Five years of saddle research at HOGENT in Ghent led to one conclusion: the saddle industry needs to become more transparent. This research is being continued through the Royal Blue Innovation Lab, which has taken physical form in the Zadelwerkplaats. The atelier is located on a former hospital site in Amsterdam-West. This is where the research is put into practice.
The founder combines scientific investigation into the fit between horse, saddle and rider with a full-time saddlery and saddle fitting. Saddles are made to measure, at a price between 2,000 and 3,500 euros, available both to buy and to hire.
What distinguishes the work is not only the fit, but also the construction. Every saddle is designed so that it can be fully dismantled and restored: waxed hemp yarn replaces synthetic thread, jute girths from Belgian manufacturers replace seatbelt webbing, and synthetic foam gives way to sheep’s wool felt. The leather comes from Radermecker, a Belgian tannery specialising in harness leather. The atelier is actively building an archive of saddle parts and materials, so that construction decisions become visible in an industry that has historically kept itself closed off.
The Zadelwerkplaats works by appointment. Fitting sessions and consultations treat horse, saddle and rider as one system, supported by measurement analysis. The founder has a background in saddlery, as a designer and as an instructor in the Netherlands.
For riders looking for a saddle made from documented materials, who regard repairability as a basic requirement, this is one of the few places in the Netherlands where that is possible. Leftover leather is used to make other products.
