Treeless Saddles

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julie111

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Morning, firstly apologies if this has been done before! I have a 14hh, 4 yo cob, very short backed, saddler said 16" treed saddle is the maximum he can take. I would like to go down the treeless route as he is changing shape quite a bit and wondered what saddle might suit him best. I am a size 12/14. Any suggestions appreciated:)
 
Depending on the saddle you may get away with a bit longer as treeless tend to be a bit more forgiving with the length. Treeless tend to focus a lot on padding so make sure you get that right

Depending on your budget and usage I would look at Heather Moffett, Solution and Barefoot
 
webble said:
Depending on the saddle you may get away with a bit longer as treeless tend to be a bit more forgiving with the length. Treeless tend to focus a lot on padding so make sure you get that right

Depending on your budget and usage I would look at Heather Moffett, Solution and Barefoot
Click to expand...



Thank you, I was hoping I could get away with a bit longer:)
 
My 14.1hh 4yo gelding, who currently takes a 5'9" rug, has been fine for the last 2 months in a Fitform, which is quite long from pommel to cantle as far as the base of the saddle goes, with a 17" seat. As it's treeless I get away with placing it slightly more forward than I would with a treed, which helps. I've just got a 17" Heather Moffett FlexEE 17" to try, as I know I wouldn't have enough room for my legs in anything smaller. There's about an inch between the back of the saddle and his last rib, when placed about a fingers width behind his shoulder (again, you have a bit of wiggle room, though technicall this isn't treeless so I wouldn't be happy putting it over the shoulder as such). It's too early to say how it's going to work, as I only got it yesterday, but on face value it's ok.

If the FlexEE doesn't work and a 17" treed saddle is too long (17.5" sits right on his last rib area) I'll have to go down the route of having one made to fit the both of us, with a smaller seat/panel length for him and larger flaps for me.
 
The main thing about treeless saddles is that they're NOT a solution to every saddle fitting problem!! Sorry to state the obvious, but its amazing how many people think it is; all you do is to bung on a treeless and hey presto off you go.

It ain't that simple. The MOST important thing, if you're committed to going treeless, is to consider what you'll be putting underneath it. Sorry if that sounds @rse-about-face, but you need to bear in mind that this is absolutely vital as you'll have no tree in place (obviously!) to support your weight on the horse's back. Proportionally, you'd be wise to spend say half of your total budget amount on your treeless saddle pad (and don't believe any websites or individuals that say you don't need one), and allow the other half say, by proportion, as £££ for your actual saddle.

If you're a first-timer, then have a look on e-bay as there are some nice saddles which come up secondhand, but DON'T repeat don't be tempted to buy the cheapie ones made in India; or anything that hasn't got the maker's name on it. If they can't be bothered to put their brand on it, then it ain't worth buying IMO. There's a lot of stuff on e-bay to not touch with a bargepole, BUT there are some very nice treeless saddles on there much cheaper than you'd get new.

The advice I was given was to go for a good make like say Torsion, Barefoot (the older versions are like hens teeth, the new ones are awful apparently - which is they there's so many of them on e-bay now!); Libra, Freeform, Heather Moffatt (always retain their price).

OR you could try to find a company that offer you a trial period........ do some research as there are those that do.

But bear in mind that treeless saddles tend to do two things (1) they have a far wider twist than treed saddles which if you've got lower back pain/hip issues, might not be helpful, and (2) you'll find yourself riding "higher" on the horse's back than you would with a treeless saddle. Also you'll find you feel the horse's movement much much more, fine if you've got a nice comfy gait but bear in mind you as rider will tend to get more fatigued more quickly. These are just my experiences. I bought a lovely Libra leather treeless on e-bay, they don't make them in leather anymore, and its been very useful as a spare/backing saddle. But I am sooooo much more comfy on my lovely treed saddle with knee rolls - total bliss:)

Nope, I wouldn't go mad about treeless TBH, but hey each to their own. They have their uses, and have their fans.
 
I used to have a torsion. Was nice enough but I prefer my barefoot. So comfy and my nag seems to like running about in it.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
The main thing about treeless saddles is that they're NOT a solution to every saddle fitting problem!! Sorry to state the obvious, but its amazing how many people think it is; all you do is to bung on a treeless and hey presto off you go.

It ain't that simple. The MOST important thing, if you're committed to going treeless, is to consider what you'll be putting underneath it. Sorry if that sounds @rse-about-face, but you need to bear in mind that this is absolutely vital as you'll have no tree in place (obviously!) to support your weight on the horse's back. Proportionally, you'd be wise to spend say half of your total budget amount on your treeless saddle pad (and don't believe any websites or individuals that say you don't need one), and allow the other half say, by proportion, as £££ for your actual saddle.

If you're a first-timer, then have a look on e-bay as there are some nice saddles which come up secondhand, but DON'T repeat don't be tempted to buy the cheapie ones made in India; or anything that hasn't got the maker's name on it. If they can't be bothered to put their brand on it, then it ain't worth buying IMO. There's a lot of stuff on e-bay to not touch with a bargepole, BUT there are some very nice treeless saddles on there much cheaper than you'd get new.

The advice I was given was to go for a good make like say Torsion, Barefoot (the older versions are like hens teeth, the new ones are awful apparently - which is they there's so many of them on e-bay now!); Libra, Freeform, Heather Moffatt (always retain their price).

OR you could try to find a company that offer you a trial period........ do some research as there are those that do.

But bear in mind that treeless saddles tend to do two things (1) they have a far wider twist than treed saddles which if you've got lower back pain/hip issues, might not be helpful, and (2) you'll find yourself riding "higher" on the horse's back than you would with a treeless saddle. Also you'll find you feel the horse's movement much much more, fine if you've got a nice comfy gait but bear in mind you as rider will tend to get more fatigued more quickly. These are just my experiences. I bought a lovely Libra leather treeless on e-bay, they don't make them in leather anymore, and its been very useful as a spare/backing saddle. But I am sooooo much more comfy on my lovely treed saddle with knee rolls - total bliss:)

Nope, I wouldn't go mad about treeless TBH, but hey each to their own. They have their uses, and have their fans.
Click to expand...



Thank you for such a detailed reply! I am swayed towards a torsion saddle with a grandeur pad, or do you recommend a different pad for that particular saddle?:)
 
I have 2 Solution treeless..a dressage and a jumping - one bought off ebay..I ride a 14.2 small cob in them and absolutely love them both.. i hunt in the jumping...they fit to the person so should stay with me on any other horse/pony i buy.. mine are both size 4's. .BUT you do feel the horse underneath you alot more..which I love...
 
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