Our history

Over time, our company has built a reputation for Prestige to be identified with innovation. Inspired by a love of the equestrian world, the Stocchetti-Rasia family established their business in 1974 under the brand name Appaloosa. At this time, the most renowned saddle-makers were German. Our company challenged the traditional techniques and developed a way to make unique saddles that stood out. Our mission was, and still is, to create saddles that enhance the comfort of the rider, and most importantly, the well-being of the horse.

The saddle is key in connecting horse and rider, motivating us to create an innovative product that would respect both simultaneously. The traditional wooden trees, used even today, can change their characteristics over time. In order to overcome this, we looked for a material that was flexible but able to maintain its structure over many years. After numerous attempts, our search finally came to an end and our fiberglass reinforced nylon tree was developed. We also focused our research on the leather. Until this point, English leather was the popular choice. Although durable, it needs to be ridden in for at least six months before it softens and breaks in. Seeing this disadvantage, we broke free from tradition and used a much softer material: Swiss leather. We finally created our first saddle in 1977, and from that moment on Prestige has continued their pursuit of innovation in the equestrian industry.

In the 70’s we became the pioneers of the synthetic fiber tree. In the 80’s we made our début as the first ever Italian exhibitor at the Cologne trade fair, bolstering our visibility across Europe. Our saddles attracted attention, not only because of our use of unconventional materials, but also due to their modern appearance. Our dark brown color stood out against the lighter brown tones selected by other European saddlers. We were also among the first to offer custom colors for piping and stitching. Another distinguishing feature that Prestige debuted was the use of rawhide leather to protect the cantle from wear, leading to our signature white accents on our cantles.

Forty years of history have not only given us tremendous experience, but also a vision and a working method that we still apply to this day. Our willingness to identify cutting-edge solutions and our drive for better production quality are the same now as they were on day one, if not stronger. Today, our knowledge and techniques have been enriched by the contribution of the professionals who have chosen our saddles and by our craftsmen, whom we consider the valuable keepers of tradition. Combined with a spirit of innovation, this is what makes Prestige unique from all the rest.