Which Treeless?

[Rokx]

I'm contemplating getting a treeless saddle for my arab. At the moment I ride him in a Saddle Company Saddle, which is nice but I don't think he is 100% happy with it.

He also changed shape quite a bit through the year (and is changing shape as he gets older & builds up more muscle!). He's quite a sensitive pony and I need something perfect!

He is slightly uneven behind so I also need something which won't slip to one side. I do have to mount from the ground sometimes as we havent mastered gates yet, so nothing that slips when I get on! he also has a very short back.

Here's a few pictures of him so you can get an idea on shape:
This was him in March at a normal weight/shape:


And at his most bloated :



I'd love to hear from anyone with a treeless to see what you have? What you think of it? Any problems etc!
And what you would suggest I try for him, assuming that money, in theory, isn't an issue for the perfect saddle. Also, I have no idea about treeless sizes! What size would we need, if he's 14hh, usually ridden in a 15" saddle, and I'm 5'4" and weigh around 7.5-8 stone?

Thanks!
xxx

[Trio]

hiya- well i've literally just bought a torsion treeless after toing and froing for ages. i asked on here and on HHO about them and none came up with anything negative about the torsion- spoke to my back lady and several knowledgeable peeps aty my yard and the general consensus was that the torsion was fairly flawless but havent tried it yet as it only arrived today.

The HM original ones were supposedly fantastic but i've heard conflicting reports about the newer models but again havent tried them personally so its all heresay.

the barefoot cheyenne are also supposed to be good but you need to make sure you get the right pad for your horse.

looking at your horse , the shapes the same as my youngster- very fine with defined withers so you'll need to be careful as alot of them are made for low withered broad backed horses.

The torsion has the option to come with a supapad which lifts the saddle off the spine and withers but the pads not cheap!!

[Shian89]

hi

i've got a barefoot cheyenne treeless, and i love it! its comfy to ride and my horse goes so much better in it!

umm..... as to which treeless, what do you do with your horse? And also what your budget is?

as with a treed saddle the tree provides the stability, but treeless to only solid part in the saddle is usually the pommel and someimtes the cantle., but since you're so light it may not be as much of a problem about mounting from the ground, you'll just have to find a rock or a fence to stand on, and mount! haha

[Shian89]

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154415

look at this post, they are talking about mounting from the ground in a treeless!

And also when you said you're height, is it supposed to be 4"5? or 5"4?

[Rokx]

Trio- thanks thats really helpful! I had a look on their website & the saddles look nice (need to get saving though I think!). How did you decide on the Deluxe version as opposed to all the others on the site? Is there any difference between that and the orthopaedic one besides the different stirrup rings? Let me know what it's like when you do try it!

Shian89 - Oh yeah, I should probably have mentioned this is my original post! We do hacking a few times a week and a little schooling (only once a week or so). We also do the occasional endurance ride (the shorter ones, usually 10 miles or so).
As for a budget, I havent really thought about it yet. I would obviously prefer something which wont bankrupt me, but if it's the perfect saddle, then I dont want to limit myself too much on price!

[Trio]

Rokh- see post on torsion arrived by me- pics of it! not a horse modelling but closest i could get at work!!
the deluxe can be used for general hacking and for jumping and also has the stirrups placed slightly further back to give you a good position. really only went for it as my friend has it and has been using it on her horse for over 2 years with no problems at all and loves it- it really is so comfy. oh and its so light as well so when i do day rides its much nicer for my horse.

[No_Angel]

Your boy looks so much like a pony I had for training! He fit really nicely into a Trekker dressage, it was short underneath so good for him (he was 13hh and wore a 5ft rug) and the seat was larger so good for me (size 10).
It allows wither clearance as its got a high pommel arch and has panels so has lateral stability and allows for spine clearance

This is the one I had, but they now have more up to date versions out

[Shian89]

Originally Posted by Rokx

Shian89 - Oh yeah, I should probably have mentioned this is my original post! We do hacking a few times a week and a little schooling (only once a week or so). We also do the occasional endurance ride (the shorter ones, usually 10 miles or so).
As for a budget, I havent really thought about it yet. I would obviously prefer something which wont bankrupt me, but if it's the perfect saddle, then I dont want to limit myself too much on price!

Well......I have a barefoot cheyenne, its one of the one's with no panels so its completely moulds to the shape of your horse's back, So i don't think one similar to this would be a problem since he is uneven at the back. As for the saddle sliding.......it does slide with me but....i'm a little bit heavier than you, and also i had to take the pommel out as the wide one wasn't WIDE ENOUGH for my horse, and this is the only part which provides stability really....but since your horse has a bit of wither it and you're lighter than me, it shouldn't be nearly as bad!

And as for sizing some go by what dress size you wear, other just go by e.g. 15"/17" etc long. But since there is no tree they can be slightly longer than a treed saddle on your horse's back, they are allowed to sit on their loins as long as you can feel there no actual weight in that part of the saddle....if that makes sense.......

The barefoot's range from £250 - £990 so it depends on what your budgets is and also whether you want a gp/western/dressage? http://horseandharmony.co.uk/shop/

Other treeless saddle makes i've heard good things about are:

Heather moffett phoenix saddles - extremely nice saddles! they start at about £900ish www.enlightenedequitation.co.uk

Trekker/equinelibrium - start from £99 - £800ish i think www.equinewhispers.co.uk

torsion - same idea and design as barefoot but a bit more expensive, my friend has one and she likes the barefoot's better as she thinks the stirrup bars are set too far back on a torsion www.torsionsaddles.co.uk

treefree Dartmoor/exmoor - heard good things about them but never ridden in one - start at around £625 http://www.treefree-saddles.co.uk/


Copperbeech - one of the cheaper treeless saddles but people who have them seem to like them.......start at around £200 http://www.copperbeechsaddles.com/sa...shmpif7b92tn27

the soultion saddle - one of the most expensive treeless saddles i've seen, think they start around £1500? http://www.solutionsaddles.com/index.shtml

hope this helps

[shades90]

i ride in a new model trekker endurance saddle and i love it. its the most comfortable saddle I have ever had and my arab loves being ridden in it. only problem I have with it is mounting from the ground lol :P

[Rokx]

Thanks for all the advice, I have lots of reading & thinking to do!
Just one quick question, which pads do you all use with your saddles?
Actually 2 questions Does the fleecey underneath bit of the cheyenne get really manky & how difficult is it to clean?
xx

[Shian89]

Originally Posted by Rokx

Thanks for all the advice, I have lots of reading & thinking to do!
Just one quick question, which pads do you all use with your saddles?
Actually 2 questions Does the fleecey underneath bit of the cheyenne get really manky & how difficult is it to clean?
xx

Umm well, its the pad that will get dirty, but surprisingly it doesn't get as dirty looking as you'd think, you can wash the pad in washing machine at 30 degrees. I use the one's that barefoot sell....i have the grandeur one but you also get a physio one that has a lot shock absorption and better spinal clearance for high withered horses. If you have any other questions about the cheyenne just ask :