Jochen Schleese, a Certified Master Saddler, received his initial training in saddle making from Passier and Sohn in Germany. In 1984 he was certified as the youngest master saddler ever in Europe, and was asked to come to North America from Germany in 1986 to be the Official Saddler for the World Dressage Championships held in Toronto.

From his experience as an international 3 - day event rider, Jochen Schleese knows not only how a saddle should feel from a rider's point view, but also how it should be made. In 1990 together with the Canadian government, Schleese developed the first ever authorized school for saddle makers and saddle fitters.

In 1996 Schleese received an international patent for his innovative AdapTree^® saddle tree design which allows the saddle to be adjusted to fit the horse's ever changing musculature has it ages and grows. The company was the first North American English saddle manufacturer to export product back to Europe, and enjoys the endorsement of top international riders and trainers.

Jochen confers regularly with industry professionals and is a guest speaker at veterinary associations, equine veterinary schools, and riding instructor conferences and has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal and the Discovery Channel.

Specializing in saddle fit for horse and rider, and author of the "36 point checklist for evaluating saddle fit", Jochen Schleese has a trained team of Certified Saddle Fit Technicians who travel across North America visiting clients at their barns for saddle measuring, analysis, adjustments, service and fitting clinics to provide horse and rider "Saddle fit 4 Life^®." using the 3-step Schleese System.

Schleese was the Official Saddler for the World Cup Final 2005 in Las Vegas and has recently been awarded the same position for 2007.