Philosophy

Flexisaddle was made because one day I changed                                                                                                                                      very fundamentally my approach to the horses … 

I realized that I was riding and taking care of horses for many years, I have been even competing quite successfully  and I still didn’t know the most important things about horses. Thanks a different perspective on the horses I started doing things differently and I had other demands on the saddle and its function.

Robert Baloun – company director and holder of CJF performance badge

When I was developing flexisaddle my initial intention was to connect the horse and rider, this means bringing them closer together so that they could feel each other. I think it is a very important part of riding. This plan matured in me when I couldn’t use the stirrups (due to a broken toe) and for four months I rode my horse only with riding pad, which I developed specifically for riding bareback. Horse during this work (flat work and jumping training) responded to me, paradoxically, completely different than I expected. They worked the throw back and used the body more readily and easily than in the classic tree saddle, which I used normally, and overall were horses more rideable. That time I became with the idea to make a saddle that will fulfill strict criteria: it will be very contact, lightweight, flexible, stable and maximaly comfortable for riders and especially for horses.

R. Baloun, LerChief – 2nd place GP Ostrava 1992

During development of flexisaddle I gained many times from my 30 years of experience in showjumping riding. As a result I gained a lot of knowledge, which I used in the final development of fundamental technologies and features saddle. I made also many prototypes tested on mine own  horses, watching how they are moving under the saddle and what is their body saying about the saddle – in their own way. Horses are honest, they do not lie, and if you know their language, you are listening and understand them, so you learn a lot. They gave me very clear answer what is good for them and what is not. They had their own opinions on different types of saddle panels, for their consistency, shape, etc. I gave on their opinion and so the horses became also the authors of flexisaddle.

R. Baloun Violán 2009

I managed to develop a very light saddle (weight of 3.5 – 4 kg),  which, though partly separates the rider from the horse, is also sufficiently permeable. The rider and his aids becomes more readable for a horse and it makes the horse more responsive. Thanks to the special technology the saddle is flexible and follows and copy the motion and shape of the horse back in every phase of movement. This allows the horse to move – nicely, freely and unrestricted way (> video)

About the materials for the saddles we gained from experience in our custom leather production. A great advantage of our saddles is also nonslip surface of the saddles. Our own designer workshop is very active. We enjoy playing with colors, variety of interesting features and fashion trends, because even a look of our saddles can be beautiful and original.

When we come for a fitting and trying the saddles (>video) to the clients, we try to help people to understand better their horse, teach them exercises to engaged horseback. We do not sell only saddle, we offer a very efficient system to help the horses, which also includes flexisaddle. We prefer the personal approach to the customer and his horse, so you cannot buy flexisaddle Baloun in the shops. Each saddle is custom made for a particular horse and rider.

The whole production of flexisaddles and other our products are produce inside of our workroom. Therefore we have a possibility to permanent control quality of products. Everything what we do we’re doing our best. All our products are tested in the long term, every detail has been discussed many times and many times tested. We think constantly how to improve flexisaddle so that it can be more and more pleasant for horses and riders. Especially those who are competing in high sport and the muscles and skeleton are very strain. The result of our development and testing is our novelty, we recently launched – flexisaddle on saddle panels with thermoactive gel. Horses respond very favorably to this type of saddle panels and this news greatly increases the already high level of comfort of our flexisaddles for horse and rider.

Robert Baloun – Certificated riding instructor

Although I developed flexisaddle originally only for myself and mine horses, I decided that I will not keep this invention only for myself. What helped my horses, can also help others. I bet everything on one card and I have invested in the start of production flexisaddle literally everything. That is why I am now, after more then a decade of experience very glad that flexisaddle helps many horses and people not only in riding but also a therapeutic way  and effected a health of the muscles and bones.

I’m glad that due to a flexisaddle I can make life more pleasant for the horses and riders.

Robert Baloun