heather moffat treeless saddles

Daisy11

Daisy11

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Are heather moffat treeless saddles
Any good
I never had one let alone a treeless
I've been offered to swap one for a load of brand horsey gear that not
 
I don't know alot about them but they are reputed to be very good. I know the 'Phoenix' model is no longer made and seems quite sought after - they fetch a good price on ebay (usually around teh £500 mark in good condition).
 
Isha, why not ask for the serial number of the saddle and then ring Fhoenix saddles and ask them which model it is and how much it's worth? Depending on what saddle it is, it could sell second hand for maybe up to £800 odd. http://www.fhoenix-saddles.com/
p.s. They are all Fhoenix saddles, but there are quite a lot of different ages and models out there now. I'd seriously be interested in another if I had the money, but can't buy yet.
 
I ride in a HM Phoenix saddle - happy horse, happy rider, seriously comfy, I jump in mine and dressage, horse has bigger paces as there is no restriction. Only problem is that sitting trot is harder as the seat is so padded and thick, rather bouncy. Definitely take it, it fits any horse as the panels are padded and not rigid. :) :)
 
Sorry, but don't like them. Had very high hopes that they'd be just what I was looking for but found that the padding pushed my thigh forward and my bottom towards the back of the saddle. Added to which the memory foam on the Phoenix just deadened the feel between the horse and myself.

Am still looking for the perfect treeless saddle solution!
 
I am about to give up on mine. Had it about 4 years it's heavenly but because of my arthritis now in both hips I am probably having to go back to tree'd saddle.
I am about to trial a tree'd saddle to see if it helps me. I would do anything rather than give up my riding. If I can't find another saddle that has any significant impact on my pain I won't be going over to "the dark side" as my instructor puts it.
The Fhoenix do stretch the hips rather.
I am gutted.
 
Shame you are not closer toffee or I would have brought mine over for you to have a play with. Perhaps there is someone near to you who would do that?
My mare doesn't jump so can't answer your question.

Not everyone likes them. My friend thought mine was hard!!! I think she just has a delicate little botty as it is so comfy.

Now if anyone has any magic wands to remove the arthritis do get in touch. My doc just said, "if it hurts to ride, don't ride". Clearly not horsey then doc lol.
 
Toffee44, I have PMd you with details of piccys of me jumping if you are interested, don't know if you have got it
 
There are some places on-line where you can trial the HM saddles, sorry can't remember who does it know but I did research it a while ago when I was thinking of going treeless.

I did manage to borrow one from a friend. I tried both the Phoenix and the other one (sorry can't remember what it was called now). I found the Phoenix the most comfy, BUT I felt I did need a little bit more support than what it gave. Yes, I did sit in what was probably a very "correct" position, and it felt OK, but afterwards for about a week I could hardly walk and my back gave me a helluva lot of jip, so I figured that although this saddle probably did make me sit in the right position, the pain and suffering in order to do it just wasn't worth it!!

I've also tried a Barefoot saddle; the one I tried had no knee rolls and I felt like I was pitching forward all the time. I didn't feel confident enough to canter in it.

I can well understand why people go treeless, BUT you should bear in mind that it isn't always the best solution for either horse or rider. Sometimes pressure points arise where the stirrup bars are, and in a treed saddle this would be absorbed by the whole of the tree, but in treeless saddles this can cause a lot of damage to the horse's back, so is something to be aware of.

Also, treeless saddles tend to push you far wider at the hips, which if you've already got a wide horse like mine is, isn't necessarily where you want to be! OK for the young and supple, but if you're 50+ then you just need to be comfy, and I knew I wasn't going to be comfy if I went treeless.

The reason for many people going treeless is simply because they can't find a treed saddle which fits. On the yard, we tried more than half a dozen "saddle fitters", each of which said something different each time, and not one could find a saddle which actually fitted any of our horses.

At the risk of advertising, may I suggest these people: their saddles are absolutely fantastic, and I can't recommend them highly enough. If I get told off for "advertising", then so be it.

www.thepainfreehorse.co.uk - lovely saddles which feel (almost) like treeless, but which actually FIT both horse and rider. When I rode my horse in their saddle, I discovered he had a wonderful elevated trot which I'd never realised before!
 
I think it is easy to generalize but there are vast differences between makes of treeless saddles.
Mine fits ( of course! ) and is does not ride in the slightest bit wide, or I wouldn't be able to sit in it at all ( arthritis and rubbish hip/lower spine).
I did find my back worse for the first few times I rode in it and realised it was down to the increased movement in vertebra, which in the long run is beneficial , and worth working through, I have found.

Anyway, both horse and me are very happy with ours ( SolutionSmart saddle) . I believe the Heather Moffat ones are well thought of, too, although I haven't tried one. And there are many that you shouldn't touch with a bargepole!
 
classicalfan said:
Am still looking for the perfect treeless saddle solution!
Click to expand...

Try out the Startrekk, it's really nice. Works on high withered horses too.

I had a Heather Moffet saddle fitter come to try te saddle and was not convinced. The leather is good quality but the seat felt hard to me. My mare did not like the suberpanel (started bucking at canter), probably because it puts weight on the spine. It is better off for a horse with a long back too.

But the only way to know if you'd like it is to try one out.
 
Well I've done swap
It's actually a nice saddle a little bulky at back more then I like
But I'm about to give anything ago considering I can't find one saddle to fit my fat cob
Anyway here some pics what do you think
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I love 'em.

I have two already and am currently looking for an 18inch for the new boy.

They're not just for big neddies, sizing starts at 16inch.

Sometimes the seat feels a bit hard when first mounted but after a warm up they're all comfy and moulded. I always feel secure, never moves, i can mount from the ground when necessary and i do all the normal hacking, schooling etc, Im afraid i only ever jump knee high logs when out about so cant comment if you jump big stuff.

Ive never suffered any back ache or probs with the saddles. I must admit that i did feel a little unbalanced at first but that was me, not the saddle. After a few hours better riding i find it very secure, even in spook mode!

Ischa, that saddle looks fine for fat cob. If hes got a slight A shape to his back you may want to ask heather for the wedge panneling inserts instead. ..and thats the thing, you can change padding and/ or shims to get the saddle 'just right'.
 
They are ALL Fhoenix saddles. There are different models within that brand.
If you need more of a twist, avoid the older models and look at the Vogue range, they are designed to feel more like a treed saddle and shouldn't stretch the hips so much.
The seat probably will feel hard at first, particularly on a hot day, that is because memory foam softens when it warms up. I've never felt my Fhoenix saddle feeling harder under my bum than a treed saddle though.
Ischa, that is one of the older saddles you have there. They are absolutely fine as long as you don't mind the flatter seat. If you aren't sure about fitting then you could get one of the Fhoenix fitters out to see if you need any pads.
 
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