BayFlex® foam
Most of our saddle panels are filled with Bayflex® foam. It offers maximum comfort, flexibility, and memory, and results in the extraordinary support and balance of the saddle. The material adapts to the shape of both rider and horse, allowing more precise aids and free movement of the horse.
Bayflex® is used by World Champions every day in their training. On the market for several years and being used during millions of riding sessions, the result has been nothing but exceptional.
The BayFlex® material allows the panels to be pre-formed, but they adapt to the horse’s shape during riding. The panels are shaped for close but soft contact, and even weight distribution. They provide the rider as much contact with the horse as possible, leading to better balance.
As the panel is essentially a cushion, we chose the Bayflex® material’s degree of softness to provide perfect cushioning, while still holding its shape well.
Since BayFlex® always retains its shape and stays soft, the panels stay symmetrical and comfortable for the horse and the seat always stays soft for the rider.
The combination of BayFlex® and the DuPont® saddle tree allows the saddle to follow the movements of the horse especially well. This results in close contact and high comfort for both horse and rider.
Bayflex® is a polyurethane foam made from rubber trees that is the world’s most popular mattress material. This open cell foam allows excellent airflow through the material. Bayflex® is an extremely versatile material that can adjust itself to different pressures and maintain its protection without losing its shape. It is able to provide ultimate cushioning without bulk.
Bayflex® is formed with an injection molding process which guarantees that every piece is exactly the same. Since the fittings for the assembly of the panels are part of the mold of the saddle tree, the position of the panels is also exactly the same in every saddle. This manufacturing process prevents even a minimal crookedness that can appear in saddles that are put together manually. We can be 100% sure that all our saddles have the same shape and are completely symmetrical.
Many other saddles feature a conventional wool or wool/synthetic mix filling, which can take about six months of regular riding to settle into the shape of the horse's back. At this time the first re-stuffing should be done, because wool does not go back to its original shape and the panels can become asymmetrical or develop hardened bulky spots over time. Regular check-ups should then follow about every two years, to make sure that the weight of the rider or possible crookedness did not shape the filling in an undesirable way.
Since the filling in the panels needs to adjust continuously to changes and movements of the horse’s back over a long period of time, with Bayflex® we chose a flexible material that makes these adjustments, but always retains its original shape. That prevents the panels from becoming asymmetrical or compressed, regardless of the weight of the rider or individual usage.
