Loosing hope which treeless saddle?!

[Leg12]

I like the Flexee although I do not like their customer service! I have bought several used now as they didn't respond after sending all the pictures for remote "fitting" and I just could not get a response to buy a new saddle! There are NO fitters who will come to us before anyone jumps on that - that's one piece of information I did manage to get from them.
Torsion, one of the originals, seem to be out of fashion and overtaken by Barefoot although they are a better saddle imo. But if you want a more traditional feel I'd recommend the Flexee.

The copious amounts of bad reviews about the customer service do concern me and put me off buying one I read on Facebook that EE people are saying its just sour grapes against HM but there seem to be too much of it for that to be 100% the case (no smoke without a fire you know) and I did message them interested in a cheaper ex-demo they were selling and was messed around so that put me off. Its a shame because as I have previously said its the easiest option for me and hopefully would do the job nicely. The cost of a saddle is a lot of money to spend without any fall back position or help if it does'n't seem to be working out/fitting as I found with the Solutions poor customer service :/ . I would like something with a proper twist and deep secure seat. How did you manage with fitting it yourself and you've found it fine with long hacks/ fair amounts of use, no pressure points/ dry patches under the stirrups/pommel/cantle/seat bones? Thanks for the info

 

[Shady]

Thanks Shady this is interesting. Oh nooo your saddle :O ?!! Who is MDB? (Is it someone else who has posted on this? I haven't read most of the posts as am struggle to keep up with them (very pleased at the many replies tho !! )! Please excuse my rubbishness at dealing posts as im sure everyone can tell I am really struggling to work all this forum stuff properly lol and type the replies to the right people in the right place loooool so please bear with if i don't catch on quickly )

I was interested in the Trekkers as seem to have a good endurance following which made me think they may withstand more rising trot and use with less pressure problems? I would be evry grateful to hear more about your experiences with them? With both, the Trekker and the Barefoot, you had no problems with pressure under stirrup bars or pommel/cantle/seat bones etc and you found it stable and secure? How deep was the seat and does it have a 'normal' saddle style twist? I could do with something that can handle spooks and high jinks as we have one stretch of lane which can be tricky as we get the odd crazy local or delivery driver who thinks they are Lewis Hamilton round the bends :/ which is ridiculous as many young mothers from the not too far away estate walk their pushchairs up and down it. Definitely read a lot of reviews of the Ghosts causing pressure patches and being perched which with spooky horse doesn't sound ideal so not sure about those? I can't find any info about how the Startrek functions and how its constructed and reduces the pressure from the stirrup bars. However they look really smart and seem to have a nice deep seat which is appealing. I liked the idea of the Sensations but not sure how comfortable/ secure for your leg the hard use stirrup setting would be and that is what caught my eye, they don't seem to have a very deep seat option either? 'Scuse the massive essay loool!

Hi Leg12, don't stress about how you use the forum . you are doing fine!
I'll try and answer without waffling too much
MDB also answered your post and we both have very similar lives ,similar shaped horses and we also hack in challenging countryside so have put the Trekker 'Luxus' through the same stuff. I even think we are the same height and weight!!!
I chose the Trekker after months of research. I liked the quality and in particular it's ability to adapt to my horses shape, it's also very light and short ( and you can go even shorter underneath if you need to) I wanted it for hacking long hours in and out of steep countryside and it proved to be stable up and down very steep ravines and didn't budge when i had to mount from the ground . The seat is deep and super comfortable, good twist and you can post no problem and ride short or long, sitting trot is lovely but it does take a while to get used to the high cantle , you must watch how you dismount or you can catch your leg and fall. No pressure points from stirrup bars, the construction is such that it is unlikely to happen. I felt it took a while to settle and i have read that some people think they bridge but that could be from not setting it up properly to it was too tight and high at the front, it's very difficult to find negative reviews on them actually. Wonderful for giving confidence too, very hard to fall off from!!
I stupidly got distracted and left mine on the rail within reach of my OH's horse who destroys everything he can get his teeth into. Gutted totally and am saving for another. Bought the Barefoot second hand and it's lovely, comfy and secure but i am not 100% happy with the sweat marks and feel there could be pressure at the bars if i was to extend my rides to 4+ hrs, horse loves it though so i will see how we go.
If you talk to Louise at Equine Whispers you can test a Trekker and the Ghost
Hope this helps, shout if you want to ask anything else

 

[Nudibranch]

If you're still thinking of a Flexee it may be worth buying one second hand and if you don't like, there's a good market. I have avoided the new gulleted version simply because of the gullets but have used the pre gullet, adjustable panel version on an older CB, a middle aged TB and a big WB youngster. All went/go well and no issues with pressure points etc as far as we know. Fitting wise it's not difficult, read around and shim accordingly. For the old girl I used a Suber pad which does add bulk but worked well. HM recommends the Griffin Nuumed shim pad which is what I use on the current beast. He is very clear about disliking a saddle so I go with what he tells me! I'd say they're worth a go and you shouldn't lose out on a resale.

 

[Boulty]

I've got one of the older leather FlexEE models and had one of the original gullet free synthetic models before that (Really regret selling that one it as it was a really good spare saddle to have kicking about!). I have had one issue with rubbing but I think that was a combination of needing to widen the gullet and a saddlecloth with built in pockets that I used for a 50 mile ride, think that the pressure actually came from the weight from the pockets. Both the ones I've had have been ex demo models bought direct from fitters so not experience of ordering direct from the website. (although when both fitters I'd previously used gave up / moved away I took to one of the facebook groups in the end to find an alternative person to check the saddle as didn't get a response when I emailed the HM website) Have hunted, jumped small fences, done dressage, done TREC and a few fairly long rides in it and the only issue I've had is the one I mentioned that I think wasn't actually the fault of the saddle. Mine's a VSD and it's not the most wonderful thing to jump in and would be a bit useless over larger fences but for popping little things it's acceptable. One thing I would say is that I miss the suede that my synthetic one had on the seat, was very good for extra grip when sitting spooks...

 

[cundlegreen]

cundlegreen Thank you I have not heard of those I shall go google them ! You find them ok for longer hacks?Do you know whats inside them like a flexible tree or foam layers etc? Thank you for mentioning weights as often i find it frustrating as a lot of very positive the reviews for treeless are from below average weight/size riders, nothing wrong with that, but is not helpful for me personally (as it makes sense that they would have less issues with pressure spots and dry patches then someone heavier) to determine if the saddle would be appropriate for me.
Glad its not just me who thinks they are extortionately expensive! I was really very angry and disappointed with my Solution, the build and leather quality were so poor for the money, it didn't look like it cost nearly £2000!! But I don't want to sell it until I have found something else that would do instead.

here you go......http://bettersaddles.co.uk/shop/treeless-saddles/Flexion-saddle, Mondial-saddle

 

[PapaverFollis]

Thank you definitely food for thought as this would be the easiest option for me ...and you've never had any dry patches at all, even with lots of rising trot work or long hacks?

No never. Never any sign of uneven pressure or pressure points under the saddle. On any of the horses it has been on.

 

[Jellymoon]

I also use Solutions and have an Ansur, and I’ve had no pressure points or any problems with them at all. I am hacking, schooling and competing in them, at around 90/100cm. I wonder if you didn’t have a great fitter to help you? I am very pleased with the lady who fits mine, and have had very good post sales service.
I have an older style Solution (not sure of model but it has a gullet) a beautiful little Ansur, and a Smart Pro Jump. They are all lovely to ride in, but the Pro Jump is my fave for jumping as it gives me more security than the others, it feels more like a traditional saddle with a twist.
I guess you wouldn’t want to try them again though as you had a bad experience, which is a shame.

 

[Sleipnir]

I am saving up for a Ghost as the one I managed to get and try on my horse seemed to fit really well. As of yet, I'm only unsure should I get a standard sized or small, as in photos they sometimes seem very big on the horses! My boy is a massive beast, but his back is not one of the longest...

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Sorry I just messed up my vote, should've voted for the TreeFree but instead picked up on "other", Ohh flip!

I can highly recommend the TreeFree saddles. I started off with a second-hand (e-bay) Exmoor one, and then liked the saddles, and the people who make them, so much that I bought their new "Tor" GP saddle which is fantastic for my two horses; one a 15.1hh extra wide traddie cob (low wither and short back); AND my youngster, who wears the same saddle!

If you are in the Devon/SW area, then Johan or Andrea from TreeFree will come out and do a proper fitting for you. Well worth doing, and is what I did when I got my youngster as I wanted to get the fit just right for her. A friend who was with me was very impressed at the care and trouble which was taken at the fitting.

Their "Tor" saddle is the ONLY saddle that I can ride in for any length of time, i.e. over an hour. I've tried Freeform/Freemax, which whilst it was comfy enough, I wasn't convinced offered enough support as I was getting low back pain in it. The HM ones, I've tried the Vogue and the Phoenix, both rendered me practically unable to walk after less than an hour's riding in them I do have a Barefoot, use it as a spare. Mine is a size 1, the size 2's are huge. Think Barefoot's sizing is frankly awful, the size 1 is very small TBH, and the next size up the size 2, is ridiculously big for the average person (and horse). I know people who swear by Barefoot's though.

Have never tried the Torsion but a friend had it and hated it; there's a lot of the dang things on e-bay, which perhaps says it all as people obviously can't wait to be shot of them.

Have heard good reports about the Trekker: apparently whilst they do look a bit off apparently a few years ago there was some research undertaken (sorry have no idea who, where or what) and these saddles came up very high on comfort for the horse (they took Port Lewis impressions apparently and this is how they knew).

 

[Leo Walker]

I am saving up for a Ghost as the one I managed to get and try on my horse seemed to fit really well. As of yet, I'm only unsure should I get a standard sized or small, as in photos they sometimes seem very big on the horses! My boy is a massive beast, but his back is not one of the longest...

I've got the small, picollo on mine. Hes a big HW cob but incredibly short backed. He could only take a 16" treed saddle. I think it depends on the design as well. I've got the one that looks very like a standard dressage type saddle. I nearly sold it once we started driving properly as hes not ridden anymore, but I'd rather hang on to it now I think. They are so adjustable it will fit anything else I get in the future.

 

[BlackRider]

I've got a HM Flexee finesse and love it, its vey comfortable to ride in too, and have had it on 2 different horses.

I think part of the issue with EE is that the lady who dispatches items only works part time, so they're not the quickest to respond.

I had tried a solution saddle but despite having it professionally fitted it caused severe issues with my horse's back - despite only being used a handful of times for 30 minutes hacking. In the end I got a port lewis impression pad, so I can check easily check for pressure points etc if I'm concerned.

I do have a barefoot London, which my horse really liked, and I keep it as a spare, as I prefer riding in a more traditional style saddle.

 

[Peter7917]

p.p.s I meant to add into the main post has anyone tried a Kuda Saddle?!

I have only had this happen on one pony which was quite a narrow native. Have never had it happen on anything else but most that I ride are quite wide native ponies or the bigger horses are native crosses and again are wide horses. I just assumed that particular pony would benefit from a different set-up however only rode him the once.

 

[Peter7917]

This was meant for Peter7917. Also what activities do you do in your Barefoots?

everything, xc, sj, hacking, hunting.