Best Treeless or soft tree saddle? Opinions good and bad please!

A

Anna*

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 December 2012
Messages
316
Visit site
My mare goes far better in treeless saddles and we currently hack and school in a barefoot cheyenne. I would like to crack on with our jumping this year and I just don't feel secure enough in the barefoot so am considering 'up levelling' to type more suited to this.

We mainly hack and school but enjoy our jumping - only up to about 2'9 these days though :-)

I have been looking at either a Heather Moffett vogue or 2nd hand fheonix and at the Freeform.

Opinions and suggestions please. If you'd rather PM me then please do as, at the moment, all I can find are glowing reports and this is rarely the true picture! ;-)

i have a 14.1 haflinger so the saddle would need to be well balanced on a wider pony.

Thank you!
 
I see from your post that you already have a Barefoot and are looking for something different - but I got a Barefoot Notting Hill in January and I am REALLY pleased with it.
It has good knee rolls and I feel very secure in it and we have just started to pop small jumps in it - I can't recommend it highly enough.
 
Okay, I had seem the barefoot Notting Hill but had just assumed that it was essentially the cheyenne in a posh dress ;-) will have a look at that one too. I had considered a flexee too. Especially since the new ones will be leather. That might be where I end up. Solutions are just a few ££s too far for me to justify (or ever afford, unless I sell a kidney)

I had a dartmoor tree free for my last mare which I adored but, again, didn't ever jump in it.

Thank you so much for your comments :-) x
 
I jump hack xc and dressage in a sensation jump, I've tried loads treeless and this is my absolute fave - pm me if ur thinking of getting sensation, I'm importing a new 1 at present so could save u some £££ on delivery
 
Hi OP I have a FlexEE saddle for each of my boys and its fab for jumping in. Took me a little while to get the fit just right on my old boy but we are both so secure in it. Have used his saddle on a friends horse and she popped a 3ft6 jump happily in it ( i'm a wuss and don't go above 2ft lol). Brilliant saddles, I just need to get myself a dressage one now!
 
Spotsrock said:
I jump hack xc and dressage in a sensation jump, I've tried loads treeless and this is my absolute fave - pm me if ur thinking of getting sensation, I'm importing a new 1 at present so could save u some £££ on delivery
Click to expand...

They look just gorgeous - I'd need to try one though before committing. I've already emailed Dream Team Products about the freeform this week and their suggestions in alternatives - still waiting for them to get back!

Then I need to get someone to let me have a look at their flexee. Emailed the HM fitter earlier this week - no news from them either!
 
I have three Solution saddles. Very stable, don't move, although I do use a breastplate when leaving the ground just in case! I got one of mine off ebay for a bargain price, so worth keeping your eyes open!
 
I jump and hunt in my Flexee. Can't tell any difference to a treed saddle apart from its so much more comfy.
 
At the risk of being seriously unhelpful, having ridden in Solution SMART GP saddles I'm rather of the opposite opinion; most uncomfortable saddle I've ever ridden in. Incredibly hard and (though this could certainly be a fitter issue rather than a saddle one; the horse wasn't mine) sat very awkwardly on the horse no matter how it was padded. I've never ridden in a FlexEE GP/Jump, however I have ridden in a dressage, and would choose one above a Solution saddle any day.
 
I have a flexee dressage and while I have done very little in it to date, it is very comfortable and feels pretty secure.

You may have a slow response from them atm as Heather and one of her main reps (Louise) have both been in hospital recently - if you join the FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/FlexEE/ you might get a response more quickly.
 
I have a vogue dressage, gpt and flexee vsd - can you tell I like them! They're the only thing I will put on my horses back. One of mine has only ever been ridden in the vogue and has a perfect back, symmetrical with no atrophy at all, the other came with a made to measure treed saddle which has left dips I can get my fists into which are slowly coming back up now she's in a decent saddle!

You can always contact your closest fitter to come out and try one :)

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/local_retailers.htm
 
I currently jump in my solution dressage saddle. It is the comfiest saddle I have ever ridden in. I would love a jump or GP one for hunting and jumping, just need to find a cheap one!
 
Anna* said:
They look just gorgeous - I'd need to try one though before committing. I've already emailed Dream Team Products about the freeform this week and their suggestions in alternatives - still waiting for them to get back!

Then I need to get someone to let me have a look at their flexee. Emailed the HM fitter earlier this week - no news from them either!
Click to expand...

If ur anywhere near Grantham u could try mine
 
I'm in Sussex unfortunately! Seems to be a black hole when it comes to treeless saddles and fitters ;-) you've all been really helpful and given me a few avenues to investigate!
 
Echo Better saddles - they're really helpful. I have a FlexEE and absolutely love it. I had a barefoot saddle before, and the flexee is far better comfort, fit and build wise - IMO :)
 
shampain said:
At the risk of being seriously unhelpful, having ridden in Solution SMART GP saddles I'm rather of the opposite opinion; most uncomfortable saddle I've ever ridden in. Incredibly hard and (though this could certainly be a fitter issue rather than a saddle one; the horse wasn't mine) sat very awkwardly on the horse no matter how it was padded. I've never ridden in a FlexEE GP/Jump, however I have ridden in a dressage, and would choose one above a Solution saddle any day.
Click to expand...

The older model smart saddles weren't the best, but the issues have been ironed out since. It's very important that the saddle is fitted to you. I find mum's Solution saddle incredibly uncomfortable and she finds mine incredibly uncomfortable. We both love our own and find them the comfiest things in the world! They also have seats made out of different materials, so worth trying a selection! I love the latex seats but hated the memory foam ones, found them too hard. Definitely worth having a good fitter out, if you do go down that route, let me know and I can tell you who I had.
 
Are with you all about getting a fitter and trying out a few. I keep looking on eBay and preloved but, even at 2nd hand prices, it's an expensive mistake if it doesn't suit either of us! One of those things where is helps to spend a bit more money I think!
 
This lady covers Sussex, just make sure you tell her its the FlexEE you're interested in trying as I think she does others too
Contact name: Mariaana Batterbury
Mobile no: 07771 920 131
Website: www.bettersaddles.com


Louise Nagle also covers Sussex
Contact name: Louise Nagle
Mobile no: 07737 166315
Website: www.equineequilibrium.co.uk

Not such a black hole after all!
 
TigerTail said:
This lady covers Sussex, just make sure you tell her its the FlexEE you're interested in trying as I think she does others too
Contact name: Mariaana Batterbury
Mobile no: 07771 920 131
Website: www.bettersaddles.com


Louise Nagle also covers Sussex
Contact name: Louise Nagle
Mobile no: 07737 166315
Website: www.equineequilibrium.co.uk

Not such a black hole after all!
Click to expand...

Brilliant, thank you! I emailed Louise earlier this week but haven't heard back yet. I'll call Better Saddles after easter - like the idea of trying out a few!
 
Hi Sportsrock, I have recently bought a FleXEEand I am not sure of it yet would be interested in hearing how you pad it etc. I am in Grantham
 
Um........ forgive me for perhaps stating the obvious here, BUT surely the easiest thing to do would be for OP to continue using her Barefoot saddle, which she clearly likes and which suits the horse, for ridden work, schooling & groundwork etc., THEN look for a saddle, treed saddle I mean, to use just for jumping???

TBH I'm not sure that any of the treeless saddles would be much good for jumping in; you'd need, I would think, the stability that only a treed saddle can give???

I've tried the HM Vogue and Phoenix, personally I wouldn't want to jump in them! A quick trot round the block was enough to convince me that (a) I was being forced into a (uncomfortable!) position that I didn't want to be in, and (b) that I didn't feel at all confident to do anything other than walk/trot in it.

But this just my opinion!
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Um........ forgive me for perhaps stating the obvious here, BUT surely the easiest thing to do would be for OP to continue using her Barefoot saddle, which she clearly likes and which suits the horse, for ridden work, schooling & groundwork etc., THEN look for a saddle, treed saddle I mean, to use just for jumping???

TBH I'm not sure that any of the treeless saddles would be much good for jumping in; you'd need, I would think, the stability that only a treed saddle can give???

I've tried the HM Vogue and Phoenix, personally I wouldn't want to jump in them! A quick trot round the block was enough to convince me that (a) I was being forced into a (uncomfortable!) position that I didn't want to be in, and (b) that I didn't feel at all confident to do anything other than walk/trot in it.

But this just my opinion!
Click to expand...

It's an opinion, but it's not quite right. There are several treeless and soft-tree saddles that people find very good for jumping, some are mentioned above. Better Saddles will be helpful because they do such a good range.

I find the HM saddles (not the "GPT" that is recommended for jumping) tend to suit people who ride in the more classical type of position. If you look at photos of Heather herself riding you'll see what I mean. People who ride with a bit more of a bent knee often say they are put out of balance in them. Although with the GPT you get more knee room, which does tend to help.

I have a friend doing scarey cross country stuff in her Solutions saddle. The physio says her horse's back has never looked so good.
 
I have a HM flexee on my Haflinger, I love it, I dawdled for ages but it is the best thing I could have done for her and I feel Loads more secure in it than the previous treed saddle I bought new from a saddler, it made me feel so perched and ruined my confidence, grr!

It feels much like a treed saddle to me, I have a GP synthetic one. Took a while to bed in though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top