Bates Dressage saddle Bates Isabell Icon Black

The new Bates Isabell Icon delivers exceptional freedom, perfect balance, effortless alignment and unrivalled connection. Your journey begins here.

For you

Beneath elegant lines, the perfect dressage seat and leading saddle innovations can be tailored perfectly for your ridden biomechanics. When you optimise the saddle for your natural position, your balance and stability are enhanced, you ride in total synergy and your vision comes to life.

 “Sitting centrally in the saddle you feel close to your horse, able to sit deeper with exceptional stability to move with the swing of your horse.” Isabell Werth

For your horse

Engineered to adapt with your horse as they move through their body with total comfort, displaying strength and suppleness through their movements.

You will immediately notice your connection is accentuated and your horse more intrinsically responsive to your aids. 

“I love to see the freedom in my horse’s shoulder, to feel in their expression they are comfortable and supple. The adjustability of my saddle together with CAIR has kept so many of my horses so comfortable over so many years.” Isabell Werth

Product features in detail

Bates Isabell Icon seat: has been perfected

You will feel seated closer to your horse than ever before. An ultra-narrow waist that is low to your horse and just enough support to help you to move in harmony and deliver aids cleanly.

Luxe Leather: is more than luxury

When it comes to luxury and the ultimate riding feel in the seat, there is no comparison to Luxe Leather, simply the finest calf-leather in the world. You will immediately notice the soft elasticity, exceptional grip, beautiful depth of colour and strength, all of which make it the ultimate in comfort and prestige.

Movable overgirth: stability redefined for dressage

Wrapping the saddle flaps around your horse, the movable overgirth delivers unrestricted feel of your horse’s body and totally stabilises the supple flap. With enhanced contact you will enjoy a stable lower leg that helps even the most demanding moves appear effortless. Locate the overgirth in the optimal position to lie centrally between your girth points for perfect presentation.

Adjustable Ergonomic Stirrup Bar: strength and control starts with perfect balance

Select the optimal alignment in the saddle to enhance your position for perfect balance. When balance becomes effortless, your strength and precise delivery of aids are also amplified, for ultra-sensitive and responsive connection with your horse.

Adjustable Flexibloc system: subtle and effective support

Delivering exceptional support for the your position discreetly below the saddle flap. Working in harmony with your position and seat for exceptional security below luxurious soft cushioning.

Refined Elegance: a work of art for a classical presentation

A showpiece in any stable, the elegant detailing celebrates Isabell Werth’s journey to become an icon of our sport. Simple and understated for a classically neat presentation, befitting the glamour of dressage with every luxury for horse and rider.

Adjustable Y-Girthing system

Achieving an equal distribution of pressure along the length of the saddle tree delivers tremendous stability. When adjusted for an individual horse, this girthing system results in an incredible reduction in ‘white noise’ for your horse and accentuates clear communication between you and your horse. A new streamlined adjuster fitting removes any lumps for perfect seamless contact.

Bates SynergyPanel: the ultimate for close contact dressage performance

Exclusive to Bates Saddles. Ultra-fine and low profile, this panel sculpts away from your horse’s shoulder and transitions contact seamlessly and gradually on to your horse’s body, freeing their shoulder and achieving optimal space around the wither. The connection between you and your horse is accentuated through channelling your leg with seamless contact to let your horse feel your aids as they have never before. Your horse will instantly respond to the soft cushioning of the CAIR Cushion System, which lets them extend, lift and round to their fullest potential.

HART: the biggest competitive advantage

The greatest gift for any horse is an elite saddle that allows them to move freely, to their fullest potential, and that can continue to be adapted as they develop, grow and change throughout the levels. You will know you are protecting your horse’s back through your partnership with the kind of comfort only possible through HART.

Isabell Werth

Isabell Werth’s successes have made her an icon of our sport with a medal tally that is unlikely to ever be rivalled.

Her saddle is one of her proudest achievements. 

Many dressage riders have shared a personal connection with her saddle renowned for offering an instant improvement to rider position and confidence. 

For Isabell, her saddle is her communicator with her horse, a second skin that must deliver connection, rider balance and horse comfort. 

With over 35 years of competition experience and 90 years of saddle innovation, the Bates Isabell Icon stands alone in high-performance dressage, as truly state of the art.

Feel free to call the store for additional information about the saddles, Olivier will be happy to help you.