Does anyone have any experience with this saddle? Or with the company Kimberley Saddlery? It has positive reviews on the site but there are only three of them. I’m looking for something synthetic, either adjustable or treeless, around $500 CAD, and with a narrower twist than my Thorowgood T4 Cob. The Thorowgood fits my broad shouldered, barrel-shaped standardbred but I am very petite and it’s far too wide for me. And it would be nice to have something I could use for light rides on my very senior arabian who has lost much of her topline. I feel like this might fit the bill (with an appropriate pad, skito or similar) but would love some opinions. Thanks.
Not the treeless saddle experience but have always had pleasant purchasing experiences with their pads & other merino merchandise for my Aussie endurance.
That’s good to know, thank you.
My problem with treeless saddles is that they are too bulky under the leg. That doesn’t look much better than the $100 freemax saddles on ebay. I know 2 people who ride in those. The saddle was modified to add a western double girth.
It does look very similar to those ebay saddles but I have reservations about the quality of those ones. I have reservations about the bulk too, especially because my horse is already so wide. Do the people you know like their freemax saddles? Perhaps I should try one of them to see if I like the style before I invest too much money.
I don’t think they are as stable as a treed saddle. My friend added a double cinch to improve stability in her mule.
I don’t like Treeless. I like a bareback pad better. Most Treeless saddles lack a twist. I need a twist on my wide mare.
I have heard good things about ghost saddles.
Consider trying a Ghost. I have the Quevis with no blocks, so it’s quite minimalist and close contact. I don’t find it as wide as the barefoot saddles (more of a twist) and there are two positions for your stirrup leathers, which means you don’t end up in a chair seat… I had to try a few options to make it feel really secure, but it’s worked great for me. I like the fact that it has a gullet and the saddle is very adjustable. I think it’s very good value for the price.
The saddle you linked to is a rip off of the Freeform Classic. I own one of those as well. Nice saddle but there’s a lot more bulk between you and the horse and the design you linked to does not have a gullet. With the Freeform you can put the stirrup attachments anywhere that works for you, which is a nice option. You can also swap out seats so more than one person can use the saddle, even if you are different sizes (ghost saddles are also modular).
I really like the look of the Ghost (and that there is a synthetic option) but I would definitely have to save up for a while longer to be able to afford it. I’m not overly worried about treeless being less stable as I ride bareback a lot and feel I have a pretty balanced and secure seat. And I’m so short I never try and mount from the ground anyways. I’ve also considered a bareback pad but my gelding can be unpredictable and for riding him off the farm I’d like stirrups for a little extra security. I’m reading a lot of good things about the Ghost… Perhaps I’ll try and sell my Thorowgood and see how much I can get for it and go from there. I really appreciate the input, you’ve all given me a lot to consider.
just wondering what are you expecting an Ultra Light saddle to weigh ? The synthetic treed saddles we used for competitive trail weighed about 17 pounds which I considered fairly light
