At the 2nd vet check at an endurance ride a few weeks ago, I counted 6 of 7 horses in the check wearing a Bob Marshall saddle, my horse included. A couple of these horses were entered in the 75, the others were 50s. My horse has gotten straight As on her back at every check she’s been through since I’ve been riding treeless.
Yes at one point I had major problems with a treeless rolling under the horse, but I sold that saddle, switched to Bob Marshall and never had one problem since. And just this summer I finally learned how to MOUNT FROM THE GROUND in my Bob Marshall on my 15 hand Arab. No problems. The saddle barely moves. I reach over to the right side and grasp the breast collar tug with my left hand instead of grabbing mane. I never thought I could mount a horse from the ground anymore (broken pelvis), treeless or not. But since learning that one small trick I have no problems.
I have ridden out every manner of spook and bolt you can imagine in my Bob Marshall and been far more secure than in any treed saddle I have ever ridden. I have gone off my horse 9 times since I broke her out as a youngster. Of those 9 times, 1 time was in my Bob Marshall and ONLY because I mounted from the side of a hill, over-launched myself and promptly flopped right off the opposite side. It made for a howling good laugh from everybody, but it had nothing to do with the saddle. Every other time I’ve been spooked and spun off was in an Abetta, an Aussie, or a little western trail pleasure saddle. And I can recall a few instances in the Bob Marshall when the horse spooked and spun and I stayed on top perfectly fine.
You do have to buy the expensive, nice pads with a treeless or you will probably have problems at some point. I use a Toklat Woolback with ultracell inserts, as well as an Equipedic with inserts. I am 5’7" and 150 and only one ride did my horse’s back get sore in my Bob Marshall. It was a 30 mile training ride over a lot of rock and hills, I let her roll in the sand at our rest stop and she got sand embedded down to her skin. I think the sand made her skin sore but also the inserts in the Toklat pad were too old and worn out. Totally my fault. No more sand rolling during a ride, and brand new inserts, and that was the only sore back experience my horse has had since we’ve been treeless.
But when I was riding treed, she developed white patches with various saddles, and was very sore under the bars. She was reluctant and stiff to go down hills. And while she’s never been a bucker, she would twist her head and pogo stick in protest. With the treeless she can step out in a big swinging walk down a steep hill, put her head and neck down, stretch out, and have no pain or reluctance.
Treeless is an awesome way to ride, if you have the right saddle and the right pad. An endurance style breastcollar also helps stabilize the saddle side-to-side.
I really cannot imagine trying to fit a horse into a treed saddle at this point in my life. Their fitness and muscle tone changes constantly throughout the season. You can buy a $5,000 custom built and fitted treed saddle, and 1 month later it won’t fit the horse anymore. Treeless saddles are just as changeable and flexible as the horse’s back (for the most part.) You still do have to do some fitting, but it’s nowhere near as touchy a process as treed.
I love my Bob Marshall so much I bought a 2nd one and my young Arabs coming on will be started in the Bob Marshall.
I would really love to see a current tack survey done through the AERC. I see so many Bob Marshalls at rides, and on the trails conditioning. They seem to be the most popular treeless of everything on the market.
The Barefoot London, Bandos, and Black Forest all were a total bust for me. I owned the Bandos and trialed the others. So it still took me a few saddles to find the one that works, but it was worth the journey.
