Best saddle for endurance?

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GreatRider

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Mar 4, 2009
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Hi

I am starting endurance this year, i have an Ideal Enduro which is soooo comfy but really really heavy!

I was wondering what saddles people can recommend for a fairly wide standardbred with muscular shoulders!! :)

Thanks
xx
 
I ride in treeless saddles, find them really good for endurance, the sensation is fabulous and is so light and comfy.
I am only selling mine to buy another model sensation:)
 
GreatRider said:
Hi

I am starting endurance this year, i have an Ideal Enduro which is soooo comfy but really really heavy!

I was wondering what saddles people can recommend for a fairly wide standardbred with muscular shoulders!! :)

Thanks
xx
Click to expand...

A friend of mine uses an Orthoflex endurance saddle which is based on an Australian stock saddle, the sort of saddle that Australian stockmen (similar to American cowboys) used to use. It fits her arab and my sort-of ID, who are very different in shape, as the panels are articulated.
 
No_Angel said:
I ride in treeless saddles, find them really good for endurance, the sensation is fabulous and is so light and comfy.
I am only selling mine to buy another model sensation:)
Click to expand...
I have read that treeless aren't ideal for endurance because the weight is not spread out like with a treed saddle. (Several articles including some written by people who were perfectly happy with treeless for other riding.)
 
There are plenty people in the endurance group I go to who use treeless saddles, and treeless saddles have been used in the tevis.
The weight of a treeless is spread under your seat with material designed to spread the load.
There are lots of people who are happy with treeless saddles, me included, as I am sure there are people who are happy with treed saddles, which I was not.
 
I have a treeless saddle and i competed upto 160km rides in it i know have a Free an Easy Endurance saddle which is comfy and fits well I use the free an easy on my youngster (only as i won the saddle and it saved me buying a new Treeless) but for my Advanced horse i use my Treeless which i have used since 2003 when i brought it back from OZ i never had any back trouble
 
I have 2 Free n Easy saddles which I used to use for endurance riding but I changed recently to the Barefoot Treeless.

Free n Easy are fantastic saddles, my Standardbred went really well in it as did my Arab in hers but the treeless saddles are light and easy to transport around.

Not everyone likes them as the leg position is very different and rising trot takes a lot of getting used to.

Im going to put my 2 Free n Easy saddles on ebay soon.
 
Henrietta1 said:
I have read that treeless aren't ideal for endurance because the weight is not spread out like with a treed saddle. (Several articles including some written by people who were perfectly happy with treeless for other riding.)
Click to expand...

the American and Italian endurance teams both use the Freeform treeless saddles so I guess they are pretty satisfied that they are up to scratch:D
 
I used to have a free n easy fitted regularly by them unfortunately it restricted shoulder movement and my horse ended up with sore withers so ive gone back to treed and this improved. However I have seen free n easys used on big warmblood and tb types and they went vey well without this problem. I think you just need a saddle thats fits the horse and is comfy for yourself whatever type it is :)
 
I have competed in a pathfinder for the last 8 yrs and love it, never had a prob with it at all. i find it so comfortable compared to other endurance saddles that i tried. I have also a specialized trailmaster saddle which i have been using for 6mths, i do like this also, am a bit split into which one i prefer.
 
ideally if going treeless also look for one which doesnt have the stirrup leather bridging the top of the saddle but instead hung independently each side (like my Treefree Dartmoor), as that could be a source of pressure for a less experienced endurance/treeless rider who might still be riding with more pressure in the stirrups than a more experienced combination would.
 
I was actually wondering what FreeNEasy saddles you were putting up for sale, and if you had yet? Can you please let me know when you either put them on ebay or if you might want to sell off ebay? I am looking for one with a regular tree or possibly a narrow. I am using a wide one and getting by with lots of padding but need a narrower tree. I have not has a lot of luck finding a used one.
 
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