Do you own a Bob Marshall Sport saddle Endurance model?

[Nezzy]

i want opinions from those who own one and ride in it. Do you love it? The endurance model is the one i mean, the all black or all brown. I have seen Endurance riders who use them and i often wondered how many years they hold up, and is there anything that you do not like about them? Thanks in Advance.

This one- http://sportssaddle.com/b_endurance.php

[cloudy18]

Have it, love it. I’ve used it on two trips riding in South Dakota, besides my usual day and weekend trail rides. I have had it for maybe 7 years. Trail rider only, not an endurance rider. I use a Skito pad with mine. It did take a little while to break in the stiff flaps below the skirt.

I do not use it on my new mare. She is roly-poly and green, and I’d like a chance to live. I didn’t have issues with it rolling with any other horse, but it made me very nervous on the new girl. But the only reason I will sell the BM would be if I needed money for a pricier treed saddle at some point.

[cloudy18]

I should add, I love the close contact feel I get with it. It does sit you as wide as the horse, which didn’t bother me on my narrower horses.

I think my only dislike was the stiff flaps, which got better eventually.

[Stushica]

It’s love/ hate for me. I’ve ridden in the trail, barrel, and endurance models and I loooove them for shorter rides < 20 miles, with the right skito they fit pretty much everything. I know of a few heavyweight riders with Endurance models made with the suede bottom (read really old) that love them dearly.

However, after about 20 miles I just about die, for some reason they just kill my knees. The first 50 I rode in the endurance left me sore and bruised. The next time I subbed out the bob marshall straps for 1" biothane thinking that the extra swing and the thinner leather would help but by mile 17 I was in pain and by the end I was in near agony. Both horses had all A’s on their backs and it’s not the worst saddle ever but it was certainly not the magic that I thought it was going to be.

Also, incase someone brings it up I had knee pain in both the regular and youth cut models.

https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/11391435_10153446415462072_3546088865791435871_n.jpg?oh=1ad4e7420e7858e60d376edfd6772f82&oe=578C8093

https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/12039594_10153732217307072_1614649068674837970_n.jpg?oh=59224838a6e25b6c1b604d0fe202404c&oe=57576CBB

[GreyDes]

I had one, and my husband rides in the Western trail version. I used it for trail riding with a Skito pad.

Here’s what I liked:

• Comfortable seat. My seat bones NEVER got sore, even after hours of riding.
• Worked well on my Arab’s short, round back

Here’s what I didn’t like, and why I ended up selling it:

• Lateral stability. I could never completely get it stable, despite trying multiple girths, pads, etc. This was likely due to my Arab’s back shape (wide, no withers), and my husband does not have this issue on his Paint.
• Posting. I could never quite gets my legs where I wanted them, and felt like I was banging into the pommel every time I posted the trot.
• Width. Again, this was likely my horses conformation, but my hips were spread so wide in the saddle that I would have pain there after a long ride.

They are very well made saddles. If you do buy one, make sure you get an appropriate pad - they need a treeless pad like Skito, with extra support built into the pad.

[Nezzy]

thanks everyone i appreciate the feedback. Keep it coming if anyone else has used one.

[GallopingGrape]

Love mine! Ive had the endurance and western, love them both. I put about 40+ miles a week on mine, have had for 5 years and it still looks new.

[hosspuller]

I used a BM endurance saddle for several years trying to find a saddle that fit the horse and me. The horse was a wide bodied TWH. The BM allowed his shoulders to move freely for a smooth gait. But, The saddle was not very secure laterally on his barrel shape. This made getting the correct girth a trial of multiple purchases. The wrong girth would rub the skin away like sandpaper. The upside was it taught me to ride very centered. A loose girth was not a huge issue for me… after many spills from the BM saddle as it rolled around. Otherwise it was a great saddle.
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My advice: if the horse has low withers or is barrel shaped, do not use a treeless saddle. Second if you do get a BM, also get the Skito pad and a Cheyenne roll for the cantle.