SmartRide Rx Saddle Technology

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Ruckersville, VA
SmartRide Rx Saddle Technology

SmartRide™ is the most significant re-engineering of saddle tree and panel technology in history.

SmartRide Rx™ technology refers to the most significant re-engineering of saddle tree and panel technology in history. Conceived, designed and developed over a 20 year period by a consortium of experts, this exhaustive effort included a broad range of engineering and fabrication expertise, coordinated in a horse - centric environment under Tad’s direction.

02/20/2026

In the years since winning Olympic gold, Tad Coffin has continuously strived for excellence in horsemanship, but in a different way. He has used every bit of those years to do a deep dive into the role a saddle could and should play in the furtherance of the ultimate horse/rider relationship.

Tad continues, “it’s not at all obvious how the downward pressure of a rider and saddle would be able to solicit an upward lift in a horse’s back. Without this, a horse’s movement, balance, agility and cooperation will always be compromised to some degree. It’s a complicated problem and the solution requires something beyond what is currently being offered. Given the current prevalence of equine back pain, there is clearly room for an alternative saddle narrative.”

The pathway to good riding should lead to the ennoblement of the horse’s innate beauty and athleticism. With this in mind Tad has fully dedicated 30+ years to studying and reengineering one of the most vital, yet overlooked, tools for an equestrian.

The result of this work is SmartRide Rx technology which, with its biomechanical and bioenergetic properties, solicits the kind of response from horses that makes putting them ‘on the aids’ a joyful and therapeutic experience for both horse and rider.

If you’re curious to learn more about his saddles for both jumping and dressage, or his therapy device the Thera-Tree, go to www.tadcoffinsaddles.com. If you’re interested in the wearable wellness device called the eWell Puck that is lightweight, durable, and never needs charging, please visit www.eWell.life.
Give Tad a call with any questions at (434) 989-3229. He welcomes visitors to his base in Ruckersville, Va. by appointment.

02/06/2026

Winter in Virginia was reasonable until mid January. The footing was dry and not frozen. Horses were ridden and turned out.

It went steeply downhill with the big snow/ice event two weeks ago. Despite the lack of turn out and infrequent exercise, I am grateful to be able to ride the oval, gravel drive around the barn.

I’m also most grateful for all of the tools and daily protocols we’ve developed which make our lives and those of our horses safe, relaxed, and making progress, regardless of conditions.

These are the tools I use to make riding a pleasure, despite the ravages of recent weather:

1. Our saddle with the latest SmartRide Rx technology. Back discomfort or pain creates tension and a likely scenario for dangerous, disruptive behavior when combined with lack of turnout and exercise, snow sliding off roofs and slippery or treacherous footing.

2. The Thera-Tree or the new eWell Therapy Pad. When inside, our horses live in this technology with a service drop to the grounding girth on one end and to a grounding rod outside on the other. This keeps them in a constant state of electromagnetic homeostasis. (See the second photo.)

3. An eWell Puck is on each halter and a Collar Puck goes on the bridle when they’re ridden.

4. All blankets are kept on a grounded blanket rack when not in use.

5. All equipment is grounded before each use; saddle pads, saddle, girths, bridles, stirrups, half chaps, boots and all clothing.

6. All laundry is washed with an eWell in the washing machine and all tack is cleaned with an eWell in the bucket.

The beneficial effect of this remarkable technology is compounded in each of the measures listed above. Discomfort from back pain and the disruptive nature of chaotic energy is eliminated or blocked, replaced by comfort from all sources of contact.

The results speak for themselves and are worth every bit of effort.

-Tad Coffin

12/24/2025

Merry Christmas! Warm tidings from our family to yours.

12/13/2025

As our life is a gift, the Lord has given us the gift of the horse. And what an amazing gift this has been. For thousands of years, horses have helped us with every imaginable task and have participated in many of our most outstanding accomplishments. Their versatility is remarkable; from toiling in the fields, to their courage on the fields of battle, their capacity to endure the harshest climates and most difficult terrains, and to endure long journeys at sea to help us discover the ends of the earth. Indeed, it is hard to imagine what our world would be like without their help.

Here in the US, we think of horses as relics of the past, more recreational in nature. However, in many parts of the world, this is not so; they are still performing essential services of transportation and a variety of agricultural tasks. If, as humans, we've been given a greater gift over the span of history, I'd be hard pressed to name it.

We thank God for the gift of partnership with the horse. They are truly a reflection of His glory and His desire to provide us with a noble and willng partner. On this Day of the Horse, let us recognize and remember the sacrifice horses have made on our behalf throughout history.
-Tad Coffin

📷🎨Artwork by Kelly W. Coffin, her painting of Sir H.A. Munnings’ Statue of Lt. Horner

11/12/2025

Attention, Friends:
These two pups are looking for a good home. 3-4 yrs old small brown doggies.(SBDs). Sadly they belonged to a dear friend who recently passed away. They are sweet, very biddable, good with other dogs and are crate trained. One male & one female. Please dm if interested.
Thanks,
Tad & Kelly

10/26/2025

NEW PODCAST!
Tad and Jamie chat about a what it was like as a protégée of Jack LeGoff’s, handling pressure, staying focused, plus hear about Tad’s extraordinary mother and his remarkable family upbringing that led to a mindset of success. Tad talks about his saddle making journey in a nutshell and offers one piece of advice to anyone looking to improve their horsemanship.

It’s a fun hour and worth a listen, even if you have a non-horse person along on the drive, they’ll enjoy it, too.

Here’s the link:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/horses-in-the-morning/id399998714?i=1000730795849

(Or you can hop over to www.tadcoffinsaddles.com and look under the News tab, then Podcasts to get the link, or search your podcast platform for Horses In The Morning, Oct. 8, 2025.)

10/15/2025

Tad Coffin graduated high school on Long Island in 1973 and went directly to train with the USET 3-Day team. In 1976 he won team and individual gold medals at the Montreal Olympic Games. Turning professional, he spent the next 20 years training and instructing.

In 1996 he started Tad Coffin Performance Saddles to research, design and manufacture saddles that would encourage horses to use their most balanced, athletic posture. He holds multiple US patents for his innovations and his saddles are being used by some of America’s best riders.

He is also known for pioneering a beneficial electromagnetic field in his saddles which impact the nature of water in the body. This unique technology brings a host of physiological benefits to horse and rider alike and is now offered in wearable wellness products used by horses, dogs and humans. called the eWell Puck.

📷 Michael Marino

07/03/2025

Posted • .life Summertime can mean added worry for dogs who don’t like thunderstorms or fireworks. We hear from a lot of customers that the eWell Puck on their dog’s collar can help them feel less anxious.

Discover the eWell Puck — a non-electronic and medicine-free tool to improve your animals’ wellbeing.

The far infrared technology that has been helping horses live better lives for the past 10+ years is now configured to help dogs! eWell Dog Collar Puck has a Velcro closure that can wrap around your dog’s collar or harness and is durable enough to ‘weather’ a wide variety of outdoor conditions, play, or more strenuous activities.

Benefits include:

- Reducing anxiety
- Situational anxiety from travel, training, going to vet, dealing with loud noises, and separation anxiety
- Alleviating stiffness, reducing inflammation
- Increasing mobility
- Improving energy
— In older dogs, owners report that dogs wearing the eWell Puck are rejuvenated, have more vitality, energy, mobility, less pain, less inflammation, and increased appetite
— In younger dogs, wearing the eWell Puck helps with settling down, reducing anxiety (and the many training challenges that go with it), better focus and overall improvement of training sessions
- Overall wellness, improved quality of skin and coat, improved digestion (reduction of vet bills!)

This technology supports the parasympathetic nervous system, which is at work when they are quiet. It decreases alertness, blood pressure, and heart rate, and helps with calmness, relaxation, and digestion.

More about it at www. eWell.life!

06/05/2025

When horses go well, there’s something about their ability to move and carry themselves that brings out the dynamic beauty in them.

This can only happen, consistently and over time, if they can comfortably lift all portions of their backs into the saddle at all gaits equally well and while jumping. How horses with differing conformations can do this despite the downward pressure of saddle, girth and rider is not at all obvious. In fact, the pursuit of this ideal has occupied the past 30 plus years of my life and has necessitated the ongoing need and contributions of our test horses.

There is much that I like about the way this horse is jumping. He has a lovely bascule, a lovely expression, even and correct use of his legs and shoulders. He’s really using his thoracic sling and coming up through his withers. There is a total absence of resistance— and resistance is what detracts from a winning performance.

This is one of our “test horses,” George, a nice horse but certainly not an exceptional one. The jump is neither high or interesting enough to invite much effort on his part. This begs the question; why is he jumping so beautifully?

The answer is simple; because he can. And with complete comfort, partnership and joy.
While exceptional horses round up through their backs naturally, I am looking to get perfectly ordinary horses to do this through our saddle technology.

George’s daily routine (and mine) consists of the kind of gymnastic flatwork which was the cornerstone of my early training with Raul deLeon, an ardent follower of the principles exemplified by US show jumping coach Bertalan deNemethy. This preceeded my work with US eventing coach Jack LeGoff who taught the same principles.

What makes this type of work, for this horse (and indeed any horse) so valuable as a preparation for jumping is his complete ability to come up into the saddle. The saddle invites him to use himself in the way he was created. To borrow a quote from McEnroe, "the saddle is his friend." The quality of the jumping effort reflects the quality of the flatwork; his ability to lift, round, and propel from behind over a jump is a very similar effort and a natural extension of what he's already doing on the flat.

When horses have uncompromised use of their back and thoracic sling, they're balanced, more dynamic and comfortable to ride. In this way, they make a rider's position, balance, and aids more effective and attractive.

My goal is to create saddles that bring out the true beauty and partnership that is possible in riding and to make this joyful experience more available for all involved in the effort.

With gratitude,
Tad Coffin

05/29/2025

Nothing beats peace of mind when it comes to our pets! If your dog wears a tracking device such as an AirTag, you can add an eWell Puck to his collar to mitigate the exposure to extra EMFs that go along with this.

Our phones, smartwatches, and AirTags all contribute to non native light in our environment as the devices ping back and forth between towers and your phone. This unseen blue light can be a significant contributor to dehydration and anxiety in people, so it stands to reason that it’s the same for our animals. There are also further concerns raised in a recent study about cell phones and blood clots. (We have included that on our website www .eWell.life for anyone who wants to read more.)

At a minimum it’s great to know that you can track your dog if you needed to, and even better to know that the shungite in the eWell Puck protects him like a little force field without impeding the AirTag’s ability to keep track of your dog. It’s the same if you wear the eWell Puck on your belt or clothing— you’re better protected, too!

05/14/2025

Posted • .life Did you know the field of the eWell Puck is at least 4’?

Anytime you are wearing a Puck and hanging out with friends, they are getting all the same wellness benefits as you are!

Horseman friends, notice how your horse responds when you are standing with him while wearing your way to wellness !

04/24/2025

ATTN. HORSE FRIENDS:
The saying goes “Necessity is the mother of invention” and no one knows this better than horse folk!

This clever arrangement of the eWell Halter Puck on the Velcro closure of a fly mask was sent in to us from a customer and we thought it was worth sharing!

This mare usually walks the fence line incessantly when it’s time to be brought in, but since the Puck has been on her mask she just waits in the shed until time to come in. Tad’s SmartRide Rx Technology for the win!

Interesting! Seems like the eWell Puck in her bonnet is helping her have less “bees in her bonnet!” Which so far means less pulled shoes and no more making a ditch at the gate! 🤞

Owner says it’s easy to “ground” the Puck, when she takes it off mare in the morning she just puts it on the ground for a few seconds.

Have you come up with any eWell Puck hacks that are worth sharing? Let us know!

Read more about this unique technology at www. eWell.life!

Address

1151 Dairy Road
Ruckersville, VA
22968

Telephone

+14349893229

Website

http://www.tadcoffinsaddles.com/

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