custom Cantle – Choose your unique decorative finish to suit your tastes

·         Suprabloc knee flap – for additional support without bulk

·         Black or Havana leather or suede seat and knee flap finish

·         Optional thigh support

 

“I find the SMART Native Dressage saddle to be extremely comfortable and lightweight and my horse has gone from being tense to floating along, relaxed over his back with a greater length of stride.” 
Lesley, SMART Native Dressage customer

Click here to read Lesley's story

Contact Solution Saddles to book your test ride or find out more. 

Please note, some customisations will incur an additional cost which will be quoted at the time of order. Browse your cantle design options below:

 

Continuing best practices for covid-safe test rides

SMART Test Ride Measures

 As restrictions start to relax from next week, we want to let our valued customers know that we will continue to implement extra safety measures to protect both yourselves and our network of SMART Advisors for the foreseeable future. Although the risk is clearly minimised in outdoor spaces, we want you to continue to be comfortable and confident when booking a SMART saddle fitting, so that you can focus on you and your horse, instead of risks that we can effectively mitigate. 

Our SMART Covid-safe protocol: Test ride equipment is carefully cleaned between test rides and, in almost all instances, saddles are stored for a minimum of 72 hours between each client. Please continue to practice social distancing where possible; there are very few instances where being <1m from your SMART Advisor is necessary. Although wearing face masks will no longer be mandatory, we will continue to supply face coverings to each of our SMART Advisors for upcoming test rides. They may elect to wear one or, if you would feel more comfortable with them wearing one during the test ride, simply ask them directly.  We also supply disposable gloves and hand sanitiser for each test ride, so that skin-to-skin contact is avoided and, where wearing gloves is not practical, hands can be cleaned instantly. If you become unwell or have to self-isolate for any reason, please either contact your SMART Advisor directly or call the office on 01909 720 259 to postpone your appointment. We hope that the extension of our covid-safe measures puts you at ease. If you'd like to book a Test Ride of Refit, simply contact us using the link below or call 01909 720 259.

Book a SMART Test Ride or Refit

Are you ready to RE-visit the SMART™ saddle range?

If you have tried a Solution or SMART™ saddle previously but decided that it didn’t meet your requirements at the time, why not give it another try? 

Like any cutting edge product, the SMART™ saddle range has been carefully refined and developed over a number of years and now not only provides the key benefits of a flexible saddle system, but gives both horse and rider so much more.

We're so confident that our new saddle range ticks all of the boxes that, if you proceed to purchase a new SMART™ saddle from us, we will not only refund the test ride fee from this home consultation, but we will also refund the test ride fee from your previous test ride* - saving up to £150! This includes existing clients looking to upgrade their Solution or SMART™ saddle, too. 

So, if you'd like even closer contact; a more precise feel; reduced requirement for external shims and pads; a more elegant, refined finish; a generous gullet width as standard, for even the broadest backs; plus so much more, get in touch today!

Tel: 01909 720 259 / 07738 711 099
Email: smart@solutionsaddles.com

*T&Cs apply - ask for details

New feature: Custom cantle designs - available across the full SMART saddle range!

Brand New SMART Saddle feature for 2021 - add some bling to your new SMART™ saddle!

With custom, decorative cantle designs, handmade in-house by our team of innovative saddle makers, you can choose the finish to your SMART™ saddle and, with the neat, interchangeable design, match your SMART saddle with your accessories.

Available as a standard option with all SMART™ Elite Dressage and Jump saddles, or for a small extra fee on any other new SMART™ saddle, there are a wide range of finishes to choose from, including but not limited to:

·         Patent, Calfskin or Suede leather

·         Diamond quilt-stitched

·         Contrast piping

·         And even real Swarovski crystals!

 

Browse your options below or contact us to discuss your requirements.

Tel: 01909 720 259 / 07738 711 099

Email: smart@solutionsaddles.com 

 

Introducing the NEW SMART™ Elite Dressage saddle

Combining trusted SMART™  FlexTech™  technology with fresh new features, the SMART™  Elite Dressage saddle raises the bar for saddle design and performance.

 

The hotly anticipated SMART™ Elite Dressage saddle is the latest addition to the award-winning SMART™ saddle range. Developed to fit the modern sport horse with ease, the SMART™ Elite Dressage saddle offers unparalleled horse: rider synchrony.

 

Key features include:

·         Elite seat – superior balance, with the closest-contact feel yet

·         High wither engineering – contoured to easily fit the modern sport horse

·         Generous fixed gullet width - broad spined horse? No problem!

·         Elegant design – classical meets contemporary

·         Decorative cantle – customised to your tastes

 

 

     

Introductory Offer:

 

 

The SMART Elite Dressage saddle is on offer at a special introductory price of £2,995 

                    > Includes custom cantle upgrade 

                    > Free SMART™ Elite Dressage competition saddle cloth

 Offer valid until 30th July 2021.

 

Try-Before-you-buy with our Test Ride and Rental Service. Due to high demand, our estimated lead time is currently 5 weeks. 

Simply contact Solution Saddles to find out more: 

Tel: 01909 720 259 / 07738 711 099

Email: smart@solutionsaddles.com

Webshop: Elite Dressage Saddle