Olympic Saddle

The Berney Olympic Saddle is a close contact design that provides better two-way communication between the horse and rider and makes the saddle lighter. This design is achieved by having extended buffalo hide girth straps which means less bulk between the riders leg and the horse, without compromising the riders safety or the horses comfort and welfare. As with all of Berney’s saddles, this saddle is made with a laminated beech wood spring tree that is strength tested to the British Safety Standard. By using a spring tree we were able to achieve added shock absorbency while keeping the saddle lightweight. We designed the tree with a reinforced gullet plate for extra strength and a sloped head to accommodate the horse’s withers. The material we use to provide the horse with comfort is our fully leather lined panels flocked with pure new wool. The biggest advantage that this material provides against others is that it spreads the weight of impact over a bigger surface area allowing the horse full use of themselves. Pure new wool also retains its spring and shock absorbency over time and moulds to the shape of the horses back compensating for horses changing shape throughout the season. The square cantle is a modern design that gives the rider more freedom when jumping and allows them to hold a good forward position for their jumping phases. The long moulded knee blocks cup the knee to aid and support the rider in a more forward seat. This saddle is available in sizes 17” and 18” for the rider. We recommend riders under 6ft. and 12.5 stone to go with a 17” and riders above that t go for an 18”. The fit refers to the shape and prominence of the horses withers. We find that a medium fit is perfect for 95% of horses. However if your horses has a very high wither, most commonly found with more blood horses then a narrow fit may be better and if your horse has a ‘mutton shoulder’ or relatively low withers then a wide fit would be better.