Treeless saddle for a wonky horse?

Jo1987

Jo1987

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I'm having saddle problems with my old boy - he's an 18 year old tbxconnenara and has a few old injuries as well as ringbone and sidebone, which has made him rather lopsided. He's seen regularly by the chiropractor and I only hack him.
The problem with his saddle is that because of his unevenness it goes from sitting level to rubbing over his spine and back again as he walks. Saddle fitter suggested a prolite pad to keep everything more stable, but this only resulted in pinched withers as well as the other problem!
My question is would a treeless saddle be more suitable for him as I can only hack him and it should be more flexible and forgiving to his odd shape? I'm specifically looking at the Barefoot Cheyenne, I like the look of their VPS system.
Thanks in advance.
 
Before you go down the treeless route (I've never tried one, so can't comment on them) have you considered a saddlepad with removeable shims for your conventional saddle? I think Griffin nu med do one, as do Robert Lemieux. You can shim up just one side if necessary, so perhaps worth a try?
 
My neice has a similar sort of horse and uses a suber pad under her usual saddle which works well for her. It is like a bean bag and looks a bit unlikely.
 
I've got an old shires imitation prolite pad somewhere - I might butcher that and see if shimming up one side will help and if so look at getting something more permanent.
I hadn't thought of a suber pad, that might be something to look into as well!
 
Good to hear spotsrock, I keep trying to retire him but he's just not ready! What brand of treeless do you have, and what padding do you use?
 
OP...... just thinking that it might be an idea to get both of you i.e. horse AND you, checked over by a chiropractor: I'm lucky in that my McTimoney lady does both and so understands the way we both move and any irregularities etc. I say this because all so frequently a wonky horse is the result of a wonky rider, and vice versa too.

Yes you know your own horse, and whilst appreciating his age, it just might be worth getting a good equine chiro to have a look and see what they suggest in the way of saddles. And you, his rider, too, are very likely uneven without even realising it.

Sorry, can't advise re. saddles. It sounds like your best course of action would be to get a SMS saddle fitter out as they'll have the experience needed.
 
Yes we are both wonky unfortunately, and both see chiropractor regularly! I suffer from mild scoliosis and he suffers from many (all old) injuries as well as this fairly new ringbone/sidebone problem. As I've said, he just isn't ready for retirement yet, he gets VERY grumpy, unpleasant to handle and starts causing trouble with others in his field to entertain himself without his twice weekly strolls! I haven't heard of SMS saddle fitters - have you any more information?
 
Trouble is no matter what padding you put under it you have a rigid tree on an uneven surface which moves, with X stone of you on top…. its like a slate on a pebble, but the pebble is a v sensitive moving animal who can feel a fly land…….

Ideally to me you'd need to look at a Heather Moffett vogue fitted by an agent as they are memory foam and latex but still support and distribute the weight of the rider.
 
I bought a cheap and cheerful (but well reviewed) Libra treeless to see whether treeless would improve my old girl. It most definitely did, and with a Suber pad as mentioned by Maryann, it has been fantastic. I would say treeless is a good route to go down for "wonky" horses. I will never ride another of my horses without a Suber either, they are brilliant.
 
Thanks everyone - Nudibranch, what sort of shape is your mare? I wouldn't describe my boy as a classic tb shape, I can ride him bareback without having to worry ;)! But he does have withers, do you use any other pad to provide spine/wither clearance as well as the suber pad?
 
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