Before we get started it’s important to note that, despite the volume of product I own, I am not in fact sponsored by Arion. It would be a lot cooler if I was, alas I am not anyone important, I’m just an enthusiast.

I still get very regular emails from people asking me about my Arion, if I like it, how the ordering process went, etc etc etc. Lately I’ve also been getting people asking if I know anything about their accessories too, so I figured – ya know what, let’s put everything I know into one post. That way it’s searchable and easier for everyone, plus there are quite a few things I have that I’ve not actually mentioned or talked about before.

Let’s start with the biggest thing.

I have a 17.5″ monoflap cross country saddle with a forward, regular length flap in brown buffalo leather with black glitter piping around the back. Some of you may remember that this is not my original saddle – the first one had a very small, minor flaw at the bottom of one flap, and Arion re-made my entire saddle. Not only remade it, but the rep came out to check the fit (it had been almost a year and Presto is young, so she wanted to make sure that the specs were still right) and decided to order the new one with a slightly different panel because he’d packed on so much topline. So basically, they remade me an entirely new and updated saddle a year after my original purchase (and didn’t take the old one back until after my new one came, so I was never saddleless) and that’s my current saddle, which I’ve been riding in since this spring.

Here’s where I have to back up a step and say that when I was choosing a brand to order my very first brand new saddle from, customer service (or lack thereof) was the reason that multiple brands didn’t make the cut. I’d seen too many firsthand horror stories of disappearing reps, saddles that didn’t fit, brands that blamed the client or the horse, big restocking and repaneling fees, etc etc. It’s nightmare central out there. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to try to order a new saddle when I was shopping because it made me so nervous.

I had it narrowed down to a couple brand options when we went to Kentucky in 2022, but I wanted to talk to them and get a feel for their vibes. You know what I mean, right? The vibes gotta be good. Not snooty, not aloof, not cagey, not condescending, not dismissive. Anyone who has shopped for saddles before, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. I also wanted to check out Arion HST, a relatively new-to-the-US brand that I’d heard about but hadn’t seen in person yet.

And y’all… while the other brand’s vibes were somewhere between sketchy and meh, the Arion vibes were immaculate. Everyone was very helpful, very knowledgeable, and the saddles were beautiful. To add further incentive, their turnaround time for custom was 1/2 to 1/3 what a lot of these other brands were quoting, and the price was lower too. I got hooked up with a rep and within a couple months had tried some saddles and ordered one for myself. Did it feel a bit risky going with a lesser-known brand? At the time, maybe, but I was hoping that my gut instinct was right. Clearly it was, because here we are a year and half later and I’m a big Arion fan. The vibes were correct.

Aside from their dedication to customer service and making sure that everyone is happy, the saddles are just really freakin nice. I find it a lot more comfortable (for the horses and myself) than my Devoucoux and I think the balance is considerably better than the Voltaires I sat in. Hillary, who’d had a Voltaire before, borrowed my Arion one day and soon after ordered one for herself. They’re just really lovely saddles, and I feel much closer to the horse in the Arion than I did in anything else.

Presto loves their shoulder-free panel design, there was an instant difference in how he moved, and he’s always looked and felt great in his saddles. Y’all know he gets chiro and bodywork regularly as part of his general sporthorse maintenance, and he’s never been even a hint of backsore (knock on wood) plus he packed on an insane amount of topline after getting this saddle. It’s why we had to change the panel, but it’s a good sign that the tack is right!

When I got my saddle, I also nabbed some accessories, namely a saddle pad (which is well-loved, much-washed, has seen a lot of Florida sun, and is therefore a bit faded by this point, but still in great condition otherwise) and some stirrup leathers. I’ve been really happy with both. The saddle pad has a nice waffle lining that seems to be comfortable for the horses. Also, can we take a minute to appreciate the fact that Arion’s colors are navy and white, not like… green and yellow or brown and teal or red and black or whatever else is trying to assault my eyeballs. Just a nice navy. My retinas thank them greatly for that.

My leathers still look brand spankin’ new, too, hardly any wear at all, which is fantastic considering how soft and lovely they are. They’re lined calf, so no stretching, and nice and soft so they don’t rub or damage my saddle. I mean yeah, I got a buffalo saddle so that it would be more resilient (and so far it definitely has worn like iron) but still… she deserves some nice soft leathers. She bougie.

In all seriousness, it’s because this is my very first brand new saddle and I want to do my best to take care of her so that she lasts a long time.

Hillary has some of their stirrup leathers too, but she got the wide stability ones. I haven’t tried that style yet but I know she’s been really happy with hers too.

Since then I’ve added a couple other Arion accessories to the line-up. Last winter we got one of their figure 8 bridles, which I really like. The leather is soft, the crown is nicely padded, and the nose floof is the floofiest. All very important requirements.

Their sizing runs a bit generous I think (pretty common for French strapgoods) but it works on Presto, and it’s held up nicely. The leather is soft, but not so soft that it feels oversaturated or mega-floppy, and so far it hasn’t stretched, which is a common problem with some brands.

I also picked up a set of their training boots when I was at Kentucky this year. They’re really lightweight with a mesh lining, and a really simple design. the elastic straps are very light and thin but strong, and they velcro onto any spot on the outside section of the boots. They’re definitely the quickest and easiest boots in my collection to put on, and they wash up really well. Granted, Presto the boot destroyer did reach down and rip one of the straps off on like his second time wearing them. I wish I could say he’s never done that before, but uh… he has. He’s a serial boot killer. I got the strap sewn back on and they’ve been doing a-ok since then, under close protection from Presto’s mouth.

I have yet to get something from Arion that I haven’t liked. I almost bought dressage leathers at Kentucky too but my budget was like “hahaha no”, and I’ve had my eye on a stud girth for quite a while (I do legitimately need one now), which might be the next addition. I don’t even want to THINK about having to replace my old dressage saddle yet, but I know that’s probably coming within the next couple years… when it’s time, Arion will be first on my list to try.

And a perk of buying anything from them is that I know without a doubt that if I had an issue with anything, I believe 100% that they’d fix it or replace it. Having talked to and interacted with so many of the reps, as well as the owner of the company, they’re just really dedicated to getting it right… something that has become a rare quality in this industry, especially with the French brands. With big purchases like these, having confidence in the brand is a major selling point.