Treeles saddles - are they really the best for horse and rider??

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martinka

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What experience do you have with the treeles saddle?
I just thinking of getting one for the longer rides but also would be interested in hearing your views on the dressage version as well.

Many thanks!!!!
 
We borrowed a Torsion Tressless saddle for my old round cob and I have to say it was the worse saddle I have ever ridden in! It moved a lot, wasn’t at all comfortable, and just felt very weird. Oh and the only time I have fallen off while getting on was on that dam treeless saddle.

I know some people love them but it wasn’t for me.
 
First of all, not all horses or riders can get along with treeless, as the above answers show. For me and OH, we have a Torsion, and it really is the best saddle either of us have ever used, and OH has used 100's! We know quite a few people who would never go back to a treed saddles, because of the comfort of them especially for the longer rides. I don't know abour dressage versions, but would suggest if you do go the treeless route, you buy a decent make, as many are far from decent!
 
Agree with you, I have Barefoot saddles that I use on both my mares and wouldn't go back. A couple of others on our yard have them and also love them, but one or two tried them and didn't like them or the horses didn't go well in them. Like anything it depends on horse, rider and the combination!
 
I didn't get on with my treeless (had a Torsion, in fact still do, must get round to selling it). Not sure if I just didn't give it enough time (only used it twice), as finally found a treed saddle that fitted both my horse and me so, started using that instead.
 
Sorry, this gets long, but bear with me.

I have two! One for jumping (solution) and one for dressage (mondial).
My morgan has been a b**ger to saddle - constantly changes shape, wide at the wither and narrow at the loin. I tried for 4 years to find a saddle to fit him for more than 5minutes
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I eventually bought the solution as a last result, and no more bucking, moves better, lovely to sit on for hours etc...

The mondial holistic supreme is half-treed (cantle only) and is a revelation. I was googling idly one day and found one going cheap on ebay (can't afford £1900 new - couldn't afford £500 second hand either but as usual I get to stay poor while to horse lives in luxury :P). It looks exactly like a normal dressage saddle and is lovely quality.
I've been using it for nearly 3 months and about a month ago the horse suddenly realised what medium trot was. Now I can't stop him doing it! Nuff said. I do still need a wither pad under it but that's just my daft shaped horse :/

I also use both saddles on the OH 18hh hunter with no probs, as I don't like his nasty heavy 19inch thing which I can't lift above my head
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My saddles are lovely and light.

Echoing others though... some horses simply don't get on with treeless, you just have to try. I went for the more expensive end of the range, and have not regretted it (except the big hole in my pocket, even second hand)
 
I have a dressage Total Saddle Solutions and I love it. I really like the extra contact it gives me with the horse and I have stopped having lower back and knee problems since ridding in it...unluckily my second horse hates it so he's back in a treed! I don't think there is one answer fits all horses or all riders, so I would give it a try and if it's not for you no harm done (most places will let you rent the saddles for a try out).
 
'longer rides'

I thought treeless were better suited to short rides as you need the weight dispersal of the tree. Don't a lot of treeless saddles have a weight limit?
 
I have a Heather Moffett treeless, it is one of the older models, think it's called the SBS Flexion.

It is a dressage saddle and I love it, puts me in exactly the right position and keeps me there, which allows my horse to move so much more freely underneath me.

Reason for having it is that my horse is on a permenant diet but doetry telling his belly that!! He changes shape a fair bit so the treed saddle didn't always fit him
 
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I have a Heather Moffett treeless, it is one of the older models, think it's called the SBS Flexion.

It is a dressage saddle and I love it, puts me in exactly the right position and keeps me there, which allows my horse to move so much more freely underneath me.

Reason for having it is that my horse is on a permenant diet but doetry telling his belly that!! He changes shape a fair bit so the treed saddle didn't always fit him

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I have the same saddle for the same reason! So long as my horse doesn't do anything silly over night, I know the saddle will fit her, I have also never sat on anything quite so comfortable.

It is a very personal thing choosing a saddle, treed or treeless.
 
Would anyone condemn all treed saddles based on their experience of just one? I don't think so, and that is why I always get a bit puzzled when people say things like "I tried a treeless, it had X Y Z problems and so they are crap".
No saddle, treed or treeless, will suit all horses and riders. However in my experience you stand a good chance of finding the right treeless saddle if you do the sort of research you would do any time you buy a saddle, and make sure it's correctly fitted.
If you buy the right treeless saddle, and it fits you and the horse correctly with any padding that might be needed, you shouldn't have too many problems.
The more modern treeless saddles have addressed pressure issues very well, and this has been prove by pressure testing. Many pressure problems in older style treeless that I have seen were caused by fitting problems though.
HM Fhoenix saddles aren't strictly treeless, they have a soft tree made of rigid leather, and a support in the cantle area. There has been a huge amount of work done with those saddles to avoid pressure problems, and some of the materials used are very expensive, which is why they cost what they do.
I changed to treeless about 8 years ago, having been stunned by the difference in my cob when we borrowed a Bob Marshall saddle. I can honestly say that with a variety of shapes and sizes of horses and ponies, and saddles, I haven't had a single problem. However, I haven't hesitated to buy the best when it was needed, and I'm extremely careful about fitting and using the correct pads and numnahs.
Hope that's some help.
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A couple more thoughts.
You can fit any shape of horse to a treeless saddle, even if they are a high withered TB. Just as with treed saddles, you need to buy the right saddle. Treeless can be really beneficial to horses with high withers, as they often also have muscle atrophy. The fact that the treeless saddles are more flexible and often lend themselves to remedial padding, gives the muscles space to recover.
Many treeless do have a weight limit, normally 14/15st. Although some lighter riders can play havoc with their horse's back, for example by adopting an armchair seat in a treeless that uses those blocks in the pommel and cantle. (Like in a Torsion).
Treeless can do well in endurance. Have a look for Kaaren Jordan's site, she sells Sensation saddles. I have one and I love it.
I've also had or have... Equistation, Fhoenix, Vogue, Dartmoor Treefree, Freeform and Ansur. All brilliant when used correctly. And that came as a huge surprise with the Equistation I have to say, as it was cheap as chips off EBay! It's gone now though, due to the arrival of the Vogue, which is obviously in a completely different league.
 
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