Treeless saddles any good?

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myhorsefred

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I'm struggling to find a saddle for my wide welsh sec d cob. every saddle i try bridges on his back.

was just wondering about treeless saddles. anyone like them?

thanks
 
yes yes and yes!!!
i have seen demo's (a couple of years back a lady ran a demo afternoon at our yard).
she watched a young horse working in his own tack, then put a treeless on him and his whole action changed! he moved far more freely and found that shoulder movement was far better than it had been, far less "choppy".
 
For what you should expect to pay for a DECENT treeless you could easily get a made to measure treed saddle for your horse.

Be very careful, I have seen a number of horses wrecked by treeless and any number of people sell on very quickly after realising they do very little for the rider.
 
sorry should also add the ones i watched being demo'd were in excess of £1500, and had to be imported from the states, but this was a good couple of years back!
 
i loved my treeless, i was so sad to have to let it go
had it a couple of years and paid a fair amount for it
unfortunately where my mare has changed from being barrel like to high withered (due to her aging) it did not suit her shape any more
if there is a design out there of one that would suit her shape i would buy it in an instant, there probably is in fact but for the time being, until i have the funds to buy one it will have to wait, but i highly recommend them
grin.gif
 
MHF I've got similar horrendous probs getting a saddle to fit my wide Section D cob who is also a veteran so a saggy back and also croup high!!! I bought a bean bag numnah thing that helps a little but still isn't perfect. Everything still bridges like mad. BUT...I've just had 2 buy a saddle for my gipsy cob mare who is also W-I-D-E and I tried the new Wintec Wide. It truly is wide! And it comes with its own 3 interchangeable gullets so can adjust if your ned changes shape. Well it fits my mare like a glove but the even better news is that it's a lot better fit on my difficult cob than his £850 GFS is. And the Wintec Wide is £349. If you have a local dealer, they should come out and try it on for you before you buy. Might be worth looking into coz honest to god they are WIDE!!!!! x
 
I use a Trekker treeless for my 30 year old gelding. He has changed shape through his back as he's aged, so I got him a treeless saddle so I don't have to change saddles every year. I've ridden him in it for about 2 years now, and I think he really benefits from it. We only do light hacking now because of his age. The saddle is good for this purpose, it's comfy for me as well as him and he certainly goes better in it.
However I agree with all of the above comments, I dont think they suit every horse. I wouldn't use it on any of the younger horses or for jumping.
 
[ QUOTE ]
i loved my treeless, i was so sad to have to let it go
had it a couple of years and paid a fair amount for it
unfortunately where my mare has changed from being barrel like to high withered (due to her aging) it did not suit her shape any more
if there is a design out there of one that would suit her shape i would buy it in an instant, there probably is in fact but for the time being, until i have the funds to buy one it will have to wait, but i highly recommend them
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]
Trekker treeless saddles - I got mine second hand, for a 30yo, with very high withers and a sagging back. I was able to ride him in it before I bought it and it suits him perfectly.
 
I love my mondial saddle, looks and feels totally traditional, and is the only saddle I've tried that my cob likes. It cost £1800 new though.

I didn't know it was treeless until my horse's previous owner told me (I bought it from him).

saddles
 
I love treeless and have used them for two years. My friend has just saved up and bought one after trying mine and seeing how well I and my horses get on with them. Those who have problems tend not to use the correct padding, or type of saddle for their horse. Buying the saddle is just the beginning - you will need to adjust the padding either side of the gullet to ensure spinal clearance, ensure it is not too wide or narrow at the gullet (sometimes a soft gullet is the answer) and even adjust the girth depending on your horse's shape - I have been through several before I found one that suited my pony and kept the saddle very secure.
My friend and I use Barefoot saddles always. We also both use polypad pods - I have found sheepskin to 'sink' and unbalance the saddle after a time. I do not know anybody who has a problem with their treeless - but then everybody I know with one has taken the effort to customise it to fit their horse. You can't just plonk them on like some people seem to think.
My saddle has survived jumping and galloping, and also a rather interesting bolting, broncing and rearing session from my little mare (who evidently doesn't like limpet pads
smile.gif
) It only slipped when it wasn't actually fitted properly.
 
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