Talk to me about treeless saddles...

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Sophstar

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Considering getting the cob a new saddle as despite it fitting him, I find it quite uncomfortable for long rides (I have a bit of a bony bum!:rolleyes:) As he needs a good 30/45 mins of walking to loosen him up, especially on sponsored rides I'm literally sat in it for a long time before I can trot him. I have ridden in a treeless saddle before and found it very comfy but need some advice/guidance/warning about treeless saddles before considering getting one and whether they 'fit' well on cobs.

I don't want to spend an absolute fortune but any advice?
 
I have a treefree exmoor for my very wide Highland pony and I love it, it comes with a suede seat so good for bony bums. However, it costs around 800 pounds brand new but I did get a deal on mine on ebay (400 pounds). I wouldn't think you would have a problem finding a treeless that suits both yourself and your cob but just like treed saddles, you get what you pay for. Please do not buy the mega cheap ones on ebay from India, research the different companies and if they are out of your budget full price, wait until they come up on ebay or have a look on some of the natural horsemanship sites, etc, they do come up.
 
If you do lots of long rides and spend a long time in the saddle, I'd recommend a Freeform - they're really comfy and supportive saddles :)

If however you just pootle about quietly and want a decent treeless on a budget, the Libra's great.
 
You get what you pay for. The decent treeless's aren't cheap (same price as a good synthetic, or more). The cheap ones off ebay are cheap (and nasty) for a reason!!

I'm not a fan of the softer Barefoot-type saddles, which are basically a sheepskin pad with a pommel and cantle stuck on. However the higher-spec saddles like freeform/freemax are made of much stiffer, higher quality material with a more ridged base that supports and distributes the riders weight far better.
 
Only two I'd use is a Heather Moffett (which is what I have) or a Solution (which I researched thoroughly but preferred the HM position)

They have a properly thought out tree made of the best shock absorbing materials available to distribute the riders weight. They are not just a shaped pad with stirrups attached like most others, which means all your weight goes on two tiny points of the stirrup bars = painful/bad back for the horse.
 
I have a Solution Saddle and love it. I've jumped decent fences, for me, and big hedges out hunting in it :)


Not had a moments problem and have since bought a second for my other horse, so my mum can ride with me :)
 
It does depend on your budget, but I'd say get a good second-hand treeless rather than a poor quality new one. I agree with people above recommending HM, Solution and Freeform saddles. My Sensation saddle was great on cobs, but I sold that second-hand for over £900!
Ideally, even a treeless saddle should be fitted, but there is reasonable tolerance in those above and you can tweak the fit with the right shims and padding.
I suppose I can't resist mentioning that I'm selling a Freeform at the moment... :-))
p.s. It might just be my roly poly little coblet, but I have found the Freeform to be more stable than my Fhoenix Vogue on her.
 
Since your treed fits him well, I'd not rock the boat - have you tried a seat saver for you? There's a Heather Moffett one made from NASA-developed foam which turns rock-like saddles into something really quite comfortable and at £55 it'll be a lot cheaper than buying a new saddle.

http://www.enlightenedequitationshop.com/seatbone-saver-8-p.asp

(They come up on eBay occasionally at around £30-£40 too.)
 
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