Meet the incredible team who, together, create the magic that is EQ. We are all equally devoted to our horses, our customers, our saddles, and to providing the best service that the saddle industry has ever seen!
Carmi Weininger: Founder
When I bought the business in 1999, I had no intention of disrupting the saddle industry. My motivation was simple: the flexing saddle design had made my 6YO mare rideable after a year of back issues, and I wanted others to have the same profound and unexpected result. What is now EQFlex™ was invented in the UK; in 1999, I borrowed money and bought the designs and technology.
Back then, I ran a riding school in CO. I wasn’t a fitter, but saw how quickly the EQ system made horses more comfortable. Once I bought in to the business, it became clear that saddles were my calling, so in 2001, I sold the riding school. I gathered a group of riders and bodyworkers who shared my passion, and we began to learn, together, how to create saddle designs that improved both horse and human function, and gave a better connection between them.
It took a number of years to get things right, but by 2014, we’d figured out the benefits of adding flapless to flexible, and I was awarded two patents for my designs in 2017. As I head towards my 65th year, it’s become my mission to disrupt the saddle world. It’s overdue for an overhaul, and we’re here to lead the way!
Kayla Marchini: Technical Services
Kayla’s first exposure to horses was doing equestrian vaulting when she was 11. She paid her dues, working for trainers throughout her teens and beyond, in disciplines as diverse as dressage, eventing, and western horsemanship. She became a certified Equinology Bodyworker in 2022, and is a dressage rider currently, with a focus on rehab, strengthening, and equine biomechanics.
Kayla initially found us through a referral from her lameness veterinarian, Dr. Diane Isbell. She says, “her enthusiastic endorsement of the saddles motivated me to give them a try. I was pretty intrigued by the design of the saddle, but I was still skeptical but then, after a few rides in an EQ saddle, I noticed that the horses I ride were more relaxed over their backs, and one client’s gaited horse was finding it much easier to maintain a proper 4-beat gait, which was something we’d struggled with for a long time.”
Kayla joined the EQ staff in early 2024. She works directly in the field with our California clients, and also provides technical services to all customers, reps, and fitters as-needed nationwide, over email or on video calls. She says, “I really appreciate all the research and science behind the saddles, and the company’s focus on the welfare, comfort, and happiness for both horse and rider. EQ’s use of pressure testing gives an objective view of how well these saddles are able to distribute weight and reduce pressure points to aid the horse’s comfort and long-term back health”.
Rachel: EQ Saddle Expert Rep
Rachel describes her journey with horses as “one of discovery of how to get the maximum effects with minimum effort. My goal every day is to find a way for my horses to interact with me without tension or confusion”.
We first met Rachel in 2018 when she was struggling to help her homebred gelding; his “work ethic” was poor and getting worse. A scientist by training and profession, she systematically evaluated every piece of tack, ending with her saddle (despite her fitter’s assurances that there were no issues). Rachel was attracted to the thoughtfulness of the EQ saddle design, and says, “Apparently he was attracted too, and is now a barn favorite for his happy attitude in the barn and under saddle”.
Since then, Rachel found herself sharing her experiences with many people who were curious about the EQ saddle technology, both in her own barn and on the internet. She joined us as a rep because, “I wanted to find a way to be able to spread the word and offer support for other riders.”
What she likes most? “Our view that our customers and their horses are like family - our goal is horse and rider comfort, and this goal comes first”.
Ginny Pagano: EQ Saddle Expert Rep/Associate Fitter
Ginny was always fascinated with horses; she first rode when she was nine, and was hooked! She has ridden and shown most disciplines, and fell in love with dressage. She has her USDF Silver and Bronze medals, and needs two scores to attain her Gold medal goal.
We met Ginny when a friend referred her to EQ; she had a small tour Dutch horse who wasn’t moving as well as she knew he could when he was saddled. She went through our two week test ride, and says, “suddenly this horse became the same horse that I saw running free in the pasture, and it was the most secure, comfortable, close contact saddle I’ve ever ridden in”.
Ginny is now a representative and associate fitter; she says, “being a rep/fitter for EQ has given me the opportunity to help horses and riders achieve goals that maybe they never felt would be possible. With EQ there’s never any pressure on me to “make the sale”, and in turn, never any pressure on the customer to “make a decision”. We truly believe in our product, and we respect our customers, and I can’t say enough good things about this organization and the people in it.”
Valerie Sholty: EQ Certified Fitter for FL/Palm Beach & Broward Cnty
With over 20 years in the equine industry, Valerie brings her extensive background as a Vet Tech specializing in performance horses, as well as certification as a bodyworker. When she joined EQ, she was searching for a saddle that would fit wide round-barreled horses, and would also foster the comfort and well-being of both horse and rider. She says, “EQ Saddle Science aligned perfectly with my approach, offering innovative saddle designs that addressed my specific needs.”.
Val spends a great deal of her personal time developing her project horse Apollo for the hunter ring; she rides and shows him in an EQ Flyer (pictured). She goes on to say, “I love the culture at EQ, and the fact that the entire team is focused on making every client happy! I’m super excited to help people discover EQ Saddle Science, and what it can do for them and their horses!”.
Click here to Call or Text val
Jan: EQ Saddle Expert Rep
Jan is a lifelong rider. She began riding and owning American Saddlebreds and spent time in the draft horse world before finally settling on Dressage 20+ years ago. She most recently brought her Danish mare, Sweet Emmylou, up to FEI, competing at the Prix St. Georges level, and schooling the I-1. She is now bringing along a youngster, Gracie, who is a Saddlebred/Dutch Harness mare.
We first met Jan in 2022 when her trainer recommended that she try EQ. As Emmylou aged, her known saddle fitting problems became more of an issue. Although resistant at first because EQ was so different, Jan was quickly won over after winning a reserve National Championship while using an EQ loaner saddle. After seeing a remarkable change in her own mare, Jan became one of our biggest fans.
Jan joined us as a rep in 2023; after seeing the positive changes that EQ made for her difficult to fit mare, Jan decided to join the team and to help others find the same upgrades that EQ provides. She loves the adjustability, and says, “Because all horses are not created the same, all saddles should not be made the same. By creating a saddle for each individual horse and fitting it to both horse and rider, they can both find comfort and unity, thus creating a happier and healthier team”.
Melissa Whitney: EQ Certified Fitter for Virginia
Melissa has a diverse background with horses! She began riding as a child, took up foxhunting during college while riding on the Equestrian Team, and was a trail guide and drove teams of Belgians in Yellowstone National Park.
Obtaining certification as an Equine Sports Physiotherapist in 1997, Melissa began working with us and fitting our technology in 2000, when she was trying to find a solution for her Appendix mare’s extremely broad back; a client of hers had the same trouble, found us online, and the rest is history!
Melissa says, “First, this was the only saddle that fit my mare and she did not try bucking me off. Second, I was blown away by the thoughtfulness for the horse’s well-being and the technology that allowed customized fitting and freedom of movement. I have stayed all these years because this is the best saddle for horses, and I love the company’s insatiable desire to be better; this company is authentically altruistic, with customer service unlike any other.”
Today, Melissa’s riding focus in H/J and dressage, and she manages and rehabilitates active and rescued senior horses when she’s not doing bodywork or fitting EQ saddles. She says, “I’m super excited to help people discover EQ Saddle Science, and what it can do for them and their horses!”
Melissa is available for fittings in Keswick, VA and within a one-hour radius.
Regina Milliken: EQ Certified Fitter for Louisiana
Regina is a trainer who specializes in the development of the young horse from birth through starting under saddle and continuing on to the point of sale or the show ring. She says,
”The EQ saddle is an integral part of my training program; it helps keep my training horses comfortable, and my own back/sacroiliac quiet as well. And the expressed moral compass of the company, putting the welfare of the horse over the number of sales, is in line with my business approach”.
Regina is a USDF Bronze and Silver medalist with distinction, and is halfway to achieving her Gold medal. According to the USDF database, she has been in the competition ring 272 times and counting! Her equine experience is diverse, starting with western pleasure and halter, and morphing into H/J, then eventing and colt starting, and finally focusing on dressage (with a couple of years as a trick rider and performer in between). As she says, “All this adds up to age, wisdom, and a lot of old injuries.”
As an advocate for a happy and healthy equine partnership, Regina makes EQ Saddle Science a cornerstone of her equine management program which is designed to improve the soundness and emotional stability of the horse, resulting in a happy and healthy equine partnership.
Robin M: EQ Certified Saddle Fitter
Coming Soon!
Erica Jacobson: Social Media
Erica started out as a groom when she was 15, and has been in love with dressage ever since; she now is an ardent dressage rider, student, and competitor with her Fjord horse Bean!
Erica found us when she was on a mission to find a special saddle for Bean, who is extra wide, and says, “I’m so grateful to be part of such a wonderful family and company that is so much more than just saddles. My Fjord horse Bean and I are just astounded by the great care from EQ Saddle Science. I love being a part of the marketing team, spreading the word about these wonderful modern saddles!”.
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Brianne “Bri” Valentino, EQ Certified Fitter for New York/NE
Bri grew up in a horsey family, so was surrounded by horses from a very young age. She competed in local H/J shows and later on the A circuit while a working student. During college, she worked with young thoroughbreds both before and after the track. She began to focus on dressage in 2016, and is currently the assistant trainer at a dressage facility, and also runs her own “Valentino Sporthorses LLC”, which provides equine bodywork in the Hudson Valley as well as saddle fitting for EQ Saddle Science within a three-hour radius of 12534.
We first met Bri when her thoroughbred suffered a shoulder injury, and after that was unsound in any saddle besides in EQ; she says, “EQ was life-changing for him, and got us back to work. Helping horses feel their best is really important to me, and I saw how big of an impact our saddles can have for many different horses”.
Karen Bates: EQ Certified Fitter for Maryland, parts of PA, VA, and WV.
Karen has ridden most of her life, and enjoys everything from trail riding to dressage and even the occasional western discipline. Currently, she’s competing in lower-level eventing.
We first met Karen, who was already a fitter for other brands, when a client of hers brought EQ to her attention. She says, “I decided to order and test the saddles by doing a trial myself, because I felt that I had to prove these saddles were not beneficial. BUT I was the one proven wrong! Now I not only highly recommend EQ, but I ride in one myself.”
Karen enjoys bringing the EQ benefits to her horse and rider clients; she goes on to say, “EQ is a company that really stands behind their product. They are supportive through the process of trying and purchasing saddles as well as after. I also feel that EQ genuinely wants horses to be able to recover from setbacks; the Rehab Rental program that they pioneered is an invaluable resource for the equine community.”
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Arynn Agan: Customer Experience Manager
Arynn Agan is a lifetime rider, teacher, and trainer, and is now a valued member of the EQ Customer Experience Team. In addition to her position with us, she rides and manages her own horses, and teaches a diverse group of clients.
Arynn is passionate about helping horses and riders better understand and enjoy each other.
Lisle Stephens: Operations
Lisle started taking riding lessons when she was 8, after falling in love with horses at summer camp. As a city kid, she could only ride infrequently, and much to her parents’ relief, by middle school she was focusing on other things. The love of horses never left, and when she graduated from college, she started taking lessons again, in Texas and California. She says, “it was comforting to know I had this wellspring of joy I could count on, if I could just find a way to get on a horse.”
Conveniently, Lisle lives a bike ride away from EQ’s headquarters, so has an easy commute to the office where she organizes all inventory, has learned to “lovingly tetris items into a box for safe and economical shipping,” and especially loves surveying our racks of clean and good-smelling saddles.
Lisle says, “This is really an ideal combination of passion, challenge, energy, and teamwork. No two days are alike. I love hearing customers say that their EQ saddle has changed their ride in ways they never thought possible!”
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Jen Stern: Business Administration
Jen has been a passionate animal lover since childhood and has devoted her time to their care and well-being through her work as a veterinary technician and equine massage therapist. In addition to her work with animals, she has a background in product design.
Jen first found EQ when she needed a saddle for a mare with limitations due to past injuries. After a years-long search, she was found us, and says, “EQ was the answer we were looking for! Our EQ saddle allowed more freedom of movement for Deva as well as more stability in the saddle for myself, and we were finally able to enjoy riding in mutual comfort, in the ring and on the trail.”
Part of the HQ team since 2022, Jen appreciates the innovation of the design and technology, and the supportive environment; she enjoys being able to combine her knowledge of functional design and love of horses to deliver the best possible outcome for every horse and every customer.