buying a treeless...opinons please

[Domino89]

What do you think of these treeless saddles?

Has anyone ridden in these before ?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/16-NUBUCK-LEATHER-TREELESS-saddle-with-numnah_W0QQitemZ160092714268QQihZ006QQcategoryZ3170QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[kjane]

wonderful, best thing ever, would never ride with a normal saddle again, horse loves it and so does his back

[Chip]

It's gone now, but Torsions are the best treeless saddles (in my humble opinion!)

[Showjumper]

www.freewebs.com/alternativehorse will give you lots of info about treeless saddles.

[mayoguinness]

I dunno now. At the mo I've got a cashel which I love but have been told I need a new one for more leg contact by my NH RI, before I had a Torsion but one bad experience put me off which I beleive was my fault now but I sold it on and now I think I'll try a Torsion again so I'm no help at all :o

[lachlanandmarcu]

I would thoroughly recommend the Treefree saddles by Dartmoor. :) They might be twice the price of some of the other makes but they are superbly made and substantial, which I didnt find with some of the others.

Also they DONT claim that treeless saddles are suitable for every discipline under the sun (which always makes me suspicious when some other makers do!) and nor do they have the stirrup leathers sewn across saddle from one side to the other (making potential strain on back if too much weight in stirrups and also harder to mend/replace).

If you can find a dartmoor Treefree secondhand, I'd go for that even over a new one of one of the others.

Both my 17hh IDxTB and 3yo 14.3 Haflinger go really well in it and took to it straight away - in fact I backed the haflinger in it!:D

[KAB]

Forgive me for asking....and also for not knowing, however, i am still new to this game - but i am curious to know what the benefits are of a treeless saddle........can anyone explain it to me please! :confused: :o

[Iron Maiden]

2 main advantages IMO - it should fit pretty much any horse with correct padding so you won't end up having to buy new saddles for a horse that changes shape, and you may be able to use the same saddle for several horses. Also in theory the horse should be able to move more freely in a treeless. My experience is that treeless do need to be carefully fitted - you might have to try lots of pads before you get a good fit and this can be frustrating. Also they don't necessarily suit your horse, mine seems happier in a treed so I've gone back to a treed saddle now, although it's an adjustable one that can adapt to her changing shape. Treeless can be very comfy to ride in and good for the horse if you get it right, but IMO it's not a magic wand that is guaranteed to solve all your saddle problems!

[Bebe]

I've currently got a treeless and a treed saddle. Up until a week ago my mare had only been ridden in treeless saddles for the previous 4yrs.

Treeless can have it's disadvantages and IMO you do need to have a good idea of how a well fitting saddle should sit on the horse, etc as the same principles apply, really the only worry you lose is whether it's wide enough or not.

I originally had a Fitform, and it's the only treeless saddle I still have. I rode in it exclusively for 2yrs without having a single problem in terms of horse comfort. For me it was very comfortable also but it did slip sometimes and wasn't ideal for fast work or jumping. It's brilliant for everythign else though.

I had a Freeform for a few months but found it didn't suit my mares conformation, I could get wither clearance with it whilst keeping her comfortable at the same time so sold it on. I then had a Flexion SBS and initially adored it but it was nothing but a source of frustration for the last year of ownership, it cost me a fortune in various pads and other gubbins in an attempt to keep it in the right place on my horses back. My mare went very lame just before Christmas and the consensus of my vet, McTimoney Chiropractor and 2 bowen therapists was that it was saddle related. 4 months of rest later I'm just bringing her back into work, she wore her Fitform for the first 2 rides and has been in a treed for the last 3 and I can honestly say there's no difference in how she goes between the two but there's a world of difference between how she goes in these vs the last saddle she was worked in regularly.

So, as you can see from my experiences it may not always be the easier option and it may not always be the best option for a particular horse. They're well worth a try but you can't guarantee that it will just be a case of throwing one up on the horse and riding off into the sunset.