The QUITTPAD Story

How does the “Quitt” get into the pad?

The “Quitt” in the pad comes from Jürgen Quittmann. As co-owner and co-partner of a group of companies, he developed and produced insulation materials for the construction industry. Fortunately, Jürgen Quittmann was also a rider. On a trip to Iceland in 1992, he fell in love with the little tölters, and a little later he bought his first two Icelandic horses. The mares formed the basis of his Icelandic stud farm in the Prignitz region between Hamburg and Berlin.

No thermal insulation under the saddle

While he had mostly been working with Icelandic horses in his spare time since the stud was founded, he noticed that almost predominantly materials were used in saddle pads that were also used in thermal insulation for buildings: Foam, wool and felt. In his opinion, not the most suitable for a good saddle pad, which after all should dissipate heat and moisture better than preserve. He began to think about alternatives.

From the mattress to the saddle pad

At the same time, the group of companies in which Jürgen Quittmann worked expanded to include a now world-famous brand. “Tempur”, the mattress made of a new type of foam developed specifically for NASA. This was the beginning of the success story of memory foam in the sleep sector.

And the developments continued. Next came another material. A so-called spacer fabric, which even has three physical properties: Pressure relief, climate control and hygiene – Jürgen Quittmann had found the ideal basis for his saddle pads. Shortly thereafter, a happy coincidence led him to Germany’s oldest quilted goods factory. In the company Schlafmond in Herford, he found the ideal partner for making up his saddle pads. With the first trade fair appearance in 2009 at the “Pferd&Jagd” in Hanover, he presented the Quittpads to the general public for the first time.

End and new beginning

After a serious illness, Jürgen Quittmann passed away in the fall of 2014.

Klaus Meinders, long-time friend and business companion of Jürgen Quittmann, developed the Quittpad idea further. With the help of many professional helpers from the equestrian world, the Quittpad 3D textile was developed specifically for the high demands placed on saddle pads in equestrian sports.

Klaus Meinders did not want to limit the benefits of Quittpad 3D textiles to saddle pads. In 2017, for example, Quittpad bandaging pads found their way into the program after a very successful series of tests. At Equitana 2019, he showed the first prototypes of the new girths.

The next chapter

Klaus Meinders retired at the beginning of 2021.

He has handed over his company to Michaela Wolf, managing director of the fine leather goods manufacturing company Ueberholz in Solingen. This decision does not come by chance: Michaela Wolf was in charge of the development of the Quittpad saddle girths, the “Contact” saddle pads are her project. After all, pressure relief is also their theme. Under the brand “NeXaver”, she is already developing halters and snaffle bridles that are gentle on the neck. The combination of Quittpad and NeXaver is a giant step towards “pressure relief around the horse”.

In sales, Michaela Wolf also relies on her own online store, competent resellers and consultants, and personal appearances at trade fairs and events. Klaus Meinders will remain associated with the company as a consultant.