Why did you choose your TREELESS saddle & picture please!

samcrob

samcrob

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I just wondered, for anyone out there interested in treeless saddles (including me), if you use / ride on one why did you choose the particular make / model and if you would be so kind to add a picture.
I don't want this to be a thread about why treeless saddles are bad blah blah but about the positives of treeless and also any negatives you have found and why (when tried and tested).
Many thanks in advance.


P.S i'll go first then
I decided on the barefoot range of saddles (as a middle range) and I particularly liked the look of the Cherokee and the London because of they came with knee rolls. In the end I puchased a london as that is what came on eBay first when I was looking! It came on its own with nothing so I purchased the special pad separately and leathers etc.
I have gone down the route of treeless because my horse is a baby so I expect him to change shape in the coming years. So far I have found the saddle to be comfortable for both myself and pony and hope this continues.


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(first time on)
 
Yours looks much nicer than mine *saddle envy*!

I chose mine simply because the mare is a barrel. She doesn't have low withers - her withers are actually not existent. I could moan about my saddle a lot, BUT it is the only saddle to have ever fit her well, and for that I am grateful! It is also very comfortable over long distance, and we do like long hacks :)
 
I first discovered treeless in 2002 when I was looking for a saddle with the security of a western, but without the weight.

My beloved Arab was a great size when I was 14 - but then I kept growing....and at 5ft 9 (and with a fat ass), I needed to keep everything as light as possible! I had the Torsion sent over from Germany (because no-one did them at a reasonable price in the UK) for £450. It is ugly as hell - but it's a great saddle which fits everything. I've been offered £££ for it over the years from a few people, but I'd never sell it.

Torsion just don't make them the same anymore IMO:(

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For my youngster I went posh and forked out on a Freeform in 2007. It's done over 300 miles and still looks brand new.

I flirted with a Heather Moffet Fhoenix a few months ago - but my Freeform is soooo much nicer (for us).

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its an old school Torsion - v comfortable - but i only use it for hacking as i dont like schooling in it
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have to say i dont like the look of it & should i ever come into money - would love somehting like the Heather Moffat vogue - or suchlike - do think that the torsion is particularly bulky tho
 
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Thanks for your replies.


Kazzonapiano - you didn't tell us which saddle you have?!

Oberon - what amaxing pics, I love the 2nd pic with the Freeform. Is that an equitex pad you have underneath it? It fits it well, is that what they recommend for the freeform?

Thanksfor your pics rubysmum, I really like the torsions. What saddle do you use for schooling? Do you find she goes very differently in the saddles?

Sx
 
I got a treeless dressage as I knew my boy would be changing shape, and also I wanted to use it on my other horse. I don't know what make it is as it came off ebay (my saddler has checked it!) but it is actually really comfy and Olly schools well in it.
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I have an old style barefoot cheyenne (don't know how to get pictures on here) - I love it, it is very comfy (I use a memory foam seat saver with it) and my horse's back has muscled up much better since I have been riding in it the last year or so.
 
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This is Stinky as a four year old wearing his Barefoot London - he just took reserve champion as a local show. I also used it for dressage and small jumps.

It has also been used on our previous and present clydesdales who go very well in it.

That said, I am now using treed saddles as I compete at affiliated showing and my working hunters are very comfortable and fit well. Although I have a cob and a clydesdale, they are not difficult to find saddles for as they are not flat barrels but have withers, and the WH copes with their big shoulders.

I find the Barefoot very comfortable for hacking and it has been great whilst they have been growing - they are both now 7.

I am thinking about selling my Barefoot, only as I have 2 WH, a western and would like a side saddle and need more room, hence selling the Barefoot as I have not used it much in the past couple of years. Will probably regret the minute I do it though as it is like new and very comfortable and no doubt one of them will outgrow their saddle immediately.
 
To be honest this one was two small for me (it said clothes size 10-12 and I am a 14 so swapped it for the next one up)

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And here it was on my ex racer (in dr cooks bridle)

Funnily enough this is the saddle I now have as I swapped with the lady who owned to one on my old grey.


I use it on my old girl and long hacks on samba although she has a treed saddle. I dont think I would ever sell it as its so handy and comfortable. If I do any endurance with samba I will be using my Cheyeenne.

I only chose it as this is what my friend had so I got one and then swapped it as her Arab is a bit short backed. Would love a Phoenix but heres hoping :) Might win the lottery one day. Could sell the horse but that defeats the object lol.
 
OMG im fatty mc fat fat in the first picture massive apoligies for the rolls ergh,

Would love to say they have gone but they havent completly although I weigh less then I did then (last summer)
 
When I got my mare she had a tree'd saddle that was an ok fit not brilliant. I struggled to find a saddle fitter who would check the fit and adjust if needed that had an ok reputation. So I went down the treeless route. My first saddle was a Trekker Talent. Was ok at first until I started to do a bit more work then it became clear it was rubbing her back.

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So sold that on and decided to go for a made to measure tree'd saddle. Had a saddler out to measure up, then next day my mare went lame. Vet thought she might have a degenerative condition so I cancelled the made to measure tree'd as I might never get to use it and it certainly wouldn't have been able to sell it on for anything like it's true value.

I relooked at treeless and went for a Heather Moffett Phoenix on the basis of if it didn't suit my mare they held their value for selling on.
That was in 2007 and have had it ever since.
It still looks like new even after 4 years use. My mare goes well in it. The only thing I don't like is the dressage girthing system but have got used to it. I can mount from the ground if I need to without it slipping. I love it.
Not the best photo I don't seem to have many of the saddle

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Samcob - it is an obscure make. I got it because it fitted the mare, not because such-a-brand was better for us than another. I wasn't actually looking for a saddle, but a friend was selling it and I tried it on the mare and it actually fit rather than perched on her back (as even extra wide saddles did).
 
samcrob said:
Thanks for your replies.


Kazzonapiano - you didn't tell us which saddle you have?!

Oberon - what amaxing pics, I love the 2nd pic with the Freeform. Is that an equitex pad you have underneath it? It fits it well, is that what they recommend for the freeform?

Thanksfor your pics rubysmum, I really like the torsions. What saddle do you use for schooling? Do you find she goes very differently in the saddles?

Sx
Click to expand...

I have an Equitex pad for the Torsion (although in the early days I used a Polypad with success) and I bought a Haf pad with the Freeform as part of the package.

It's the Haf pad in the Freeform pic - but I use the Equitex for both saddles now as I prefer it. The Haf pad seems too floppy and arkward to clean. The Equitex has been going strong for many years now.

The pics are professionally done;)
 
Not as completely obscure as I thought actually having googled - it is a Randol's. I would add a photo if only Photobucket wasn't being so odd.
 
I've had a lot of treeless saddles over the years. I am very picky and have 'princess and the pea' syndrome when it comes to saddles and can feel every lump and bump under the seat.

I've had 2 Ansurs, a Fhoenix, 2 Trekkers, 2 Barefoots, a Freeform, 2 Sensations, 4 Startrekks, 4 Torsions,3 Treefrees and some other not as well known makes.

I loved my Ansur Konklusion but it wouldn't suit me now. Liked my Sensation Hybrid a lot but my bum got too fat for it, also the stirrups caused a lump under my leg unless I was using the endurance setting and I nearly fell off the back of my saddle every time my gelding jumped into gait. The Treefrees were nice, I preferred the Dartmoor to the Exmoors though. Didn't like the Freeform, the stirrup bars left marks on my cobs back, I almost fell off the back of it going up a hill on my gelding and the seat left a huge bruise on my leg.

I currently have a Torsion Duo which I am fairly happy with, the seat is nice and deep, I've changed it to western girthing and put a sheepskin seat on it.
A Libra Hackabout which is ok but I've had to put a solid pommel in it and I've had some issues with wither clearance on a cob.
A Sensation English Trail with wide stirrup straps which is good apart from the cantle is a bit too low.
Torsion Close Contact which is ok for the pony it's on but wouldn't suit me and my chap.
 
When my mare was coming back into work after a back injury I used my friends barefoot treeless on her. My mare really liked it and moved lovely in it. The only problem I found was that the stirrup bar was located to far back so I wasn't comfortable riding in it with stirrups.
She now has a wow saddle which me and her love.
 
I have 2 x fhoenix and a freemax..now selling the freemax and getting another fhoenix. ( 18", if you have one for sale).

Tbh, the freemax just wont fit the horse, have tried different pads etc but horse has a high rump. I find it comfy and its a nice saddle, just not for that horse. I tried the barefoots, bruised thighs, torsion (new style) was urgggghhh. Im thinking that the fheonix will be easier to shim at the front for the perfect fit.

Both my fhoenix's are lovely and comfy, fit well, clean well and store well. If i had a gripe it would be that the leather is hard to security mark.
 
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