Why would I not get a treeless?

honey65

honey65

Member
Jul 4, 2009
333
4
18
Bakewell, Derbyshire
I need a new saddle and have a budget of £450 tops. As Comet is only just gaining muscle I will need to change it fairly frequently and was going to go for something like a Wintec with an easy change gullet. Unfortunately I am struggling to find someone near me that will fit one though. I don't wnat to buy it and fit it meself obviously so I'm a bit stuck.

Then I thought about getting a treeless - it will change as he does and I shouldn't need it fitting, right? The more I look, the more they sound great. I like the feeling bareback riding gives and it sounds more like that.

What I don't get is why everyone doesn't have them. I mean, the makers of treeless saddles make them sound fantastic. But I don't actually know anyone with one. I found this article on the web which makes them sound awful http://www.ultimatesaddlesolutions.com/members/1558746/uploaded/edu_TreelessSaddles.pdf

Can someone give me the pros and cons so I can make a decision quite quickly?

Note
**Comet is cold backed to the point where I ride out of my saddle for a minute before sitting after mounting
**His saddle is really tight at the pommel (and prob contributes to cold back) so I need to do something pretty fast
**I especially like the dream team DTP GP/jump saddle http://www.dreamteamproducts.com/onlineshop/product_info.php?cPath=74_75_76&products_id=149
 
Why doesn't everyone have one? Not everyone has shoes or rugs up, it's personal choice.

No saddle choice should be made quickly whether that's treed or treeless. I only discovered treeless when Jack continued to change shape and bronco. He has a big shoulder movement and the forward cut of a convential saddle he simply hated.

One treeless saddle does not fit all, i have a FAQ website set up to answer most questions you may have. Link below. AS with anything there is cheap and there is good.

Some treeless saddles do have saddle agents that will fit for you, some have a trial period. It's not a case of plonk and go, though a bit of common sense and willingness to learn is a bonus. Starting a post you will hopefully get some good responses. There is a treeless saddle helpline as well, should you still be unsure.

I had the Dream Team Saddle prototype, i'm in the middle of trying out the prototype pads for them. I actually own a Freeform and their pads are suitable for a number of treeless.:)

The Dartmoor Treefree i'm playing with currently is made and designed by master saddlers, there will be pros and cons of everything. Let me have think and i will think of them.
 
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I don't have a treeless for Harvey for a few reasons....

1. We compete so treeless wouldn't 'look' right for dressage or showing. Most arn't suitable for jumping unless the more expensive ones.

2. Harvey has prominent withers and the sort of back confo that treeless in the main don't suit.

3. I had a treeless (Libra hackabout) for a previous pony and never felt like it fitted properly. I wasn't happy about adjusting it and it was never really level.

4. I hate shimming saddles to fit! (Although you do have to do this for a normal saddle in some circumstances such as muscle wastage as well.

5. Most have a fairly low weight limit and although I am within that easily it did make me wonder how good the weight distribution really is.

However treeless is horses for courses, like normal saddles they fit some horses and riders and not others. Just because it's not right for me doesn't mean it isn'r right for you.

For info, I have a thorogood T6 3D dk brown GP saddle. It's synthetic but leather look and has a changeable gullet system as well as fish.
 
I don't think you'll really be able to make a quick decision!

I like the idea of treeless saddles but there are loads of different types so despite all the fab advice out there it feels a bit hit and miss trying to get it right.

I'm on my second treeless - first one was bought as my cob was very out of shape and young so I thought he will change shape etc. Seemed to be going well but ended up with cob with a sore back which is still ongoing.

Second one is lovely but I'm finding it hard to get the girth/stirrups/pads right which I find frustrating and it can be expensive buying and trying different options so we're in the process of getting a treed fitted (fingers crossed). If we can't get a treed to fit we'll have to perservere with the treeless.

Now having a horse with a sore back i find treeless saddles quite anxiety provoking (as I am a larger rider - size 16) as I worry about doing more damage to Frankie's back. I think as well I am not confident in my ability to know when something fits well etc .

Both my treeless saddles have been lovely and comfy to ride in and I have really liked them but they've not necessarily been the best option for my boy at this moment in time.
 
I have a Heather Moffett Fhoenix. It seems to suit our purposes (we just hack and lightly school). It solved our slippage issues where the treed saddle couldnt.

It really is personal preference. I'm the only treeless saddle user on my yard....but saying that i am one of the few who has barefoot horses that see a podiatrist, and the only one who rides bitless.....
 
We have treeless because we couldn't get a treed saddle to fit width wise, without getting a custom made saddle.

Treeless suits us well - Im convinced she doesnt like the "panel pressure" in treed saddles, because in her size saddle (15") the panels are proportionally small, and as such apply all my weight in a small area.

She also puts on weight RAPIDLY in summer, with fat pads at sides of wither, we would be forever altering the gullet in a treed saddle.

As for the fit, I like the shim system. To me, its no different to having panels in a treed saddle. That said I dont agree with massivley different shimming side to side, and think that having that option for people puts risk in the saddle fitting - rather than identify the underlying problem, the pad gets shimmed.

Agree with the post threads on it - youll get loads of help.

We are also barefoot by coincidence, but bitted - she prefers bitless, but I think because she can ignore me better bitless :p:D
 
We went treeless as my boy was a nightmare to fit tree'd saddles to.

Hes got no withers and is rarther barrel like :o

Every treed saddle we have tried slipped foward & sideways, so no good for us. Like PFB i didnt want to spend hundreds on a custom made saddle which i would have to get altered all the time.

I love our treeless saddle, i really cant fault it.

Its gives me a lot of security, i can easily sit spooks/jumps etc where as before in a tree'd id of been on the floor within seconds!

Finnley seems to be really comfortable in it too, i really like the fact i can shim/adjust it when he gets fatter/slimmer etc..
 
I have a Freeform. I got it because I just couldnt get a treed saddle to fit Arnie and I wasnt prepared to fork out for custom made till he finished growing.

With the best will in the world, the adjustable gullet saddles still dont fit every horse - neither the wintec wide or the thorowgoods came even close to fitting him. The gullet was the least of the problem. The actual trees on both these saddles were the wrong shape for him.

2 years ago I bit the bullet and got my Freeform. We never looked back. I was finally able to ride him securely (no more sliding out the side door if he spooked) and gradually we did more and more and I got happier and happier hacking.

This year, I decided that I wanted a treed saddle as my Freeform is not great for schooling or jumping. I think I may have finally found an Ideal that fits but I wont be parting with my treeless. It will always be there to fall back on, if he changes shape, if I need extra security for scary things or if I'm doing any long distance rides (its soooo comfy:D).

So, pros
Comfy,
Secure
Doesnt matter if he changes shape a bit

Cons
wasnt cheap - especially as it took a few attempts to get the pads sorted!
puts me in a bit of a chair seat so not ideal for schooling or jumping
I hate the dressage girth:o
I like a traditional looking saddle so that narrowed my choices a bit


They dont fit all horses, some shapes are better suited for certain ones than others, but if they work for you, your horse will be a happier horse! For a horse that is starting work and muscling up they are a great idea. Arnie is sizes bigger than he used to be - I'm sure thats down to the treeless not restricting his withers:D
 
Post off my website

"Weight Limit

The weight limit on some saddles is due to the material being used, extra weight will compact the material and likely cause pressure. On the non gullet models you may get pressure from the stirrup bars if you are heavier.

A heavier rider should opt for a treeless that doesn't have the weight limit on it. There are lots of treeless saddles to choose from regardless of your weight, there are also treeless pads designed for the heavier rider.

Do not be put off if you find a couple that are not for you, keep looking.

Most treeless can carry a 15 stone rider and the weight limit types are normally around 10 stone."


I agree that if you are interested in showing, you will be more limited on the treeless you opt for, and the traditional looking ones are more expensive. I know someone who competes regular xc and showing in a Barefoot. But you can buy dressage models that are nice for showing / dressage and are more classical seat.

Jumping worries people and if you and your horse can jump balanced i don't see why a treeless saddle is going to hinder you. I opted to change from the Libra to a Freeform as the Libra was not designed for the use i wanted. But from an expense point of view a wintec will set you back £500 these days, and so mine was not expensive in comparrison.

Pro
There are a lot for me to try, test and play with:D
The pony is happy, top priority over what it looks likes to eye
I just need a couple of pads that i check are fitting ok on regular basis
I can feel everything that's happening as it happens
Jumping is easy in the Freeform as you can alter where your leathers are placed, if you wanted to do schooling, you can move the position back slightly

Con

If people ride in it, i can't get them off pony, they are so comfortable
To some they won't like my overall position, but that's not the saddle, i let my legs be where nature intended them to be, they just hang, and as i sit on my bottom, that will be slightly forwards. Also i have my stirrups set forwards for jumping, galloping around the fields at the moment/ hacking setting.
 
I really wanted treeless for Ziggy. I ordered a Barefoot Cherokee, but while waiting for it (for ages) I rode him in a number of temporary treeless saddles. All of them - including the Cherokee, it proved - were a bit long for him and rubbed his loins. He is a round, shortbacked, high withered Connemara.

He's currently in a Kent & Masters 17" GP for barrel shaped horses and seems to like it.

I'd still like treeless but have to accept that they don't work for him :(
 
As people have suggested there are lots of factors that can affect whether a treeless saddle (and there are many different sorts) is the right thing for you and your horse. I've used and continue to use both. In my own experience they're best suited to a low to medium withered horse that naturally has plenty of muscle on its back and with a rider with a reasonably fleshy backside that doesn't do humungous amounts of rising trot or fast work in a forward seat. That's not to say that they can't work in those circumstances but you're maybe more likely to run into problems.

It's worth bearing in mind that a horse can go 'phew, that feels better' when you try a treeless when the treed saddle fit has been less than perfect only for a new set of treeless related ouches to develop over time.

Treeless saddles are comfortable for the rider, but not always as stable or supportive as a treed saddle, and some horses in some saddles with some riders can find it more difficult to work through their backs than with a treed.
There's no definitive answer to this one I don't think :)
 
As everyone else as mentioned treeless still need to fit.

The downside I would list as follows;

Treeless pads tend to be far more expensive than ordinary saddle pads
The saddle/pad combination needs to work together correctly and for your horse
Weight of rider can limit choice
Most treeless saddle makers state the rider should have a good independent seat
Your style of treeless may prove unsuitable for certain horsey activities ie showing

I use both treed and treeless :)
 
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