Cheap Treeless saddles - any experiences?

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Crazydancer

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I wrote a long rambling post last night which has sunk without trace. But have been thinking more about the situation.
I need to bring a 20 yr old 14.2hh back into work. His back has dropped, and there is some muscle wastage around the withers. So I know this will change with exercise.
He will only be doing gentle hacking, and is not a spooky sort, so I was wondering about getting a cheap treeless saddle as an interim measure. Once he's a little fitter, I can get a new saddle, or even re-fit his old one. The hope would be that the saddle would allow the muscles to develop without pressure.

So, and feedback on these saddles, as I've seen the ones on Ebay for under £100......
Or any other alternatives?
 
I would be interested to see what people say, I also have to get a treeless for a 'funny'shaped horse and have been browsing ebay. Really not sure what is the best make etc.
 
I've often wondered about them too but I really think that they can do more damage than they are worth. Plus I think you need to purchase a special treeless numnah/saddlecloth to go with them and they seem to be quite expensive.


Are treeless saddles in general any good?
 
i brought one of ebay for £75 new... uk based.. it is very nice well made.. showed it to a saddler that came to another horse she was quite impressed with it...
 
My saddler just suggested I get a treeless for a newly backed horse, who will need a saddle making long term. If cheap ebay saddles are no good, then presumably people go for Barefoot and similar brands?
 
Hello

I went through a treeless saddle phase and had a few different ones. However, knowing what I know now through doing lots of research I wouldn't buy a cheap one. The main problem wiht treeless saddles is that the pressure points are different, so very often horses end up with white hairs under where the stirrup bars sit, for example - so going for a more well-made branded one would help this. I was also nearly taken by the cheap ones (thought well it's treeless can't do much harm surely) but seems there are lots of examples of them being made very wonky, not much spine clearance etc. I have spoken to lots of back people and saddlers, and lots say that the people tend to find treeless ones are fab for a while when your horse moves differently, but then further down the line after a year or two more back problems start to appear because of the pressure point problems.

Spine clearance is the other big issue, and the reason I stopped using them on anything other than a very round cob (which is actually not practical either becuase they slip!). If your horse is dip-backed it will probably be quite hard to get something which really gives enough clearance.

Of course they do work for some people and it's absolutely up to you, and I do feel your pain with the expectations of muscling up and shape changing, etc. If I was you I would probably get a thorowgood or wintec whihc is fully adjustable, get a saddler to check it, and use a prolite for a bit until he's more filled out?

Good luck.
 
Cheap ones are usuaully very unsymetrical. Made of cheap materials that offer the horse no protection from you, and often have hard bits or poor quality padding that cause pressure points. Little thought goes into distributing stirrup and girth pressure.

Treeless saddles are really useful and came be very comfortable for the horse, but they need to be well designed and made of good quality materials. Try a second hand one like freeform or freemax. You also need a good quality pad under most.
 
I've just recently got one for Bo (a highland) as he is changing shape on a daily basis and saddles on a weekly one at the moment. Mine is second hand and I bought it from a fellow Highland owner, who used it till the growth spurts settled down somewhat and was able to buy a saddle. (Bo has just turned 4 and has a wither one week, none the next sort of thing).

There are a lot of dogey ones out there and like all items of equipment, need to be used properly. Make sure you put a pad underneath (a good poly pad or similar). I *think* mines is a trojon (spelling bad today ) but couldn't be sure without checking at the yard.

One thing I have found is that it's like riding bareback - your balance will be shown up as good/bad. you also have to sit properly. don't go for one that has a lot of bulk at the back it tips you forward and unbalances you and pony and can cause back damage. Jumping is not recommended in a treeless but hacking/flatwork would be fine.

I've got mine till a) the growth spurts slow down and b) to keep him in work between saddler visits .

Best of luck

I apologise for poor spelling/grammer today but I've got the headache from hell and I can't concentrate or look at the screen for too long
 
I sometimes use a Freemax Acavallo treeless saddle when my horse is too fat to fit in anything else. It's got wither clearance, my horse has significant withers even when fat. It's just like riding in a normal saddle only its more comfy. It has normal stirrup bars and I cab just about jump in it with the stirrups on the most forward setting. I use normal stirrups not the treeless ones. Its a very secure saddle, well made and doesn't look too weird. I put a Polypad underneath but if your horse is bony you'd probably want something more as there is no gullet in the saddle itself. I got mine new for 200 pounds from Hold Your Horses on Ebay. I've had cheap treeless saddles before. I find the pommels and cantles too hard and dig the horse, the stirrup attachment unsafe and too far back, no pressure distribution for the horse, and no substance to the saddle. TBH you'd do better to buy a minimal-slip pad like gel pad or limpet, put a surcingle round it and ride like that, rather than a cheap treeless. The extra money for the Freemax is so worth it.
 
OMG please don't go there - cheap saddles have been taken apart and found to contain all sorts of rubbish. Many really shouldn't be allowed in the UK :mad:

I have a Barefoot Cheyenne Drytex, with a BF pad and I love it - but only for hacking. For schooling, jumping, etc I use my GFS. I got the treeless as Shy is young and changing shape a lot, and it's been great.

i too went through a LOT of treeless saddles before I found this - some very good "UK" makes. It's almost as hard as finding the right normal saddle.
 
*sigh*

And to think I thought this would be the easy option..... but I think it's off to Ebay/Preloved/Facebook to look for a smallish cheapish 2nd hand Thorogood that can be adjusted and get it fitted for him, for now.

I may just start doing 15 mins a day bareback in the school at walk, just to get some muscle memory going.

Thanks for all the feedback, appreciate it! :)
 
Just wanted to say, i did see a saddle or two from the Indian seller and the leather was v poor quality, and also the ones that look like normal saddles (as in the link above) I think are actually worse than normal saddles - they are very VERY inflexible so actually worse I think than getting a treed saddle. Having gone through a phase of being niave about them and seeing them, I now wouldn't go near them again.

Crazydancer - sorry to dissapoint you, I totally know how you feel. You could always get a second hand good-quality one for the first month or two? But in the long run perhaps an adjustable thorowgood is easier (and make good friends with your saddler so they don't charge for some of the repeated visits, or try and find a saddler to marry, that's my plan :-D!).
 
Crazydancer said:
*sigh*

And to think I thought this would be the easy option..... but I think it's off to Ebay/Preloved/Facebook to look for a smallish cheapish 2nd hand Thorogood that can be adjusted and get it fitted for him, for now.

I may just start doing 15 mins a day bareback in the school at walk, just to get some muscle memory going.

Thanks for all the feedback, appreciate it! :)
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Depending on how sound he is etc, could you do some light long-rein work to build him up a bit?
 
If you still have his old saddle and it is now too wide due to loss of topline I would simply get an adjustable prolite pad to put under it. Far better and cheaper than a badly made treeless saddle
 
I've managed in the last couple of weeks to pick up a Freemax very cheaply! I paid £100 plus post and packaging and the saddle is nearly brand new :D If you keeep an eye on ebay, they are popping up on there quite regularly.
 
Morgan123 said:
(and make good friends with your saddler so they don't charge for some of the repeated visits, or try and find a saddler to marry, that's my plan :-D!).
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I have a saddler that I trust, but he doesn't supply 2nd hand, but will fit one for you if you provide it. But because he is good, he has a waiting list, usually 6 weeks plus, so horse could have changed completely in that time alone! (And I think he is already married, more's the pity!)

AMH said:
Depending on how sound he is etc, could you do some light long-rein work to build him up a bit?
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Unfortunately he really needs riding. He has a decent level of fitness as he lives out 24/7 with a 5 yr old and they do spend a lot of time hooning around. It's his topline, especially his back, that needs to improve, hence wanting to get a rider on board.

Brownmare said:
If you still have his old saddle and it is now too wide due to loss of topline I would simply get an adjustable prolite pad to put under it. Far better and cheaper than a badly made treeless saddle
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It's a bit more than that. He used to flat-backed and low-withered. His back has dropped, so the saddle bridges front and back. I have been using a Suber pad, which did fix some problems, but I think it's pinching either side of the wither now, and I do feel very 'perched' when using it. Saddle can't be altered as the flat panels don't have enough in them to 'let out' to a more banana shape we need now.

Thanks again guys. I want him to be comfortable, but can't afford a new saddle every few months, especially as he won't be doing a heap of work. I do think doing a bit bareback and then getting an adjustable Thorogood may be the way forward.
 
Chellebean said:
I've managed in the last couple of weeks to pick up a Freemax very cheaply! I paid £100 plus post and packaging and the saddle is nearly brand new :D If you keeep an eye on ebay, they are popping up on there quite regularly.
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Thanks Chellebean, I will do. :)
It does seem the decent makes are a similar price to tree'ed ones.
 
My old girl's back had dipped a little and the saddle was bridging. She is also very narrow across her back and I wasn't sure I would ever be able to have the saddle stuffed well enough to be comfortable for her and I don't like using thick numnahs as they may solve one fitting problem but cause others in the process, so I'm afraid I decided to retire her. Had she been a wide shape and been blessed with a sensible brain then I would have gone out bare-back but she isn't and doesn't and I didn't want to die!
 
fatpiggy said:
My old girl's back had dipped a little and the saddle was bridging. She is also very narrow across her back and I wasn't sure I would ever be able to have the saddle stuffed well enough to be comfortable for her and I don't like using thick numnahs as they may solve one fitting problem but cause others in the process, so I'm afraid I decided to retire her. Had she been a wide shape and been blessed with a sensible brain then I would have gone out bare-back but she isn't and doesn't and I didn't want to die!
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LOL! Well I won't be going anywhere off the yard bareback, as he does love going out, and my balance isn't what it could be Luckily he switches into lazy pony mode in the school, so 10 - 15 mins walking should be doable without major damage. :p:D
 
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