PoloGear Saddle Maker™

Dedication in the Pursuit of Excellence

At PoloGear, we love horses and we love polo. In polo, the horse is universally accepted as at least 80% of the game. To play well you must have good horseflesh that can perform comfortably and without pain. Having a proper fitting is a very important part of the pain-free formula. The player must also have a saddle that centers the rider in a neutral position, aligning the players center of gravity with the horse’s center of gravity. You also want a saddle that distributes the rider’s weight properly on the horse so it can carry the rider’s weight while also performing athletically. You want a solid connection between the horse and the saddle so as to avoid any disruptions in balance and to avoid any discomfort. You will be amazed at just how few of the polo saddles sold accomplish these simple tenants.

Some polo players tend to treat the saddle as a non-important piece of equipment. There is a machismo attitude that any saddle will do — why would one spend thousands of dollars on a saddle when you can spend a few hundred? “Use it for a year and throw it away” is the mantra of many. Many others are now starting to realize how important the saddle is in the horses and players health, performance, and longevity.

For years, the dressage world has known the importance of saddle fit. Jeanette — an FEI dressage rider — and her support group of veterinarians, chiropractors, and acupuncturists was our major source of education early on when we started making polo saddles. We discovered that our polo horses’ backs were sore, and they were resisting competition because of the pain they were experiencing.

Our Solution

Our research and testing led us to discover that many, maybe even most, of the horses playing had sore backs. That led us to learn more about saddle fit and the development of the patented Nic Roldan Free Shoulder saddle. We are now incorporating what we have learned into our lower priced saddles so all horses and budgets may benefit from our knowledge and technology.

From the inception, we have been committed to using the finest materials, and combining them in a way that facilitates ultimate comfort for the horse, durability for the rugged game of polo, and comfort and performance for the player. All PoloGear saddles are made by our saddle makers to our discerning specifications. We do not sell local market products or other brands that do not

The Nic Roldan Elite Free Shoulder Saddle™

A Whole New Concept and Saddle

What makes the PoloGear Nic Roldan Elite Free Shoulder Saddle so different and unique? In a word: everything. We discovered virtually all the polo horses (jumpers as well) are in pain due to the improper saddle fit that seemed conventional for the industry, which resulted in greatly reduced performance. This happened because we as players and jumpers want to be as far forward as possible, so we put the saddle up on the horses’ shoulder. Horses’ shoulders, however, are not designed to carry the riders’ weight, and often suffer from bursitis, chiropractic misalignment — which caused a host of other problems, including colic and founder — inversion — a high head and hollow back — and atrophy of the top lines muscles.

Something remarkable that we discovered in our study was just how severe, chronic, and widespread these problems were. As polo players and horseman who care about our horses, we had no idea just how much discomfort the majority of the polo horses were in until the chiropractors showed us. You can see from the videos how sore-to-the-touch their backs were. Now imagine a horse with a back so sore that it flinches from touch trying to carry a rider on its back.

The Nic Roldan Team Solves the Problem

To solve the problem, PoloGear put a dedicated team trogether that consisted of a top player, veterinarian, chiropractor, polo player, and high-goal team manager, saddle fitter, and manufacturer. With PoloGear at the lead, our team was able to combine 280 years of experience in the industry to solve the problem that had been plaguing polo horses for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The result was a new patented technology and a revolutionary change in concept and design — a saddle that allows the horses to perform naturally without pain and discomfort, and a saddle that allows the rider to communicate with the horses at a whole new level. The results communicate the fact that horses perform 10 to 20% better than they did with traditional saddles.

The Patented Free Shoulder Saddle™
Increases Horse Performance

What has changed? Simply, we have made a completely adjustable saddle with a lifetime warranty on the tree and a 5-year warranty on everything else. The saddle keeps the rider forward where they want to be — over the shoulder — but keeps the riders weight on the horses loin muscles where it can comfortably carry the weight. The new saddle, for the first time, frees the shoulder, allowing a huge difference in freedom and performance of the horse. We are seeing an increase of 10 to 20% performance in every horse, and more, sometimes much more in horses that are “cold backed”, or have back problems.

The results are nothing short of remarkable. Ask Nic and his team to tell you about the changes they saw in their horses. Every game, the horses kept getting better and better. Not only that, they were happier, healthier, faster, quicker, stronger, and have quicker recovery times than before. Not just one of them, but all of them. Nic played one string of nine horses in the 16-goal, 20-goal, and 26-goal tournaments in Palm Beach. After 65 games, which yielded two best playing pony awards on different horses in the high goal and many accolades, all of his horses turned out healthy, happy, and sound. This was simply unheard of at the time. Nic and his team accredited their success to the new saddles as well as the excellent care of their horses.

Feel the Horse Like Never Before

Our research and testing led us to discover that many, maybe even most, of the horses playing had sore backs. That led us to learn more about saddle fit and the development of the patented Nic Roldan Free Shoulder saddle. We are now incorporating what we have learned into our lower priced saddles so all horses and budgets may benefit from our knowledge and technology.

From the inception, we have been committed to using the finest materials, and combining them in a way that facilitates ultimate comfort for the horse, durability for the rugged game of polo, and comfort and performance for the player. All PoloGear saddles are made by our saddle makers to our discerning specifications. We do not sell local market products or other brands that do not

Leather That Grips Better Than the Best Suede

The Free Shoulder Saddle™ comes in a totally new elephant pattern leather that is made in a special way that allows for exceptional grip. Believe it or not, this special leather has twice the grip as the roughest suede, yet is beautiful and easy to care for. Unlike suede, however, it grips better with extended use, not worse. Exceptional grip is something that polo players want and need.

Happy Pain-Free Horses Perform Better

What you have with the PoloGear Nic Roldan Elite Free Shoulder Saddle™ is a completely new, patented, revolutionary saddle that is going to make your horses happier, perform better, last longer, have fewer vet and chiropractic bills due to issues, last many years, and allow you to play and enjoy your polo more. Our high-quality polo saddle is a sound investment for any astute horseman, and the intelligent solution to back pain that all horses deserveCall PoloGear today to arrange a fitting consultation, which can be done easily over the phone with a few measurements. With a few simple measurements, we can custom fit your saddle to your horses back and ship it to you.

The Details

For the first time, polo has a saddle that can fit any polo horse comfortably and without pain. We invite you to experience the difference in your horses’ performance during the game. The Nic Roldan Elite Free Shoulder Saddle is not for everyone, as it is made only for the most discerning customers who appreciate its unique performance characteristics and who demand the finest saddle the world has to offer. The Elite Polo Saddle is available in: 17 inch, 18 inch, 19 inch, 20 inch.

Each size is available in a narrow, medium, or wide-angle tree. Each tree is adjustable, and PoloGear can easily change the angle of the tree if necessary. Because the trees are completely adjustable and because each saddle comes with hand-flocked prine merino wool panels, we are able to fit any horses back and adjust any problems for changes. Most normal performance horses fit in a medium angle tree (90% of polo horses), and backs can be easily measured before adjusting the fit exact specifications.

Typically, each string of 10-12 horses may require two sizes that will fit the different back types. If you have a horse with a very unusual back or injury, it may require a custom saddle but this is an exception and can be easily accommodated. All sizes come in our unique Elephant Leather Print Super Grip™ leather. The saddles are extra thick, yet lightweight and supple, coming in Havana brown. Each Free Shoulder Saddle is constructed of three types of European prime leather,

Experience the New Standard

Our jumping and dressage saddles typically look new, even after many years of use, and there is no reason not to expect the polo saddles to do the same. Rest assured each component of this saddle, from the steel in the tree to the billets to the leather, is the absolute finest available anywhere in the world. All of the features are assembled by Europe’s finest guild trained master saddlers in the Verhan dressage and jumping factory, where we have been making the world’s finest dressage and jumping saddles for 15 years. Each saddle comes with a lifetime guarantee on the tree and a 5-year warranty on all other facets.

When you pay $4,000 for a saddle you should expect it to perform and to last. You have our guarantee that this is the finest, best performing polo saddle ever made. The patented Free Shoulder Saddle™ technology is your assurance that it is the real thing and that it will perform like no other. If your horses health and performance can increase 10 to 20%, can you afford to be without this advantage? Your horses will thank you, your teammates will thank you, and we thank you. Call Mike Myers, PoloGear General Manager and resident saddle fitter today at 1-866-PLA-POLO to further learn about the benefits and to take the easy steps to get the correct fits for your string.