Ques: Torsion Saddle Owners

[shadowanne]

Hi. I just got my new Torsion Endurance Saddle in Buffalo Leather today. The billets are leather and are stitched to biothane on the reverse.

Well, I went to attach my dressage girth to the billets, and discovered that the billets are too wide. they are just over 1inch wide. My girth buckles only fit 1inch billets. In fact, my Wintec dressage saddle billets are just under 1 inch, allowing for ease of use and of course easy in saddle adjustment.

I can't even get my Torsion to thread into the girth. I also tried a regular english girth to no avail.

Is this normal?!?! Do I have a defective saddle? Is the girth you can order from torsion made with special buckles?

I currently have this question out to the distributor, but I'm wondering if anyone else has this issue.

I got my Torsion from www.gotreeless.com.

(I can't even try my new saddle out - AHHHHHHHHH!!)

[Jay.o]

They have probably done that on purpose. They make a girth for their saddles at around 110 quid. I have one of these and they are fantastic, i would swop it for any other girh in the world. I didnt pay for it though (thankfully), when i bought my treeless saddle, the lady gave it to me as an extra, free of charge!

But they probably made them wider so you can go and use your own girths, and have to buy theirs. Hence, more money for them :rolleyes: Its very sneeky and sly actually - not at all fair.

I would be interested to hear what the person says though...

[shadowanne]

Yah, I'll let you know. Either way, they should say so on the website that you have to use theirs. Now I have to pay more shipping too!? :P

[Bebe]

My Fitform saddle was the same. Aerborn humane girths fit onto the billets though, you could try one of those. They're about £18 for the dressage one and most places sell them. Otherwise I think that Goldfinch Endurance still make leather girths that fit onto the Fitform, they're definitely cheaper than £110, I think they're about £50.

[shadowanne]

I got my reply from Torsion. Yes, they use 1 1/8" buckles. :P

I was considering a humane girth. I'm going to look into that to make sure they will fit my billets.

I'm pretty new to tack, so I didnt' even know they made a wider set of buckles/billets.

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

[lny]

I just received my Torsion saddle as well. In addition to the wider billets (1-1/8" vs. 1"), I'm having a heck of a time finding a dressage girth that will fit. Looks like I need a 34" or 36" which just isn't normal for a Dressage girth. I did find a girth with wide enough buckles! The Orthoflex girth which is made of neoprene.

Has anyone had any experience with neoprene girths? I've worn a wetsuit and I would think it would be extremely hot all day on a horse. I've always used leather split end (Hunt seat) girths.

[shadowanne]

I've never used a neoprene girth. Always leather. Though I know so many do. I'd think leather would be better, it's breathable, natural. But I definately purchase high end leather girths - don't chinse on those. Mostly for the flexibility, subtleness factor.\

I'm surprised you need such a big girth because at least the Torsion I have has abnormally long billets. Longer then my dressage wintec anyway.


(now I wanna share a bit!)

I finally got my Torsion leather girth today!! (got lost in mail originally) And wow, those buckles are big! (my girth is a 26")

But holy cow, I love it. Super flexy and contoured (and comes with a dee ring for breast collar should I ever need one). So today, I actually rode for the first time in my Endurance Torsion. Loved, loved loved it. (And I think so did my horse, finally)

Now we're treeless, bitless, and barefoot!

[Carol-Ann]

Hi there

I'm looking for my first endurance saddle and have come to the conclusion that it would be very easy to make an expensive mistake there being so much choice, how do you Torsion Saddle owners feel about your saddles, and advice would be greatly appreciated.

[shadowanne]

I ended up selling my Torsion saddle. One because I also ended up not doing endurance, but also I found it not very comfortable to post the trot in it.

It does make you sit wider, and I have a wide barrel Arab, but for whatever reason, I couldn't rythmically post well. (Note, I'm an adv. beginner rider).

I come from English/Dressage saddles and decided to try an Ansur treeless dressage. Picked up a slightly used one off ebay. Fabulous. Close contact without feeling like I'm sitting so wide. LOVE IT. Probably not appropriate for endurance (tho, I've heard some ride in dressage saddles) but I'd definately trail ride in it.

I did keep my Torsion girth because I love it so much. I really like the contour shape and the quality leather.

I really like the treeless saddles (having owned 2) and I think my Arab appreciates it as well.

Good Luck!

[Wally]

Get slightly wider buckles put on your girth, it will be cheaper.

[Chip]

The problem here is that the Torsion is made in Metric whereas our girths are in imperial, so the buckles do need to be vaguely wider.

It also shouldn't be a problem getting a 34" or 36" dressage girth, they are readily available.


As for getting it right first time. Well, from experience of other people's (customers) saddles and from owning a torsion ourselves, we can say that first, Torsion is the original treeless saddle, the rest are copies, not always good ones either!!! Many people go for saddles such as Horse and Harmony Trekka, or Dartmoor saddles. These are however of a very poor quality. The leather wears very quickly and they are shoddily put together. Save money and spend more to start with, buy a decent saddle.



And, NO, we do not seel Torsions or anything!!!!

[Carol-Ann]

I have been doing some searching on the internet - Here in Europe there seem to be 2 treeless options that stand out - Torsion and then there is a brand call Barefoot - At about half the price I suppose it could mean half the quality of a Torsion, does anybody have any experience with Barefoot saddles?

[Wally]

Torsion are nothing new, tree less saddles have been made in the UK for the last 50 years and before that for 100'2 of years out in the steppes.

Ask any saddler who works in Walsall.

[jowyles]

They all look horrible lol apart from one thats in a kind of beige colour.

[Carol-Ann]

Well I have managed to find a Barefoot I can trial here in France next week, so if anybody is interested, I'll let you know how it goes...

Shadowanne your comment....... but also I found it not very comfortable to post the trot in it.......Interesting, I have had my Arab mare for 4 months now and find posting to her trot very strange, I seem to bounce way to high out of my existing saddle a GP where as on my other horse I'm fine?? - So perhps this Barefoot I'm going to trial will sort this out.

[Carol-Ann]

Hummmmmm - Well I have trialed the BareFoot saddle and in some ways I loved it, it was SUPER comfortable for me but seemed to settle too far back on my mares back and as I seemed to sit further back than normal in the saddle my Riding Instructor and I came to the conclusion that it wasn't for us - The other thing was because of the wool padding on the underside of the saddle my mare felt much wider than usual and putting my legs on her was quite difficult although I think I could have lived with that if the saddle had been a great fit for her.

So there we have it, onwards and upwards, although I have definatley decided that I want to trial saddles before I buy one and not make a series of expensive mistakes, thing is, it's not always easy to trial saddles here in the middle of deepest darkest rural France!

[Carol-Ann]

Hah! Now I have managed to get a Torsion on loan, it should be here next week....isn't it amazing what you can source out here in the Middle of Deepest Darkest Rural France :) Thank goodness for the internet!

[Drummers mum]

Lol Carol Anne, I hope it goes well! I have just bought a second hand Fitform, its a lovely saddle and a real shame that they don't make them any more!

[Carol-Ann]

HAH!! :) loved the Torsion I had on trial, and so did Maïssa, even my trainer gave it his stamp of approval and he is a real Traditionalist :D

So I have one on order, I trialed a Dressage version which was very beautiful all Honey coloured suade, but decided for endurance purposes to go for the Torsion Endurance in black Nubuk leather - So there ends that story, and thanks all of you for your input.

[drookitsheep]

[QUOTE=lny]I'm having a heck of a time finding a dressage girth that will fit. Looks like I need a 34" or 36" which just isn't normal for a Dressage girth.

I've got a 36" dressage girth for my boy - it's a Wintec one and although it's not leather, I quite like it.

I borrowed a Torsion from a friend while my saddle was away being restuffed, I'm sure she used a Wintec girth on that which fitted fine. Glad to hear you've got a girth now though shadowanne.