Treeless saddles

[swissgrl]

Not sure if this topic belongs in here, or under the Tack, please move if it's at the wrong place.

Anyways, we've been looking at all different kinds of saddles at the equine Affaire, as my friend has a hard to fit QH. She is now looking at Treeless Saddles.

Does anybody have any experience with them? Would you recommend them? Why?
If not, why?

I did sit on one, and they do feel very comfortable, just don't know much about them, so any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[beckybee]

I just did a demo on a Bob Marshall endurance saddle through April at www.treelesssaddle.com (California). Awesome! They take a while to get after order as each one is made-to-order. Despite this, they are not super expensive (~$1000).

Manny (Magicman) was already getting cinchy and antsy while getting saddled. I put the Bob Marshall on him on him the first time, and you could tell he was anticipating discomfort, but settled right down. The second time he stood rock still, even for mounting. I'm worried that using such a comfy saddle will spoil him, but I guess I'd like to pick other battles right now.

One of the concerns with the Bob Marshall is the stability. I spoke to April about this at length because Manny is green and squirrely and I am not balanced as much as I could be (hey, I haven't ridden more than a handfull of times in the last 18 years!). I did notice once the saddle and skito pad "warmed up" and conformed with Manny's back, the cinch was loose. Once tightened though, I rocked the saddle back and forth from the ground and on his back. I definitely isn't going to slide over like a bareback pad. Most of the ladies at the stables mount using the stirrup and have had no problems.

The cinching system April recommends allows you to do a final girth tightening from both sides once you are in the saddle and it's all compressed down. She is a hard core endurance rider - her website says over 32,000 miles on her saddle - so she isn't going to stop and get off the check the girth! She also recommendeds special breast collar for extra security with erratic horses and riders and/or steep terrain; it has an extra strap that goes over the crest of the neck in front of the whithers that helps with side slippage.

I will probably get a trail model, not the endurance, because I like the higher cantle, more forward (western) stirrup position and a horn. Geri at www.sportsaddle.com (Ohio) has a trail saddle demo available. For the demo, the cost of the saddle is put on your credit card and you have to pay shipping to the next person ($40-$75), then the price of the saddle is credited back when the next person receives it.

At least half of the women at my stable have a Bob Marshall, another 25% want one, and the remaining 25% go english. They typically ride 2-3 times per week on 2-4 hour tail rides and swear by these saddles for both their comfort and the horse's.

Oh, Manny is about 15h, 950-ish pounds and, based on fit of other saddles, med-narrow withers. You can order peaked skirting under the pommel if your horse has very high withers.

[maloney]

I work for Beval Saddlery.

We had a customer who requested a treeless saddle so we got one in, and the gal trialed it. She loved it, except she said the stirrup bar was uncomfortable. BUT...she swears by treeless saddles. I think she competes in dressage with them. She also jumps with them. She has sold all of her other saddles. Treeless saddles are the "new" fad. We have a lot of people requesting infomation about them all the time. I looked on Ebay, but I didn't find much.

I'll have to ask more.

[ebo]

I know something about English treeless, but less about the western. I do know that the western models use a fixed pommel/horn and cantle that need to match your horse's body in those areas.

Maloneyd, are you all carrying Heather Moffit's treeless models?

[maloney]

No, it actually was the Freeform. It's only 7 lbs. Here is a link....

www.saddlesrus.com/freeform_page_3.htm

[eirualaerdna]

I'm considering getting a treeless for Birdie... at her age (4) I think it would be a really good idea to start off with a treeless, so I can further avoid future back problems when she's older. Everyone I know that's tried one, or has one, absolutely loves them, both for their horses and for themselves (and I've heard some stories of a treeless curing a "cinchy" horse problem!)