treeless saddles, well i never! didnt think id be converted!

[abracadabra]

have tried two today and i must say, i dont ever want to ride in my regular saddles again
my saddle wasnt fitting to my satisfaction, and i knew it just wasnt quite right, and was making me try to compensate at the expense of my position and mine and horses comfort

have ridden in 2 dressage treeless today and young horse changed his waay of going in about 10 minutes flat and fromjust tracking up to overtracking by a hoof
and his trot just grew!

ive always been a traditionalist and would NEVER have thought id go for a treeless but im bl@@dy well amazed

now to sell all of my saddles...

 

[Tinypony]

Which ones are you talking about? Normally the Heather Moffet saddles have that effect on people.

 

[Silverspring]

Oooh keep us updated on how you get on with it once you buy one

I love the idea of them but I hear they don't suit all horses and if fitted in correctly can do as much damage as an ill fitted saddle (which some people don't seem to realise)

 

[abracadabra]

saddle solutions Energist and Freestyle were the ones i tried, honestly, ive got to make the change...the way the horse went, the change was so quick, and he wasnt bad anyway but he really started to flow

i have to get rid of my saddles and get one, i could feel my crookedness just melting away

 

[nelliefinellie]

I would take my time to make a decision.

You sometimes get a honeymoon period with treeless saddles where the horse goes better for a short while but then about 6 weeks later you start getting problems.

It's a bit like if you've been walking around in boots all day, then put your slippers on and they are soooo comfy and everything feels better. But if you tried to wear slippers all the time you'd get problems as they are not supportive enough....

 

[Oberon]

I bought my first treeless in 2002 (an UGLY old Torsion

) which has been much loved lent out. It has converted a fair few people and I coud have sold it several times over. I use it for my old Arab and it has done 20 mile pleasure rides with success. I also used it to break my huge Ardennes X. When it came time to buy him a saddle of his own I got him a posh Freeform. That has done 20 mile competitive trail rides without a problem.

I recently got a Cashel Soft saddle that I haven't tried yet. I really want a Ghost Endurance saddle

.
I also bought a Pheonix off ebay last year but never got chance to use it as it was immediately lent out and then sold to the lendee

.

I have never felt the need to go back to treed saddles as I couldn't be faffed with fitting or horses changing shape. As my horses are happy and healthy I am happy too.

I would only use a branded treeless. They should be well balanced and have attention made towards the stirrup bars and a good pressure testing rating.

The Solution saddle has a good reputation - they are used by the TRC and are the poshest of the treeless family.

I salute your courage to try a treeless and ability to keep an open mind (even though you are a traditionalist

)

 

[AnnaJ]

My dad recently bought me one for my Birthday and Christmas present!!!!! I obsolutely love my treeless and I can't see me going back to regularly riding in my old saddle.

I felt so safe and comfortable in it that I even managed to canter on Athena without feeling like I was gonna fall off.

Whoever invented the treeless is fantastic!!!!!!!!!

 

[HelsB]

[ QUOTE ]
I would take my time to make a decision.

You sometimes get a honeymoon period with treeless saddles where the horse goes better for a short while but then about 6 weeks later you start getting problems.

It's a bit like if you've been walking around in boots all day, then put your slippers on and they are soooo comfy and everything feels better. But if you tried to wear slippers all the time you'd get problems as they are not supportive enough....

[/ QUOTE ]

Yhis is actually because the horse is able to move much more freely under them, so will possibly make muscles sore that they could not use before....much like us going to the gym and working things we haven't previously......nothing to worry about but may need a little physio or just don't ask to much to soon.

 

[Hippona]

I do ponder this....my friend got one for her 'large' (read ..barrel-shaped) cob after her saddle was stolen.

First time she rode in it you could see the difference in him...for a fatty hefter he was moving so much free-er.

TBH...I am put off by the look of some of them, but hers looks just like a 'normal' saddle.

I would try one, but finances do not allow at present...daughter tells me I HAVE to swap my car and get a trailer by spring

 

[Oberon]

I find one of the advantages of treeless is that if you know what type/brand you want you can easily get one from ebay or online. This huge demographic opens up the market and pushes prices right down

. All of my saddles have been bought off the internet. My beloved old Torsion was imported from Germany as it was impossible to get hold of a treeless in the UK in 2002.

 

[abracadabra]

[ QUOTE ]


TBH...I am put off by the look of some of them, but hers looks just like a 'normal' saddle.



[/ QUOTE ]

agreed, butt ugly most of them, the ones i tried looked like saddles

have looked on ebay, nothing doing