Danny Kroetch
Owner/Designer/Innovator
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My Goal is to eliminate discomfort for both horse and rider thereby maximizing performance by increasing freedom of movement”
Dan Kroetch is a Master Saddle Fitter who travels widely throughout North America, Europe and Asia conducting saddle fitting clinics and giving lectures on the proper fitting of saddles. Dan has a reputation for being able to fit the most difficult horses and his specialty lies in his ability to help those horses that are experiencing pain from their existing saddles.
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In conjunction with Academy Bartels, Dan was invited to take part in a 15-month study with Utrecht Veterinary University in the Netherlands on how ill fitting saddles affect the horse's movement. The findings were published in 2004.
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Danny believes that when fitting a saddle to horse and rider it is important to include the Circle of Influence. Like a wagon wheel the circle of influence is comprised of a number of supporting “spokes” each spoke represents an influence on the horses well being including; rider, coach, veterinarian, farrier, saddle fitter and alternative medicine practitioners such as massage therapists, chiropractors and acupuncturists.
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Although the wheel will remain functional when missing one or more spokes…in order to ensure top performance each area must be optimized. When fitting a saddle to a horse and rider pair, Danny must ensure that there are no other areas that may be effecting the horses ability to do his job.
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The Saddle-Fitter — Danny Kroetch is a master saddle-fitter who travels all over North America, Europe and Asia fitting saddles to high performance horses and riders. Currently his company DK Saddlery is the largest exporter of English saddles to Europe. At the 2004 Olympic Games three riders from two different countries competed in his DK Freedom Saddle. Mette Rosencrantz won the $25,000 Grand Prix Invitational riding Basquewille in a DK Freedom saddle at the Las Vegas World Cup April 20, 2007. Danny is currently heading a large research study on saddle fit at the University of Utrecht in Holland and is now the only saddle manufacturer ever to be published in the Veterinary Journal.
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The Company — Before starting DK Saddlery, Danny was frustrated by the limitations of saddles that he helped fit to horses and riders. This frustration led him to design a saddle that incorporated his years of experience and research, creating a fully adjustable saddle that can be re-fitted as your horse develops. Danny can now customize the fit for even the most challenging horses and riders.
