Best Treeless saddles

Corsav7

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Hi, sorry if this has been asked before but i'm interested in purchasing a treeless saddle as need a light, comfy saddle as finding my leather one a struggle to carry, lift on my horse now, have got spondylitis. I need to be able to use my flexi stirrups too. I like the ones that look like treed saddles such as Easy Trek saddles from Monmouth. Has anyone tried these? Is there any others that are recommended? I've got a TB x 14.2hh gelding and his weight/shape changes through the seasons so looking for a lightweight, comfy, secure saddles mainly used for schooling and very low jumps when am up to it. Thank you for reading.
 

FfionWinnie

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Have you thought of a Christ lamfelle pad. Don't think you would get much lighter than that. Or perhaps a rolling saddle rack to pull your existing saddle along rather than carrying it. My solution saddle isn't particularly light.
 

Corsav7

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Hi, thank you, will look at the Christ Lamfelle pad. I have a rolltack trolley for my saddle and I still find this heavy and awkward.
 

Leo Walker

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You cant use flexi stirrups on a CL pad, they need to be safety stirrups. They are very, very light though, and comfortable once you get used to the different feeling. I'm using one as a temporary measure and its fine, but I'm really looking forward to getting my saddle back!
 

Firefly9410

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I rode in a Christ lamfelle pad and it was fab. I used to have a freemax and that was good too, which felt like a treed saddle but there are mostly fakes around hardly any genuine ones with the badge on the back. I had a Libra saddle and found the stirrup bars set far too far back to be of any use. Used without the stirrups it was fine. Easytrek look like poor quality rubbish to me. You see a lot of them for sale second hand which suggests to me that they are not kept by buyers. One thing I have found is a lot of the weight with a saddle can be from the stirrups. A lot of modern saddles are light. So if you add big clunky metal stirrups to a treeless saddle you get the same problem with picking it up to put on the horses back. Regarding traditional looks if you choose a treeless in black or brown, in a neat and tidy design and with a square saddle pad it looks similar to a traditional treed saddle anyway perhaps a little larger is all.
 

cundlegreen

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I've got a Mondial Holistic treeless saddle. Looks just like a treed GP, and is very comfortable to ride and jump in. They don't make them any more but they do crop up occasionally. I found mine on preloved. A very well made saddle.
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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Try the new "Tor" saddle from Tree Free saddles of Buckfastleigh, Devon: you can trial them first (fifty quid per week, well worth doing!). I did so, and was hooked. I'd already had one of their saddles, the "Exmoor", which was a lovely saddle in itself, but this new prototype saddle they'd developed was/is absolutely fantastic! It doesn't have that horrible wide feeling that a lot of treeless saddles have, it just feel incredibly comfy and has a really narrow-twist feel to it. Love it!!

Andrea and Johan at Tree Free saddles are Master Saddlers and applied their skills, along with a Tom Widdecombe, into developing their treeless range. I've found them very helpful, and knowledgeable, and not at all pushy, the reverse in fact. Very highly recommend.

With treeless saddles it is good to trial one first, well worth the money, and if you do decide to buy most companies that offer it will allow you to put that money onto the saddle you buy. Knowing what I know now, I would ALWAYS without fail, have a treeless saddle on trial first. Well worth the money IMO.
 

FfionWinnie

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You cant use flexi stirrups on a CL pad, they need to be safety stirrups. They are very, very light though, and comfortable once you get used to the different feeling. I'm using one as a temporary measure and its fine, but I'm really looking forward to getting my saddle back!

I used my sprengers for 6 months! If worried you could get a cage for the front.
 

Leo Walker

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I used my sprengers for 6 months! If worried you could get a cage for the front.

TBH I do as well, but now hes got a new child rider I've gotten safety stirrups as I dont want to be responsible for someone elses child being dragged as unlikely as that is. Just something to be aware of though as I didnt realise before I got it :)
 

Nudibranch

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I liked my old Libra. It was certainly the lightest saddle I've ever used and I was fine with the set back bars although they don't suit everyone. I originally had a Torsion, which you don't hear much about on here nowadays. I tried HM Flexee, but it gave me terrible knee problems. Now I'm back to another Torsion again and it's great. I always use a Suber pad with my saddles, which the horses seem to appreciate. Tbh, if I didn't have a massive, occasionally sharp 5yo to bring on I'd probably get another Libra. Super light, super comfy and dead easy to ride if you have a decent seat and a reasonably well behaved horse!
 
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