December 15, 2015 
When you reach the kind of superstar status where people recognize you by your nickname (Hey, Beezie!) and the world’s toughest critics (*cough* GEORGE MORRIS) marvel at your textbook position, you can count on a few perks in your riding life. Freebies. Sponsorship offers. Saddlers tripping over themselves to throw expensive tack at your feet.
Beezie Madden is among that elite group of rider. Her saddler of choice, Voltaire Design. Because if you’re going to have your pick of saddle companies, you go with the one willing to tweak their products to your personal specifications.
Here Madden shares what she looks for in a saddle, which is probably a good jumping off point for the rest of us.
1. The comfort of the horse always comes first.
Madden rotates six or seven saddles through her string of horses. Finding the right fit for each horse is an ongoing task.
“Whenever a new horse comes into the stable, we have a saddle fitter come out within a reasonable amount of time to check the fit. If it looks really bad, then we get them out right away,” she said. “If we have a certain saddle that was fit for a certain horse, they can change, so they’ve come and worked on those saddles, too.”
2. Versatility counts.
With the amount of travel Madden does in a year—34 shows in seven countries in 2015 alone—it’s not uncommon to find her horses on two different continents during the same week. Splitting her barn, and saddle collection, means versatility is a key consideration.
“I look for a saddle that seems to fit, or has the capability to fit, various types of horses. In our stable, there are certain horses that are very similar in build and can all wear the same saddle—I probably have three saddles that will fit about 10 horses. And there are a few saddles that fit specific horses. Simon has his own saddle because he has a funny shaped back. Brietling, the same, he has his own saddle. But those saddles might fit another horse that comes into the barn down the road.”
3. Blocks aren’t necessarily better.
No one can deny the popularity of blocks in modern saddles. Positioned on or under the panel, blocks help hold a rider’s leg in position. Voltaire offers several varieties, all of which can be customized to the individual rider. Or, for riders like Madden, they use none.
“I don’t like blocks. I think they interfere with your ability to stay with the motion of the horse when you’re in two point [position]. I get bruises from them,” said the two-time Olympic Gold medalist. “Some of our students have taken them out and found it easier to stay with the motion of the horse in the air.
4. There’s close contact, and then there’s close contact.
“I like a flat seat and a close contact panel,” said Madden. “It naturally puts me in good balance.” Voltaire’s second-skin underflap is specially treated to be softer and thinner, thereby minimizing the amount of leather between rider and horse. The result: a super light, super close-contact saddle.
5. No one wants to slip in the seat.
One of Madden’s favorite things about her Voltaire saddles: “I like that the leather is not slippery when it comes brand new—I can ride in the saddle right away. It’s durable. And it has a texture that helps grip the boot and the saddle.
6. It has to look the part.
When you’re competing three quarters of the year, there’s little time for breaking in a new saddle. Let alone waiting for it to reach the desired patina.
“I like dark tack,” said Madden. “You don’t have to wait until it’s not orange anymore to use it.”
