Treeless Saddles

PePo

Well-Known Member
Jun 4, 2014
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I'm considering moving from treed to treeless saddle and currently looking at my options before committinh to trialling a few.

Has anyone used a treeless saddle before? Do they feel totally different to ride in ... I've literally no experience of them before. But Pete's changing shape a lot and is at the age where I think he'll continue too so flexible fitting options are useful - especially in an epidemic where getting a saddle fitter out can be hit and miss!

I think I'm going to need to need a saddle with a narrower twist as Pete is wide and my hip flexors probably wouldn't cope :D So I think I'm considering Ghost, Torsion, Trekka as top options. I've seen a brand Eddix but think they might be new-ish as not seen a lot of reviews. I love the look of Barefoot saddles but I don't think they'll have enough of a twist in the seat to suit our set up.

Any thoughts on any of the above?

Possibly considering HM flexible tree saddles but I'm not so keen, I don't think.

I know the pad used can have a big impact too, so lots to consider.
 
I have ridden treeless for about 13 years, don’t know much about the brands you’ve got in mind apart from the Heather Moffat flexee which Belle hated, I will never buy from them again as the condescending replies I had regarding that particular saddle were very rude, I do believe though that it’s now changed since I bought mine.
I ride in the sensation saddle and we both love it, used to have the HM Phoenix which I also liked but didn’t work for Belle, anyhow the two people I could suggest you speak to are not here now sadly, but they are on FB and there is a very good treeless saddle group on there too I believe who im sure would be happy to help.
 
I've had a couple, they feel totally different to start with, but once I got a few hours in them I really didn't notice at all and did everything as before, though I have to say I would think twice before backing in one again. I've got no experience of the ones you mention other than the HM Flexee, which I only had a simulator lesson on but I have to say I would definitely consider it if I were to look at treeless again. I had a Dream Team which is a less traditional looking, and I've ridden a couple of others similar to this style (didn't check the brands but think one was a barefoot) and borrowed @mystiquemalaika 's Freeform which was fabulous but out of my budget.
 
I presume you really did mean backing and not hacking @Jessey ? The former isn't an issue but the latter we do a lot of!

I shall look at the Sensation saddle @KiteRider

Yes, I've not had the best of experiences with a HM fitter KiteRider - not even fitting a saddle :D But, if they really are good and would suit Pete I could suck it up.

I've not heard of Dream Team or Freeform so will have a look at those too :)

Thanks so much!
 
I presume you really did mean backing and not hacking @Jessey ? The former isn't an issue but the latter we do a lot of!
Yep, I hacked plenty but came a cropper backing a young horse. I did find the dream team left pressure points under the stirrup bars if I hacked more than about 10 miles, but I wouldn’t necessarily read too much into that, Jess is like the princess and the pea with saddles, she was left with marks from the wrong stitching on a numnah! (With her regular saddle)
 
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Ive got something in the tack room. Not sure if it barefoot or treeless. Will have a look tomorrow when im in there. It was given to me and was used on chunky for a bit. He didnt seem to mind it. So much lighter than his treeed saddle which was a plus for his back issue. You could pick it up with two fingers. Its got its own shaped numnah too. The girls were riding him in it. I didnt like it as ive got a bigger bottom than a 15 year old child. Think it supported them and helped them balance better than riding in the treeed saddle, but its shape was a bit tight on my bottom for me.
But when i had the physio out last year. She looked at it on him and said its too long for his back and advised against using it.
 
There's so many different types and probably many feel very different to ride in. In our early days I had a Freeform, which I loved but it wasn't as stable as a tree saddle and it wasn't traditional looking enough for dressage. I then had treed for many years but when Raf started changing shape (in hindsight due to Cushings but I didn't know at the time) I tried and failed to get him a treed saddle to fit and so ended up with a Solution and now have an Ansur. Very traditional looking and feeling.

However I do have the fit checked just as often as I would a treed saddle. Its easier to adjust because the fitter simply alters the padding in the dorsal pad - the pad that sits between the saddle and numnah - but she watches me ride and tries out different options to arrive at the best balance. I wouldn't be confident to do it myself. Also, she's a specialist fitter - I can't get just any saddle fitter to come out.

I am on a very traditional yard and I know some people believe that riding in a treeless damages the horse's back. I discussed this with a physio and she said in her experience treeless saddles caused problems when the rider didn't find the saddle comfortable.

Good luck, I hope you find something that suits you both.
 
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