treeless saddles

[xox stace xox]

since honey is an odd shape ive been thinking of purchasing a treeless saddle for her, now i have no expirienc in treeless saddles and often think they look wiered
ive ridden in one before and thought it was awful, but if it will suit honey better then im all for it

right do they fit the same width wise as saddles with trees or do they just all come in one size, (one size fits all?)

sorry for daft questions but iver never used one really lol

can you jump, dressage etc in them i just want honey to be comfortable whihc she isnt right now :D

[No_Angel]

there are different types of treeless saddles

ones that look like treed saddles, ones that dont

ones that don't have a solid piece in the pommel, ones that do

The ones with the solid pommel pieces need fitting (block needs to be right size for horses back)

There are ones with gullets and ones without

Every treeless saddle needs correct padding to suit the saddle.

You can do pretty much anything in a treeless you can in a treed, as long as the shape and style is suitable for you and your horse

Not all treeless saddles fit all horses, it takes some research to find the correct shape, style, gullet/gullertless saddle that will suit your horse

[xox stace xox]

so will i need a saddle fitter out to fit one

im havig trouble finding a saddle that fits honey (well at my local tack shop any way) my dad bought a wintec cob 11 months ago we had it fitted but it doesnt seem right and itsd causing alot of pain in her back, so thought about these saddles

[No_Angel]

not really a saddle fitter. Most saddles have agents that will assess your horse and fit the saddle to both of you, but to be honest if you have a little common sense and knowledge of how a saddle should fit a treeless saddle can be fitted by yourself.

I would really recommend doing some research on the net about the different types available and not go for a chepo one from ebay that is not a known make.
There are a lot of silverline treeless saddle son ebay and I know from my own experience that these saddles are awful and not fit for a horses back.

Budget does come in to play with a treeless and what style you can get:)

[xox stace xox]

ok thanks a bunch for you help, i best go have a search now, thanks for your help

how much would i be looking at for a good one ?

[No_Angel]

it really depends on what you want from the saddle, the prices can vary from £300 to about £1500

this website might give you a start

www.freewebs.com/alternativehorse

[4_white_socks]

We have a treeless. Torsion, I think.
It's... okay.
It fits Fly like a glove - but we had to remove the wood in the pommel, because he hated it! As soon as we got rid of it he was fine, and he quite likes it now.
It is so comfortable, and even fits into the boot of a Mini! The stirrup bars are a little further back, which helps with position, but it does take some getting used to.
When you get used to it, it's lovely (apparently. I still go with treed, at the moment! :)).
We paid £1000 for it, and (at least with this make) the length of saddle is to fit you - so I'd have a 17" and someone else would have an 18", for example.

I personally prefer treed saddles, because that's what I'm used to. It takes some time to get used to the treeless, but I think it's worth it - if you and your horse like it.

ETA: I think it would have been better if we didn't get a treeless with a wooden pommel insert, because Fly's weight fluctuates so much. But then, it's okay now - we've stuffed it with teatowels instead of wood. ;) :rolleyes:

[mayoguinness]

I'm a big fan of treeless saddles, alwasy been great. I find it hard to ride in a treed now, I never seem to be able to get the feel of the horse in them and they look odd to me:D Guess its what you get used too:)

[molly34]

My new horse cam without a saddle so I decided to take the plunge and start with a treeless (I got hold of a treed GP just in case though!). I really like the look and sound of the SBS/Fhoenix but decided that was too expensive for starters so after a lot of research and questions (NR has been invaluable!) I got a Barefoot Cherokee because I liked the idea of the gullet, changeable/removable pommel insert and moveable knee rolls. It looks massive but all the endurance/torsion type saddles do seem to have big 'footprints' and the H&H people assured me as long as it doesn't actually overlap the quarters the weight bearing surface is in the right place. Tried it for the first time today and absolutely loved it :)

[horseygirl123]

I've got a torsion treeless, had it for a few months now and i absolutely love it and so does my horse.
The difference in her going from treed to treeless was amazing, she works beautifully in it in the school and on a hack, well i can go out for hours and when i get back everyone else on the yard moans about a numb bum and i feel like i've been sat on the sofa all afternoon!!

would definately recommend one, my position has improved no end too, i found i adopted the armchair position in my old saddle with legs too far forward whereas with the treeless the stirrup bars are set further back and as you can feel the horse more underneath you, its easier to relax and 'go with' the horse. Well i found that anyway ! :D

[molly34]

I got a Barefoot Cherokee because I liked the idea of the gullet, changeable/removable pommel insert and moveable knee rolls. <snip> Tried it for the first time today and absolutely loved it :)
2 days later am discovering a downside though..... you're sitting on a MUCH wider surface because of the lack of twist, and I'm now walking like John Wayne!! Hey ho, it'll do wonders for my inner thighs, I just have to get used to it, LOL!