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Katrin S. and P.R.E. gelding Piro: "My Dressage Andaluz 'luxury armchair' is worth every single cent..."
"After my 14-year-old P.R.E. gelding kept struggling with tension and blockages in the withers and along the long back muscle from early 2020 onwards, it became clear that the previous saddle had never really been right from the start, and, to my great regret, the previous saddler hadn't done everything possible for a correct fit either.
I decided therefore that Piro would get a new saddle with a broad bearing surface, and of course I hoped to also find a suitable new saddler who could support us with real expertise.
I had of course already come across Iberosattel® through various riding magazines, so for days I kept browsing the Iberosattel® website, read through all the References and watched video material on YouTube, until I was so fired up that I went looking into the details of my favourite model. It quickly became clear it should be the Dressage Andaluz. At some point I picked up the phone to ask Iberosattel® directly for the saddler partner responsible for my area.
The very friendly Mrs. Thoma was delighted that I had decided on an Iberosattel® and immediately gave me the phone number of the saddler responsible for my postcode area, Michael Henn from Aachen.
After a very friendly phone call with Mr. Henn, we arranged an appointment for the following week. Mr. Henn arrived on time and, in conversation, tried to learn everything important about our horse-and-rider team. He checked the saddle position as well as my current saddle and explained the challenge he would face with the padding. Piro has a very well-muscled back, which, as is typical for the breed, has a bit of a curve to it. On top of that he is unfortunately a little higher behind, which means the saddle has a tendency to slide forward towards the shoulder.
Afterwards I had the opportunity to thoroughly test-ride my dream saddle, the Dressage Andaluz, as well as the El Primero. That way I could try a deep seat and a semi-flat seat, different knee rolls, different seat sizes, and also the EWF solution and the Amazona solution.
Using sample fans for choosing leather and stitching colours, I finally settled on the Dressage Andaluz in 17.5 inches with waxed leather in black and mocha, with a WKE head plate, without an EWF tree, with decorative studs behind the knee and stitching and piping in aubergine.
The next day I received the written quote for review and approval. As most people know, Iberosattel® saddles are made to measure, so I had already prepared myself for a long delivery time. The initial estimate was around 16 weeks. Due to the coronavirus pandemic there were supply issues, so in the end I had to be patient for six months.
On delivery day, Michael took the saddle out of the car and was thrilled himself. "An absolute feast for the eyes," he remarked as he placed the saddle on for the first time. As always with Iberosattel®, the saddle was fitted on site and checked on the horse. After a first riding session, we finished the saddle check for that day.
Michael told me to get in touch right away if I noticed anything, or if I or the horse weren't happy. Right during the next ride, as I was working through my programme on my own, I noticed that the saddle wasn't quite sitting at the centre of balance yet. A challenge caused by the higher hindquarters, which always takes a bit of fine-tuning. So Michael came back out to my stable, and we padded the last few millimetres in the withers area to reach our goal.
In the past, no saddler had ever managed to get the saddle 100% right. Either there was no shoulder freedom, so Piro moved rather restricted, or the long back muscle suffered as a result. I'll spare you the whole odyssey of tension and blockages here. Since we've had Michael as our saddler, plus the wonderful Iberosattel® with the broad bearing surface, we no longer have any problems. Not when saddling up, not when mounting, and not during training either. Piro and I feel 100% at ease in our beloved Dressage Andaluz.
My osteopath, who used to treat Piro almost every month, is now completely won over. The back muscles are loose and supple, the withers are no longer blocked. The defensive reactions when saddling up have also disappeared, and the change when riding is truly enormous. My horse apparently has nothing left to complain about and moves noticeably more relaxed and motivated under saddle. My trainer, too, is absolutely thrilled with this change – which we owe entirely to switching to the Iberosattel® and to Michael Henn's tireless dedication to service.
My Dressage Andaluz "luxury armchair" is truly worth every single cent. Had I known earlier how much an Iberosattel® would do for me and, of course, for my horse, or what wonderful service Michael Henn offers, I would have switched to an Iberosattel® much sooner. I could have spared my horse quite a bit of suffering.
Even though this review is written in great detail, I hope it helps as a decision-making aid for all the still-hesitant horse people out there who are currently thinking about getting a new saddle and are perhaps still shying away from the purchase cost. I can only advise everyone, don't write off your horse's defensive reactions as "being mareish", "being difficult" or "that's just how he is". Listen to your horse: every reaction is an attempt to communicate with you – to tell you that something isn't right. Listen to your horse and try to help it. Keep investigating the problem until you have found and resolved the cause.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you, dear team of Iberosattel®, and to you too,
dear Michael Henn.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING
YOUR KATRIN & PIRO
I had of course already come across Iberosattel® through various riding magazines, so for days I kept browsing the Iberosattel® website, read through all the References and watched video material on YouTube, until I was so fired up that I went looking into the details of my favourite model. It quickly became clear it should be the Dressage Andaluz. At some point I picked up the phone to ask Iberosattel® directly for the saddler partner responsible for my area.
The very friendly Mrs. Thoma was delighted that I had decided on an Iberosattel® and immediately gave me the phone number of the saddler responsible for my postcode area, Michael Henn from Aachen.
After a very friendly phone call with Mr. Henn, we arranged an appointment for the following week. Mr. Henn arrived on time and, in conversation, tried to learn everything important about our horse-and-rider team. He checked the saddle position as well as my current saddle and explained the challenge he would face with the padding. Piro has a very well-muscled back, which, as is typical for the breed, has a bit of a curve to it. On top of that he is unfortunately a little higher behind, which means the saddle has a tendency to slide forward towards the shoulder.
Afterwards I had the opportunity to thoroughly test-ride my dream saddle, the Dressage Andaluz, as well as the El Primero. That way I could try a deep seat and a semi-flat seat, different knee rolls, different seat sizes, and also the EWF solution and the Amazona solution.
Using sample fans for choosing leather and stitching colours, I finally settled on the Dressage Andaluz in 17.5 inches with waxed leather in black and mocha, with a WKE head plate, without an EWF tree, with decorative studs behind the knee and stitching and piping in aubergine.
The next day I received the written quote for review and approval. As most people know, Iberosattel® saddles are made to measure, so I had already prepared myself for a long delivery time. The initial estimate was around 16 weeks. Due to the coronavirus pandemic there were supply issues, so in the end I had to be patient for six months.
On delivery day, Michael took the saddle out of the car and was thrilled himself. "An absolute feast for the eyes," he remarked as he placed the saddle on for the first time. As always with Iberosattel®, the saddle was fitted on site and checked on the horse. After a first riding session, we finished the saddle check for that day.
Michael told me to get in touch right away if I noticed anything, or if I or the horse weren't happy. Right during the next ride, as I was working through my programme on my own, I noticed that the saddle wasn't quite sitting at the centre of balance yet. A challenge caused by the higher hindquarters, which always takes a bit of fine-tuning. So Michael came back out to my stable, and we padded the last few millimetres in the withers area to reach our goal.
In the past, no saddler had ever managed to get the saddle 100% right. Either there was no shoulder freedom, so Piro moved rather restricted, or the long back muscle suffered as a result. I'll spare you the whole odyssey of tension and blockages here. Since we've had Michael as our saddler, plus the wonderful Iberosattel® with the broad bearing surface, we no longer have any problems. Not when saddling up, not when mounting, and not during training either. Piro and I feel 100% at ease in our beloved Dressage Andaluz.
My osteopath, who used to treat Piro almost every month, is now completely won over. The back muscles are loose and supple, the withers are no longer blocked. The defensive reactions when saddling up have also disappeared, and the change when riding is truly enormous. My horse apparently has nothing left to complain about and moves noticeably more relaxed and motivated under saddle. My trainer, too, is absolutely thrilled with this change – which we owe entirely to switching to the Iberosattel® and to Michael Henn's tireless dedication to service.
My Dressage Andaluz "luxury armchair" is truly worth every single cent. Had I known earlier how much an Iberosattel® would do for me and, of course, for my horse, or what wonderful service Michael Henn offers, I would have switched to an Iberosattel® much sooner. I could have spared my horse quite a bit of suffering.
Even though this review is written in great detail, I hope it helps as a decision-making aid for all the still-hesitant horse people out there who are currently thinking about getting a new saddle and are perhaps still shying away from the purchase cost. I can only advise everyone, don't write off your horse's defensive reactions as "being mareish", "being difficult" or "that's just how he is". Listen to your horse: every reaction is an attempt to communicate with you – to tell you that something isn't right. Listen to your horse and try to help it. Keep investigating the problem until you have found and resolved the cause.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you, dear team of Iberosattel®, and to you too,
dear Michael Henn.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING
YOUR KATRIN & PIRO