Treeless Saddles

N

nikkik

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 March 2009
Messages
83
Visit site
Hi, can anyone give me some advice please? I have a 14hh irish cob ( very round with big shoulders) I am finding it very hard to find a saddle that fits him. Would a treeless fit better, and not restrict his shoulders?

Have looked at Libra, Freemax and Easytrek, has anyone tried any of these?

Thanks
Nikki :)
 
Cobby types traditionaly suit treeless nicely. It is only worth trying. I have a freeform, which is the original a freemax was based on. I like it ok. The freemax would be worth a try. Easytrek are ok for low withered horses. I have one I got off eBay for £75! Libra is a nice, cheap but safe one if you don't mind how it looks. A treeless at the cheaper end is only as good as the pad you buy with it for shimming.

Heather moffett saddles are worth trying too if you have a little xtra to spend. Barefoot, torsion, dream team, solution, mondial are all good ones too. All easy to pick up from eBay second hand.

I am nw England so bit far to lend you one of mine to try!
 
also look out for Treefree dartmoor or exmoor, superb and worked very well with 14.2 tabletop Haflinger coblet. very good website too. not cheap tho but if you find one second hand grab it. I backed my Haffie in it.
 
I have had treeless and love them, they are very handy for the round heavy cob shape. You may as well try one out, you can decide from there. Its odd at first because its so different but I do love treeless, not that I have one just now, would if I could :D
 
lachlanandmarcus said:
also look out for Treefree dartmoor or exmoor, superb and worked very well with 14.2 tabletop Haflinger coblet. very good website too. not cheap tho but if you find one second hand grab it. I backed my Haffie in it.
Click to expand...

oooo - yes forgot about those, doh!

What she said.
 
Yes, they do often fit round cobs very nicely. I have one of the original (and still the best) make, a Torsion.
If you buy one, make sure you use the correct numnah/pad underneath, as the corect ones are very important with treeless.
Be aware though that they do not suit or fit EVERY horse (or rider), as sometimes claimed.
 
Thanks for your replies. I really like the sound of them, the trouble is down here nobody sells them, so nowhere to view them before buying. Which is really annoying.
 
I've got a freeform and love it. So comfortable to ride in and horse likes it too.

I'm not a fan of the glorified bareback pads such as the Torsion - they really are just leather and sheepskin pad (about an inch thick) with a pommel and cantle stuck on. The freeform (and the freemax and similar) have a semi ridged base that supports the rider.

my friend has a Heather moffet saddle and they really and good saddles, very comfortable for the horse and rider. you need to get the right panel types for the horses but they suit most (thought not all). however the stirrup bars are too far back one some of them for more challanging riding (i.e jumping and fast work).

Mst df worth trying a treeless, but you do get what you pay for. Trail a couple, or different designed as see what you think.
 
Each one of my treeless, I have bought online. That's the beauty of them. If you have a reasonibly sensible idea of saddle fitting and a healthy horse, they are easy to fit.

I get them mostly second hand from ebay now.
 
I have the barefoot london and I love it and my horse has never worked so well.:)

I couldn't trial one so I bit the bullet and bought it off preloved without a trial. The barefoot has a gullet and VPS on the newer models which is the one I have so it doesn't sit on his spine and its very stable, no slipping even when I get on from the ground.

To go treeless on my hard to fit boy has been the best decision I could have made.:D
 
I can recommend Heather Moffett Phoenix. It fits my tabletop Highland really well and is very comfy. I also ride in a conventional saddle with a seatbone saver on my other horse and do find switching between the two feels a bit odd sometimes, but just like wearing different shoes I suppose.
What I would say, though, is I find the treeless makes me feel less secure as the seat is flatter and less structured than a conventional saddle but it's something that you get used to. It's fine on my Highland as she's like sitting in an armchair, but I don't think I'd like it on a narrower backed horse.
Hope you find something to suit.
 
I have a Torsion Deluxe for my 15.1 Irish cob, and love it. Have had it for 3 years. It does ride differently to an English saddle though and is worth trying out first. A friend had one on trial from the uk distributor for Torsion, she was trying out the dressage one. So I think it's possible they will send you one to try. I would also recommend the Heather Moffat and Barefoot. Have seen them on ebay and preloved.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top