As owner of the British custom saddlery design and manufacturing firm, County Saddlery Ltd. (Saddles.com), Gene Freeze has, for over 40 years, designed saddles for many of the world's leading riders in all three Olympic disciplines from LEGENDS like German born, French Olympian Margit Otto Crepen and the great Corlandos, Triple Gold Medalist, Edward Gal of the Netherlands, 6 time Olympian and U.S. team coach Robert Dover, and Margie Engle, U.S Olympian, Hall of Fame rider, and ten-time American Grand Prix Association Rider of the Year and many more, to RISING STARS like Germany’s Raphael Netz, 6 time Gold Medalist at the U25 European Championships and German Olympic team reserve rider for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with Great Escape Camelot. Gene is a member of the British Society of Master Saddlers and is the current President and Chief Instructor of the Master Saddlers Association in the U.S. Gene contributes to leading magazines and lectures on saddle design and fitting worldwide and was invited by the University of Zurich to lecture at the Swiss Veterinary Conference to over 300 veterinarians and riders from all over Europe. He has also lectured at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Wisconsin Veterinarian Center, and throughout Europe. Gene is a former contributing editor for Equus magazine as an expert on horseshoeing and the proper balance of horses hooves. His research, funded by Equus magazine on wild horses, provided ground breaking information on the subject of natural balance in horses which was also featured in the book; Farriery: The Whole Horse Concept by British author David W. Gill. Gene shod horses competing in the Olympics, World Championships, Pan Am Games, and many other international events. Gene's overall design perspective has been influenced by his involvement in many aspects of sport horse competition. He grew up breeding and training show ponies with his father, and also rode at the Selection Trials in the U.S. as a three day event rider. After a serious fall, Gene decided to devote all of his time to the business of custom designing top quality saddles that significantly improve horse performance and rider position. He is also the owner of First Choice Farm (firstchoicefarms.com) in Maryland, a world class dressage sales and training facility.
" VVeterinarians actually do not have a special education in saddlery and therefore could profit from Gene's outstanding knowledge. He gave an excellent presentation... to horse owners and veterinarians... informative and easy to understand. I recommend Gene Freeze without hesitation."
" Horses that are back sore due to poor saddle design and saddle fit will benefit immediately from Gene Freeze's expertise. His presentation is a must attend lecture for all equine veterinarians and equestrians... an extremely practical presentation on saddle design and fitting that will enlighten even the most experienced horseman."
" Gene Freeze is regarded by many in Europe as the world's leading saddle designer."
" More than anyone I have ever met, Gene's background and experience gives him a truly unique understanding of how to achieve balance, from the top of the horse to the bottom of the horse."
" It's really astounding to think about how saddle design and fit either "makes" or "breaks" a horse's performance. After your (Gene Freeze) presentation, however, it truly makes sense." |
