Iberians and treeless saddles

ticobay831

ticobay831

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Hi all, just wondering what the most popular saddle is for Iberians and part bred, really struggling to get a saddle to fit my boy properly, big shoulders, no wither and flat backed :-/
the solution treeless saddles sound really good, what are peoples opinions on tree less saddles, please..
thank you x
 
Well, I don't have an Iberian, but my Highland is a similar shape; he has a Barefoot treeless western saddle (the Nevada, to be specific), which is really good, and we used to have a treeless dressage saddle for him years ago, but I can't for the life of me remember the make (nowadays he's in a treed VSD for English riding).

Treeless saddles can be really good for broad, flat-backed horses, so long as you don't mind the fact that most of them are appreciably different to look at from treed saddles. Different companies construct them quite differently, though; so it might be worth seeing if you can try a few different makes (some places will hire them out) to see what suits you and your horse best.
 
We had a treeless to break our PB Luso and it gave him a sore back, wouldn't touch one again. We had big issues finding a saddle to suit but now have a Wow which is brilliant. Added bonus is that you can change the headplate as the horse changes shape.
 
I don't have an Iberian but I do have a solution treeless saddle and I love it.
I know heather moffet does a treeless saddle specifically for them.
 
Solution Saddles = fantastic. I have two for my Thoroughbred and wouldn't ride in anything else now. If you contact the office they will be able to put you in touch with a fitter in your area who will come out and have a look at your horse and allow you to try the saddles. From your description of your horse there shouldn't be a problem in fitting a Solution to him. The added bonus is they look more conventional too-I don't think anyone has spotted that I am riding in a treeless saddle!
 
I'd second a Solution.They are wonderful saddles and will continue to fit your horse when he changes shape.
There are vast differences between the makes of treeless saddles, unlike treed. Some are dire.
 
I have a treeless barefoot London for my Iberian X, and also an Albion K2 MW. The albion is a better saddle, but for my back it is not comfortable at all for slow rides (which is what I mostly do!). The treeless doesn't seem to have affected his back negatively, he has his back chaecked at least once a year
 
I do ride my PRE x in a bareback pad, not strictly a treeless saddle I suppose but along the same lines.

I wouldn't ride in it all of the time simply because I know it would create pressure points being so soft. If going treeless all of the time I would really need convincing that the seat and panels were supportive enough and solid enough that they wouldn't at some point create pressure points for the horse around the seat area.

I use an AH saddle on my horse most days and school in the bareback pad once or twice a week as I do love the feel of being really close to the horse but I would just worry long term about seat bones poking into the muscle.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Hope you don't mind me asking but has anyone gone from treeless back to treed and did their horse object?
Click to expand...

Not my horse, but one on the yard has. The owner rides the horse in a solution saddle, the loaner rides (jumps) in their treed jump saddle (can't remember the make). The horse doesn't go as well in the treed saddle, lots of tail swishing, occasionally messing about. The owner thinks the two are related.
 
I've got 3 barefoot saddles that are interchangeable on my 3 (friesians) - I've been using them for 10 years now and never had a back problem since I started using them.

Before I tried 5 or 6 different saddles but they all put pressure over D's shoulders and caused lameness.

I got a treeless with the idea that I would go back to treed once she had finished growing and changing shape but she likes the treeless, the other 2 went well in them so I stuck with them.
 
For our wide, flat-backed natives, I use nothing but treeless now. I have Treefree exmoors to hack in, the kids, myself and the ponies love them, I have a Heather Moffett soft tree Flexee for my Highland and recently bought a Fheonix dressage. None of these saddles are cheap, even second hand and as someone has already pointed out, you do get what you pay for. There is a lot of treeless rubbish on the market. Treefree now do a treeless GP and dressage saddle but they have just come the market and you can pay over £1000 for them. Worth it, though, in my opinion. If money was no object I would be looking into a Solution as I have heard nothing but good things. All our ponies have their backs checked and all are healthy apart from one little mare who has ongoing problems caused by a treed saddle she was sold with. It swung around her barrel and was forever slipping back and she has a sleeping policeman hump tht we have to keep an eye on. My others are quite happy if they are ever ridden in a treed but she is definitely not!
 
Thank you so much for all your replies. I have been looking at the solution saddles and they sound very good and they have allot of good feed back too.
Im also looking at Gullikson-Baines saddles, the videos they have on the web site are so interesting and i can relate too some of the problems they describe by having the wrong saddle.
I think il send a couple of emails and see what help they cam offer as well.
thanks again everyone x
 
Two lusos, both in the same Wow. Not sure I would care to have ridden the last one in a treeless tbh (he was sharp!) but I know people with lusitanos that ride them in bareback pads. I know lots of Iberian owners that ride in Wows.
 
Nine horses - 3 Lusos, a Section D, Percheron, TB/Arab cross, Luso/Arab cross and 2, ahem, Portuguese Sport horses and all go wonderfully in Barefoot saddles :)
 
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