The importance of saddles, saddle design, and listening to our horses. A conversation with Dr Anne Bondi, the Saddle Research Trust Seminars,.

Welcome to the podcast's first anniversary episode!

My guest on this episode is Dr. Anne Bondi. Anne Bondi was a successful professional rider who competed at international advanced level both in eventing and dressage. In 2017, Anne was awarded a doctorate from the University of Sunderland for her novel research of horse, saddle and rider interaction and teaches world-wide, sharing her passion for this complex but fascinating subject.

I am delighted to have had the opportunity to have a conversation with Anne, and could have recorded for hours. We covered many topics, but focussed mainly on saddles. Among the threads we explored were:

- Saddle history, their design, fit, and how they influence the horse and rider.
- Being part of 'Circles of Support' with more holistic and multi-disciplinary teams working together to support horses and riders.
- Using the Ridden Horse Performance Checklist (RHPC) as one way of listening to our horses under saddle.
- Where saddle design is, and could go in the future.
- The work of the Saddle Research Trust.
- Future research, sponsorship and ways to support.
- Happy Horse competitions.

If you would like to contact Anne you can through the Saddle Research Trust website
at https://www.saddleresearchtrust.com/
Or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-anne-bondi-a53b3825/?originalSubdomain=uk

This is Anne's bio from the Saddle Research Trust website.
BHSI, PGDip, PhD. Chair of Trustees, SRT Founder

Anne Bondi was a successful professional rider who competed at international advanced level both in eventing and dressage. Inspiration and development as a rider came from training with Olympians Jane and Christopher Bartle and world-renowned coach, Baron Hans von Blixen – Finecke. As a trainer, she prepared pupils for both competition careers and professional exams and was a Senior Examiner of the British Horse Society. Anne currently competes at a more relaxed amateur level and owns international horses that compete at 4* eventing level and 1.45 show jumping with professional riders.

In 2006, driven by a lack of research, innovation and development of saddle design Anne founded Solution Saddles, an innovation company which manufactures the SMARTTM range of award-winning, fully flexible sports saddles. Anne’s unique designs, which have also been awarded five patents, have established the company as a market leader in saddles that promote equine welfare and performance.

In 2009, Anne founded the Saddle Research Trust to promote the welfare and performance of the ridden horse and to educate and raise awareness of the widely underestimated complexities surrounding the horse, saddle, rider interaction. SRT is now internationally recognised for its ground-breaking work.

In 2017, Anne was awarded a doctorate from the University of Sunderland for her novel research of horse, saddle and rider interaction and teaches world-wide, sharing her passion for this complex but fascinating subject. Anne is actively involved in research projects in the field, has authored and contributed to many scientific papers and book chapters and is a peer reviewer for academic journals.