2026 celebrates the 12th year that Neue Schule has supported BETA International as the show’s headline sponsor. This long standing support during a huge period of change (including a global pandemic!) is an important part of the show’s story and one that matters to us as BETA International and the larger equestrian trade. To shed a bit of light on Neue Schule (and hopefully share some information you didn’t know!), we wanted to share 12 facts about Neue Schule…
- The name. Did you know that the brand’s name, Neue Schule, actually came from a discussion that took place between founder Heather Hyde and a German national team rider? When she was showing him the collection, he said: ‘diese sind sehr neue schule’, which means ‘these are very new school’, and so Neue Schule was born!
- Salox Gold is a patented material that belongs to the company. This copper alloy was created to reach the horse’s body temperature much faster than other materials, to help support comfort and acceptance.
- This isn’t the only patent Neue Schule has. In fact, it also has patents for the Turtle Top as well as registered designs on other parts of the collection such as the Tranz Angled Lozenge and some further developments to be announced at BETA International 2026.
- At last BETA International, Neue Schule launched its first ever Western Collection which drew a lot of attention at the show thanks to the great design and truly exceptional detailing. These bits hit the market in December 2025.
- Science and technology are key parts of all of Neue Schule bits. Each product looks beautiful, but it’s designed first and foremost to perform at the highest level whilst respecting the horse’s anatomy. State of the art engineering techniques are used in each and every product’s development.
- The Academy. Neue Schule has its own Academy which was started in 2015 and became the International School of Lorinery Science in 2025 to acknowledge its position as a training provider. Whether you’re interested in the fundamentals of bits and bitting all the way through to lorinery science, there are courses to support you.
- Ambassadors. The company supports a number or riders and businesses across the world including The Devil’s Horsemen, Yasmin Ingham, Wills Oakden, Mount St John, Julia Krajewski, Daniel Sheriff, Richard Davison, and many others.
- Sarfraz Mian, CEO of Neue Schule, was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to UK trade in 2015. He’s also a keen cyclist and set up The Jo Cox Way, a 288 mile bike ride in memory of former MP Jo Cox. This year will mark the 11th edition of the cycle event that has raised many 10’s of thousands for The Jo Cox Foundation.
- Following a curve. A lot of traditional bits have single joints that create a ‘nutcracker’ action, and others are double jointed with a flat plate. But Neue Schule’s designs follow the curve of the horse’s tongue – and there are even variations for bigger and smaller tongues available.
- Physics. Neue Schule’s lead technical designer is Dr. Graham Cross, who was an Associate Professor of Physics. This knowledge ensures that engineering principles are applied to the designs – there aren’t any similar companies that use a physicist in the design and testing process.
- Ponies. Neue Schule has its own Performance Collection as well as a full range for horses. Helpfully, the collection is separated into bits for different activities, to make it easier to select the right one.
- Over and above. Neue Schule is really dedicated to science, something proven time and again through its research and development initiatives. One great example of this is the Poll Pressure Guide that was created when founder, Heather Hyde, wondered how much poll pressure each bit produced according to cheek type… so the bits were tested and whole guide created.
Neue Schule will be at BETA International 2026 and we can’t wait to see what will be on the stand this year.