I LOVE my new Ghost saddle!!

[juliecwuk]

I recently trialled and bought a Ghost Treeless saddle...i love it!

Had our first canter in it on saturday and it was super, my horse was really really happy, no head swinging or bucking, it was lovely and steady and the first enjoyable canter for a long time! we havent cantered for about 6 weeks so i was really nervous and wasnt sure how she would behave, but it was fab!!

I am sooo pleased i bought it!!

I also no longer have slipping issues! all sorted with adjusting the padding and the girthing position. I love the ability to move the stirrup position too, it feels very much like the treed position!

so so so happy! i really hope to remember to take photos on a sunny day!!

Julie

 

[HorseBird]

Wow have never heard of these! Have just googled them and they look fab.

 

[No_Angel]

Glad you found a saddle you like, that's the hardest part

 

[horsy]

After your last post about these I checked them out, they look fantastic, I think the movable stirrups option is a brilliant idea, and don't know why that died out as it was apparently commonplace on older saddles?!

I may just trial one myself, as the trial period and price seems very reasonable too.

 

[newforest]

What pad, leathers, stirrups and girth have you gone for.
I may add to my links if not already on the list.
Glad your happy.

 

[specaloo]

hmmm....i`m considering a ghost saddle for my boy as i`m having trouble finding one that fits both of us! (treeless) it`s narrowed down to either the ghost or Libra hackabout so be good to see other peeps opinions on both!!

 

[juliecwuk]

At the moment i am using:

Thinline pad (like a limpet pad)
Haf pad (wool underneath, with double foam inserts in each pocket and extra on the right)
Non-slip mesh stuff (like shelf liner stuff)
Then the saddle
Using a thinline girth also

And when i girth her up i slide the girth attachment forward so that the saddle and girth sit nicely with her forward girth grove, i tried a moon-shaped girth but it didnt seem to help us.

So basically i went all out with the non-slip stuff, but did try out a Haf pad with the simpanova stuff underneath and that slipped even more! the wool Haf pad works brilliantly though. I went crazy with the non-slip stuff because she gets terribly upset if anything slips and she bucks, and i get terrified!!

Im considering trying out a Mattes Distribution System Numnah too, i like to try different options!

Also i schooled her in it last week and found it more than comfortable and easier to ride in than the Thorowgood Cob saddle she had before.

Alex at www.ghostsaddles.co.uk has been absolutely brilliant and extremely helpful!

No-Angel - i hope you sold your sensation in the end, i was seriously going to be interested if the Ghost wasnt suitable...but obviously it seems to be perfect for us!

 

[juliecwuk]

specaloo - tried out a Libra (Trec though) at the same time, personally didnt feel anywhere near as nice as the Ghost - although i prob would have settled for the Libra Trec (and been happy) had i not had the opportunity to try the Ghost. I couldnt seem to stop any slipping issues with the Libra though, however my friend ended up buying the Libra Trec so certainly nothing wrong with the saddle, just didnt work for us and as soon as i sat on the Ghost i knew it was for us (just had to persuade my hubby to let me spend the extra money!)

 

[specaloo]

specaloo - tried out a Libra (Trec though) at the same time, personally didnt feel anywhere near as nice as the Ghost - although i prob would have settled for the Libra Trec (and been happy) had i not had the opportunity to try the Ghost. I couldnt seem to stop any slipping issues with the Libra though, however my friend ended up buying the Libra Trec so certainly nothing wrong with the saddle, just didnt work for us and as soon as i sat on the Ghost i knew it was for us (just had to persuade my hubby to let me spend the extra money!)

brilliant! thanks for the info on these, i think i am swaying more towards the Ghost saddles as my cob is soooo shortbacked & i need something to accomodate my butt too!! the Ghost looks ideal for both of us! just need to go & water my money tree, it`s not flowering at all this yr! Lol!

 

[newforest]

i can only tell you about the libra trec as currently got one, but as many know i do like to look at other saddles

 

[gingermare]

I'm trialling one too!

Hi Julie
From your previous post it sounded like you really liked the ghost so I bit the bullet and got one to try to. Alex didnt have any in stock so sent me her own saddle with all her stuff (her service is absolutely fab it even arrived first thing the next morning!). We had our first ride in it yesterday and I must admit I wasn't that convinced, we were out for an hour and my usually very forward going horse was not very forward going at all and it also felt quite wide to me but then I do have the shortest legs in the world! I hadn't changed anything from how Alex sent it to me (and she has the longest legs in the world !) so I'm going to have a bit more of a play to hopefully get it more to suit us. That's the fab thing about these saddles that they're so adaptable so you can keep trying different things, I suspect that my main problem lies not with the saddle but me getting used to the treeless feel, with my short thighs it will probably take me a bit longer because of the lack of twist that you get with treed saddles so it feels wider. I love the thinline girth, I also have the thinline pad, but the saddle did slip backwards when we went up a hill (there are some really steep hills round here). I think this was because I might have had it too far forward to start with but when I got off at the end of the ride it did look (and feel when I was on board) too far back. I'm really looking forward to trying it again today, determined not to go back to my thorowgood cob saddle! Thanks for your posts about your experiences with the ghost they were very helpful.

P.S. Just wondering are you a sensibly sized adult on a pony by any chance? From the reviews I've seen adults on ponies get on really well with them but I'm a short adult on a horse (albeit a small horse) so this might be why I'm not finding it so comfortable?

 

[hamish's mum]

I have owned my ghost for a year now (I was Alex's first customer!), and I love it! I am on my second horse to use it now, and I was jumping in it last night. I have never felt so secure than in this saddle, and I no longer end up with a sore backside!

I ride in a polypad and a normal dressage girth, with no problems at all.

 

[gingermare]

Hi All
I tried the ghost saddle again today . This time I took the shims out of the grandeur pad we had on and didn't use the thinlite pad and it felt much better, less wide. I think I'm getting accustomed to the feel now and can't wait to try it out round our fields tomorrow! Here are some pics:

 

[specaloo]

Hi All
I tried the ghost saddle again today . This time I took the shims out of the grandeur pad we had on and didn't use the thinlite pad and it felt much better, less wide. I think I'm getting accustomed to the feel now and can't wait to try it out round our fields tomorrow! Here are some pics:

Hmmmm...that looks COMFY!! for horse & rider! i may email them 2moro!!

 

[juliecwuk]

gingermare,

you beat me to taking pics!! i will try to get some taken tomorrow!!

im 5ft5 and my mare is a 15.2 middle-heavy weight cob. (so not the adult/pony combo, but i do see what you mean though as most people are adults on ponys!)

Remember what suits one person/horse doesnt always suit the other....however im pretty used to feeling insecure on saddles on moet, so i felt very secure in the treeless and loved the feel. Im also just a happy hacker and not big into schooling and lessons so im not overly bothered about the way a saddle feels as long as its comfy....but with all that being said, definitely try different options and im sure you will find one to suit!

also i have very wide horses so am used to the wide feeling, and have ridden bareback on them, so i havent felt much of a strain on my legs!

i have now put a gel-eze pad between the thinline and the saddle pad, and also one between the saddle pad and the saddle, just to make sure nothing slips in any direction and its been perfect ever since, we have some steep hills too and its stayed put. definitely keep trying different combinations!

I have found my mare really likes having extra padding, so i put as much in as i can, but obviously ever horse is different and since the saddle has a spine channel it doesnt need the extra padding.

also with the backwards slipping, make sure you have the girth tight enough, i have found with mine that it tends to move to where it wants/needs to be, especially if i havent positioned it very well and havent tightened the girth enough.

Also has your horse always had a treed saddle for a long time? it will feel wierd for the horse too, my other horse didnt really like the feel of the treeless, mind you shes a very funny shape and i tried a cheap treeless on her, but then shes 23 and maybe it just felt too odd for her!

 

[fairlady]

Its a very 'different looking' saddle even for treeless and tbh I LOVE that, lol.

However I have to admit it looks very comfy

If it turns out my Barefoot does not work for Sioned next year I think
I may look at one of these.

 

[juliecwuk]

pics! finally!!

it really is VERY comfy!!

ignore the stirrups/leathers!! havent decided what to buy yet!! lol!

 

[fjordlady]

It really does look different. When on the horse the flaps look almost non existent! However, when seated it does appear to curve around your leg with knee roll and give close contact to the lower leg. Am I right in thinking this?

 

[juliecwuk]

i found that it feels less wide than other saddles i've used because theres no extra flaps/padding around the knee area, so to me it wasnt as wide feeling as the Libra i tried.

To me it doesnt feel wierd at all now and provides a much closer contact but without losing any security! (thats how i feel anyway!)

looks can be deceiving! people think it looks odd, but as long as its the right one that suits the horse/rider, surely the looks are irrelevant (for hacking!) you can get a dressage type seat for shows.

 

[fjordlady]

I ride in a Sensation Hybrid that looks very different too but very secure and comfy so I agree unless you are doing some activity which requires a conventional looking saddle why worry.

Do you have a knee roll. Must admit I like a knee roll!