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The BALANCE Saddles
All BALANCE saddles are designed to be 'horse shaped' using extensive feedback from real experts in horse comfort,
namely....horses. These saddles are not just another human being's idea of what is appropriate for the horse!
BALANCE know from experience that their Saddles and Saddling System help the ridden horse. They also appreciate that,
unless the rider likes the saddle, it is unlikely that their horse will be allowed to have one! For this reason,
much time and effort has gone into producing a full range of saddles suitable for all levels of rider and all disciplines.
Certain features run throughout the full range of BALANCE saddles:
- BALANCE Saddles are built on a variety of specially designed trees.
- They are relatively flat in the seat to avoid restricting the rider.
- They have 3 widely spaced girth straps (billets), each on seperate webs, to give a good distribution of pressure
along the length of the tree. This arrangement also helps to accommodate different girthing positions needed by
certain horses.
- The panels create a generous bearing surface and a springy, well cushioned feel for the horse.
- ALL BALANCE saddles have a generous gullet (channel) to protect the horse and allow for natural, healthy movement.
- ALL BALANCE saddles have adjustable/removable knee blocks.
BALANCE saddles are made by Frank Baines Saddlery:
| Frank Baines |
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Frank has won the Saddler of the Year award no less than seven times. The standards of workmanship and
materials in a Frank Baines saddle speak for themselves. His saddles are recognised and respected
all over the world. Frank combines many years of traditional skills with an open minded approach
to new ideas and innovation which mean that he will always be a leader rather than a follower in
the saddle industry.
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The Zenith™ range of BALANCE saddles have a traditional look and feel whilst providing freedom of movement for the horse.
They are manufactured on a full tree and are constructed using the highest quality materials available. The Zenith™ and its
predecessors (also designed by BALANCE and made by Frank Baines) have helped thousands of horses since their inception.
This combination of tree shape, and panel shape consistently work well for horses in all disciplines.
The Matrix™ saddles are built on the same full tree as the Zenith™ saddles. However, the significant difference
between the two types of saddle is, that the points at the front of the tree have been totally removed from below the level
of the rails (bars) in the Matrix™ saddles. The effect of the removal of the points is to create a saddle that will work on
horses that are too wide for the widest Zenith™. It makes the saddle feel very flexible around the back of the horse's
shoulder blades and therefore, provides a great sense of freedom for the horse. The lack of solid structure at the front
of the saddle means that this saddle will not normally be suitable for horses with a lot of muscle wastage. It will also
highlight uneven patterns in the rider because this saddle will get displaced by a crooked rider more easily than a saddle
with full points. Some horses, particularly if they have developed a lot of compensatory habits to cope with a previous
restrictive saddle, will find that moving straight into a saddle with so little solid structure at the front, is too big
a step. These horses will often find the Zenith™ saddle easier to move into.
The panels on the Matrix™ saddles are made from a felt/foam combination, which provides a very smooth, yielding and
comfortable feel for the horse.
The Felix™ saddles are built on the same tree as both the Zenith and the Matrix saddles.
They combine the full tree (with points) of the Zenith™ with the pre-formed foam/felt panel of the Matrix™. As
you will see its construction makes it look almost identical to the Matrix™ range.
The slightly shallower and shorter panel on the Felix™ provide a useful combination of features. For example: The
panel shape makes it easier to work with horse, rider combinations where the rider is tall, relative to the length
of their horse's back. You can see that the Felix™ and Matrix™ rounded panel shape allows a longer seat (tree) length
to accommodate a taller/larger rider without extending the panels too far back on the horse when compared to the
flocked panel of the Zenith™ saddles.
The BALANCE Nexus™ Dressage Saddle has evolved through the recognition that some horses and riders need a saddle that
is more specific about where and how it directs the rider's position in order to provide more support.
This seems to become more important where the rider is working towards a greater level of engagement in the horse
where the stability and poise of the rider becomes more critical.
The tree has been designed specifically to combine:
- The need for the front of the tree to be wide enough to avoid restriction and compromise to the horse's movement.
- The preference for most riders to feel closer to their horse and get some support from the saddle.
The stirrup bars are set a little further back than on the other BALANCE saddles which, in combination with a seat
profile that supports the back of the pelvis up into a centred and aligned posture, seems to provide a very good base
of support from which the rider can be both effective and sensitive. In order to avoid spoiling the good line of the
tree through the waist area of the saddle, we use a swinging hook, stirrup bar.
The saddle is made of best quality, buffalo hide and has a cushioned seat, which combine to provide the almost instant
feel of a well broken in saddle.
This saddle is built on a tree which is modelled on the Nexus dressage tree in respect of its contours through the
waist area and the head of the tree. This shaping, in combination with slightly shorter points, creates a narrower
feel for the rider, whilst creating good contours and plenty of room for the horse to rotate his shoulder blades
back. This is important in any discipline, but especially in jumping where it is vital that the horse feels
confident about closing the joints in his front legs fully over a fence without hitting the front of the tree
with the back of his shoulder blades.
The design of the Nexus Jump saddle allows the rider to feel balanced, stable and effective, which is essential
when negotiating more challenging fences and/or on a green horse who is very reliant on clarity and stability
from his rider.
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