An unusual project for Romane Etienne-Jacques

Arion Sellier has joined forces with the Association Génération Avant Garde and Proteor to make Romane's dream come true: to have a saddle adapted to her amputated leg and to be able to ride a horse without her prosthesis, which hurts her due to friction on the saddle.

We asked Romane to tell you about this crazy project launched in July 2021.

A dream: to ride in a saddle without a prosthesis

Romane: This project was born in my head 6 years ago, thanks to a publication about the para dressage rider Vladimir Vinchon in Proteor, designer of prostheses following an amputation. Para dressage champion, I noticed that he rides in a saddle specially designed to fit his amputated leg.

Iris (Proteor) put us in touch. We called each other several times to discuss the saddle and its design, but unfortunately we couldn't meet because we were too far apart geographically.

Alas, this project will have to remain in a corner of my head for lack of finding an association able to finance it and to launch out in this project.

2021, discovery of Arion and the Association Génération Avant-Garde

Romane: It' s in 2021 that Iris tells us about the Association Génération Avant Garde . An association that wants to give everyone a chance to accomplish themselves through sports.

The file is assembled, the adventure can begin

First step: creation of a file in order to explain the project of saddle to adapt to my morphology and sending of quotations from different saddlers.

Romane:The answer is not long, they are ready to support us in this project!

Meetings between saddler, prosthetist, rider, association and instructor.

Romane, July 3, 2021: I meet Génération Avant-garde and Arion Sellier at the Jumping de Giscours. My mother, my grandmother, my sisters and Iris (my prosthetist) accompany me to meet Sylvain and Hadrien. We get to know each other. I discover the Arion saddles (not transformed at this stage).

September 8, 2021: the first cast of my stump is made with my prosthetists for a model of the future part that will be affixed to the saddle.

October 13, 2021: Hadrien and Damien from the Arion team come to my riding center to try on two different saddles, one in leather and one in nubuck. During this, I ride with my prosthesis to see which one suits me better. I chose the black leather saddle.
Then we took off the prosthesis and placed the model made the month before to see how to position it best on the saddle. Hadrien and Damien can then note the various alterations to be made on the saddle so that I can be held in the best possible way.

 

December 8, 2021: Hadrian goes to Proteor with a saddle, we mold my stump directly to get the perfect shape to fit on the saddle.

February 7, 2022: we do the first fitting with the mockup attached to the saddle in order to see how I feel on it and what modifications need to be made.

June 15, 2022: the saddle is ready! The model is covered with leather and fixed by scratchs on the quarter. A very impressive fitting for me, not used to these sensations... A wonderful experience, where I could do a lot of steps but also a little trot! Everything is going well but I have to find my place and my balance. Everything is new !
This time, I keep the saddle for good !

July and August 2022: I take my very first lesson with my instructor and my new saddle. I do a lot of steps to find my balance and to give the horse time to get used to this change. Everything is going very well! I'm starting to trot a bit, I'm finding my balance. The freedom I feel is incredible!
I take another class or I try the canter. I have a hard time holding it because of the lack of bearings but the feeling of freedom is still huge.
My 3rd class with my new saddle is coming. I do walk, trot and canter. I keep all three gaits for longer and longer. I have taken my marks on my saddle, I feel better, it is more comfortable! That's when I realize that the piece is too stiff and hurts. So we decide to put a foam inside to bring more comfort.

September 11, 2022: handing over of the saddle planned with the coming of the horse and my instructor to which I unfortunately could not participate (Covid). The saddle leaves with Hadrien in order to make the last modifications. I will get it back in November.

They made the project possible

In all, 14 people and 5 sponsors were involved in the project to make the financing and manufacturing possible!

 

The difficulties overcome

Romane: the first difficulty was met by the saddler Arion who had to find a solution to adapt the saddle to the different horses I ride. Then the question was about the making of the model : how to make it ? How to make the part of my stump? After many tests and questions, we finally found the ideal solution. Then we had to intervene on the rigidity of the piece and cut it in order to give me more freedom and that it does not hurt me.

A little girl's dream come true

Romane: For me, having an adapted saddle was unimaginable... I would never have one. But it was without counting on Arion, the sponsors, the association, my prosthetists and my relatives, the little girl's dream that I had is realized.
Having my adapted saddle allows me to have more freedom in my movements and to be straighter in my back because my prosthesis creates an offset. It also allows me not to hurt myself in summer with the friction of my prosthesis and the saddle.

New goals become possible

Romane : My goals for the future are to succeed in finding my place in the saddle, more balance, more breath or even a straight back. This saddle makes me want to have my own horse so that I can adapt it to him and we can move forward together in this adventure. And why not try to do a dressage competition to see if I can manage to do a full recovery.

The last words of Romane...

"A big thank you to the whole Arion team, who were very present during this adventure and again afterwards (meeting at Jumping de bordeaux 2023, with a visit to the stand). The team is always ready to listen and attentive to the slightest problem. I'd also like to thank Proteor, in particular Iris, Jean-Jacques and Romain, for supporting me in this project, which was new to them and quite crazy. They went beyond their limits and succeeded in meeting this challenge. And finally, a big thank you to Génération Avant Garde and all the sponsors, without whom none of this would have happened.
A big thank you to everyone and to my family with their unfailing support."