treeless saddle retailers in East Devon

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Perce

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I am looking into buy a treeless saddle and doing a lot of research on the internet, however, would like to see them 'for real' before I buy online, or from a shop if I can find one!
Anyone know of any saddlers that stock/sell them so that I can try one out to see if it suits me.
Particulalry interested in Barefoot.
thanks
 
As far as I know most treeless saddles are sold direct by the companies, or by specialist online retailers who may or may not have fitters. I've not come across traditional track shops who stock them, but someone may know better.
 
Many treeless saddles have retailers! I know solutions saddles do as well as heather moffatt saddles. They have agents who can come out and do a trail/fitting for you. An agent for Freeform used to do this but they shut down. Dreamteam saddles may have this as well. Heather moffatt herives lives in Devon somewhere.
 
thanks,
the problem with online retailers is you don't really know if a saddle suits you or your horse unless you see it 'in real life' and sit in it. ...and I don't know anyone personally who has these.
We've all seen things we like the look of on the web and when we see them for real, we're not so keen.
I'll keep looking.
 
I live in East Devon and went through identical process to OP here.

There's nowhere you can actually "see" a treeless saddle in this area unfortunately. There is a large retailer (Town & Country Supplies, now Countrywide) over at Crannaford, Broadclyst, but unfortunately they're not "into" anything that's either different or interesting, its just the same old stuff you keep seeing over there. So wouldn't suggest there.

There are a lot of things to consider when going treeless; it doesn't suit every horse - and they can slip dangerously, especially on wider-backed cob types. Also you need to be aware that the recess for the stirrup attachment can cause a very nasty pressure point as in a treed saddle the tree will support the stirrup bar and spread it throughout the saddle, whereas with a treeless its concentrated on one point. So be aware that treeless might not be the best solution, not that I'm trying to put you off coz I'm not!

Also, if you have any mobility, hip or knee problems particularly, you might find you get worse with a treeless, the reason being that there just isn't the support there in them. I tried a Heather Moffatt saddle, and it felt odd, very uncomfortable to start with; and then the second time I rode in it I did begin to feel a bit more OK with it, BUT for the next two/three days I was very sore and could hardly walk!! Now the "experts" will say that's just because I "wasn't sitting correctly" in the first place, BUT personally I don't want a saddle which causes me pain and makes me sore! Also, there's a district possibility that my horse was probably feeling the same too!!! Not what you want.

BEFORE you go treeless, it might be worth looking here: www.thepainfreehorse.co.uk

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
The OP states that they want to see and try treeless saddles before buying not that they want to see one before a fitter comes out. So listing brabds that do fittings was a helpful reply which was disgurded by the OP who stated again her desire to see and try treeless before buying. Perhaps you and I read the OP differently!
 
Sorry, you are right. I fit saddles that are only available through fitters, and when someone asks to see them, they usually want to come to a "shop" (or have me meet them somewhere) before paying a call out fee, so I was assuming, which is always a bad thing to do :D.
 
Whereabouts are you OP?? Coz it might pay you to put an advert up at somewhere like Mole Valley saying, like, is there anyone out there who's got a treeless saddle which you can try??

Just an idea.

PS just thought: there is a saddlery place up near Yeovil somewhere (Unicorn Saddlery??? - or is that near Taunton, mebbe someone will know???), and they may do treeless??? Can anyone on here enlighten? Realise that Yeovil isn't exactly East Devon.
 
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thanks for replies.

Alphamare - sorry - didn't mean to disregard your post...was racing in and out of house and read through posts VERY quickly before writing rushed response, just so peops know I am listening, and raced out of door again!

Having fitters come out is definitely a good idea, but other posters are correct in that I would prefer to view, no pressure, in a shop situation first. I always feel a little pressured to buy if someone comes out to me...it has cost them time and money so I like to be serious before I ask them to do it.

Over Tight Jods - thanks for link ..I'll explore...I do want to hear viewpoints against , as well as for. I have heard about the hip/straddled seat issue. my mare is not particularly wide and I am fairly supple but...

The only real experience I have of treeless is when I borrowed a treeless Heather Moffet from a freind whilst my treed saddle was being reflocked and my mare seemed very hapy in it..we competed in a TREC GB qualifier..and it was soooooooooo much comfier than mine!

Although I also used it during a cross country schooling session and came off! Would I have come off in my normal saddle???probably..my lovely mare landed and bucked..and bucked...and bucked.. head between knees! Not the saddles fault I hasten to add..her hormones have a lot to answer for! She jumped happily in it in the qualifier.
 
/www.aylmoreclassicaldressage.co.uk

Try tori who is an Eet and saddle fitter I believe she is back in Devon now travelling a lot!
 
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