Making of
a custom-made saddle

When making our OMEGA® custom saddles for horse & rider, the fit and feel of the seat are of top priority. The measurement options for the horse and the perfect fit are based on the anatomy & needs of the horse.

When designing the seat feel, the rider tests the different seat options and puts together their own individual combination of knee-roll, seat waist & seat profile. You can let your imagination run wild when designing your personal custom saddle.

When making an OMEGA® saddle, the process differs depending on whether it is a confection saddle or a custom-made saddle. Before buying a new saddle, we recommend that you try it on to find out which is the right saddle for your horse and rider. We will be happy to advise you on site regarding the possibilities of the different saddle designs.

With our OMEGA® confection saddles we would like to offer you popular models of horse saddles in good quality at an attractive price-performance ratio. The horse saddles in this line are made for different branches of equestrian sport: for dressage, working equitation, jumping and for ambitious leisure riding.

The models Dressage Saddle Piaffe, Jumping Saddle Bascoule, Working Equitation Saddle El Torro and the model Kenzie Dysli are defined in terms of their characteristics of the respective model. When making the saddles, many parts and steps such as the leather cutting or the saddle tree production are carried out for several saddles at the same time. The saddle trees are pre-produced in series and can then be flexibly adjusted to the horse via our adjustable gullet plate. The saddle panels are filled with elastic saddler's wool and can be re-padded and adapted to the horse's back at any time. Our confection saddles are available in different seat sizes and in the colours black and brown.

When you try on a saddle, we have the different models of the confection line for you to try out. When measuring the horse's back, we can assess whether an off-the-peg saddle offers a good fit and sufficient possibilities for saddle adjustment for your horse. If a confection saddle does not fit, if the saddle position of your horse has special features, if there is a special problem or if you as a rider have individual wishes regarding the seat and design of your saddle, we recommend our Omega custom-made saddles.

Our OMEGA® custom-made concept offers many advantages and unlimited possibilities when designing your dream saddle. Our brand and our custom saddle concept stand for more comfort for horse and rider. With us you are not limited to individual models. You have a wide range of measurement options to create your perfect saddle with your favourite seat shape, with the most comfortable knee-roll and of course in your desired look.

During the saddle fitting at your location, the different options are tried out on your own horse. During this trial we will advise you on the goals you wish to achieve with our saddle and, of course, on the training level, biodynamics and anatomical characteristics and needs of your horse. For the design of your personal custom-made saddle, the entire range of our custom-made options for horse and rider is available to you.

The manufacture of custom-made saddles for horse and rider are our passion. From the first saddle fitting, to taking measurements on site, we accompany you step by step on the way to your personal dream saddle. In order to find the optimal solution for you and your horse, we will support you with our many years of experience. You ride and test our fitting saddles in motion on your horse and can thus select and test the best elements for a perfectly fitting saddle. At this appointment, all the parameters necessary for the construction of a custom-made saddle are collected and recorded.

After taking measurements on site, the information for a new custom-made saddle is forwarded directly to our saddlery. In our saddlery, each saddle is carefully handcrafted as an individual piece. Our saddlery is also affectionately known as the saddle forge. Here we forge ideas for new custom-made saddle models, ideas for optimising tried and tested models or experiment with traditional materials combined with the latest technologies.

In doing so, we are always spurred on by your wishes and ideas for our saddles. Our team of saddlers, trainers, ambitious riders and above all saddle lovers is in constant exchange. This is where the intuition of craftsmanship, the experience and demands of successful riders from a wide range of disciplines and, above all, the passion for our custom-made saddles come together. Together, innovative saddle concepts with more comfort for horse and rider are created.

The path to your new custom-made saddle begins with the production of an individual saddle tree. In order to meet the demands of a custom-made saddle with an optimal fit and the largest possible contact surface with flat, soft panels, we develop and produce our saddle trees in our own production facilities. In our own saddle tree production, the specially shaped plastic saddle tree is made according to the horse's anatomy. In doing so, the horse's swing, the width of the chamber width and the rib arch as well as the height of the withers are taken into account.

In this way, the tree can also suit special horse backs with particular anatomical features such as high withers or strongly curved horse backs. All our saddle trees are optimally adapted to the horse's anatomy and changes can be made as often as desired in the course of the horse's life. This is particularly easy with our adjustable gullet plate and the adjustable rib arch.

In the further development of our saddle trees, for example, we are supported by the most modern technologies. This includes 3D printing as well as computer-controlled alignment of the saddle trees and checking their measuring points using laser technology. CAD-controlled milling enables cutting with filigree details.

Hundreds of work steps are necessary before the finished saddle leaves our saddlery. Every custom-made saddle is unique in terms of the composition of the dimensional options for horse and rider. You as a customer and rider have countless options in terms of the design of the seat, the seat depth, the knee-roll and the shape of the saddle flap. As soon as we have put your wishes for your individual custom-made saddle on paper and have determined the measurements and special features of your horse, the cutting of the leather begins. The leather for the chosen elements is carefully hand-cut for each individual saddle with the help of matching templates.

From the cutting of the leather, through careful sewing, to the production of individual seam patterns and decorative stitching, each custom-made saddle is carefully handcrafted. Every step is individually planned and every detail is adapted to the measurements and wishes of the final custom-made saddle. The components of your saddle are sewn from a multitude of smaller and larger elements with the utmost concentration and craftsmanship. Every stitch has to be right so that the symmetry of the overall picture is harmonious later on.

Customised saddles with individual design. Let your imagination run wild when designing your dream saddle. Choose from different saddle flap shapes, seam patterns and combine different leather colours with each other. Special highlights are our embroidered borders, embroidered figures, your logo, your horse's brand or initials. Refine your saddle with rivets or sparkling rhinestones and give it your own personal touch.

We always strive to make all your wishes for an extraordinary design possible and are happy to search for special types of leather and leather colours. Talk to us about your wishes and personal ideas of your dream saddle.

In the last work step, which we affectionately call "marriage", the leather cover of your saddle is finally united with the saddle tree. The elements are put together piece by piece, the knee-rolls are stuffed with saddler's wool and the saddle panels are filled with the padding made of flat shaped panels. Afterwards, the saddles go to our saddle workshop for an overall check and the final touches. Now it won't be long before you can hold your long-awaited personal custom-made saddle in your hands.

For us, leather is more than just the material from which our custom saddles are made. It is our secret passion. Every piece of leather is a gift from nature - a unique specimen with its characteristic and unique grain and unique look. We mainly use naturally tanned leather for our saddles, which, depending on the processing, has a firm or particularly soft feel. The natural look and unique natural features in the leather are preserved and thus underline the uniqueness of each individual saddle.

What makes leather so special for the use of our custom-made saddles? For one thing, it is a robust yet supple material that can be used in a variety of ways. On the other hand, the surface has the property of repelling water for a long time, which predestines it for use in wind and weather under heavy strain. At the same time, it remains breathable and allows horses to diffuse sweat and water vapour, so that the horse's well-being is promoted even under high stress.

Over time, the leather will change its appearance and surface structure through use and the influence of sunlight. This gives the saddle a very special patina of use on its surface. In order to support the longevity of the leather and your saddle, storage in a dry place as well as thorough and regular care of the leather is necessary.

The matching saddle accessories such as a girth and stirrup leathers in matching leather and stitching colour, solid stirrups, the matching saddle cloth or saddle pad in the shape of the saddle flap, a colour-coordinated snaffle or breastplate finsh the final look. You can buy matching accessories for our confection and custom-made saddles together with the saddle or order them at any time from our wide range in the online shop. If a colour combination is not available online, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to help you find the perfect accessories for your saddle.

The time it takes to produce a saddle depends on how it is made. With our confection saddles, many parts can be produced in series. This saves time because several saddles can be worked on at the same time. The cutting of the leather or the construction of the saddle trees can be made directly for several saddles at the same time. This type of saddle can often be adapted to the horse directly on site and is therefore immediately available in the best case.

A custom-made saddle is much more time-consuming, as all work steps always relate to a specific saddle. From the individual construction of the saddle tree to the production of the templates, the cutting of the leather and all sewing work, it takes approx. 12-16 weeks from the saddle fitting to the delivery of the saddle.

In addition to a new saddle, with a bit of luck a used saddle in good condition, a treeless saddle or pads are also an alternative. If a suitable used riding saddle is available and can be adapted to the horse, this is a quick and inexpensive alternative.

We are climate neutral - and so are our saddles. How does that work exactly? We start by recording our CO² emissions and offsetting them. In cooperation with Climatepartner, we record and balance our emissions that we generate as a company and in the production of our saddles. These unavoidable emissions are offset through recognised climate protection projects.

The second step is avoidance and reduction. Simply offsetting unavoidable emissions is not enough for us. Based on our carbon footprint, we develop reduction plans with short-, medium- and long-term reduction targets. Starting with the switch to green electricity, to the reduction of (plastic) packaging material, to electric vehicles, we have big goals.