Meet Brita Rizzi
A native of Germany, Brita’s profession for many years was as an interpreter for German, English and French for a number of international companies. She has traveled extensively internationally and lived in London, Paris, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
Always with a horse from the age of four and on, she rode competitively in Germany, competing up to 4th level dressage and eventing to Prelim. While working in France, she got to compete in the show jumping arena.
Brita left Germany in 1995 and first lived in Vermont where she worked for an equine veterinarian for 3 years. It was during this time that she witnessed many horses suffering from severely sore backs due to ill fitting saddles. Horses had behavioral issues and in some cases physical damage from saddles that were to wide, too narrow or just plain didn’t fit. Trying to find a saddle which fit her own horse was a difficult process in itself and that experience ultimately gave her the incentive to become more educated about saddle fitting.
Education and Training
- Certified saddle fitter with The Saddle Guy, Mike Scott, in Camden, SC. This intensive, 6-month program only accepts a few students each year. It included internships, research, saddle repairs, case studies and a big part was also attributed to the equine anatomy.
- Intership with Tarquin Cosack / Owner of Hofsattlerei Cosack custom saddlery for English and Western saddles, Arnsberg, Germany
- Multiple training sessions at Black Country Saddles, Walsall, England
- Advanced saddle fitting training with Eberhard Weiss, Germany, consultant for the international association of integrative veterinary medicine in Germany. Mr Weiss, an FEI dressage instructor, is the co-author of the book ‘Mediz. Sattellehre’ (medical saddle fitting) which he wrote with veterinarian and equine physiotherapist Dr. Robert Stodulka
- Several visits to the Passier saddle factory in Hannover/Germany
- Yearly educational trips to Europe — attending German trade shows and studying with saddle makers in Germany and the UK
- Worked with Passier and the local eventing community in Southern Pines to develop the Carolina monoflap jumping saddle. Various prototypes were tested by many event riders to come up with a comfortable and well fitting saddle for horse and rider.
- Extensive bitting education with Bombers and Sprenger in the US and Germany.
