What is your favorite endurance saddle?
Does anyone ride in a Startrekk treeless (any model)?
Balance?
Frank Baines?
I’m looking and need some direction. Thanks!
I don’t ride endurance, but do trail ride for quite a few hours. I ride one horse in a Thorowgood Jill Thomas Endurance and ride another in a Thorowgood AP. In fact, I have a young horse that is pretty wide and I’m thinking of getting another Thorowgood Endurance for her
love love love my Barefoot!
ditto…love my barefoot!
I do endurance rides in my old Stubben Aramis (its a dressage saddle).
Anyone ride in a Black Country Celeste or Equinox? How about a Lovatt & Rickets Solstice?
I have an Arabian Saddle Company (Lovatt and Ricketts) Solstice. It has been a great comfy saddle. Very secure. Good leg position for me. I often ride the Western States/Tevis trail (lots of elevation changes) and it never shifts (which is also horse conformation/pad related). Good rings to tie stuff on, mine is rigged for a longer girth, but you can get it with dressage-length billets too. I was just going to post asking about a sheepskin cover for it, to make it extra nice.
I love, love, love my Sensation Hybrid. http://www.freedomtreeless.com/g3ht.html I’ve owned this saddle for over 2 years now and it still looks brand new. It’s made in Canada with super luxurious North American leathers the workmanship and materials are super nice. Since it is treeless it conforms to my horses’ backs and my bottom making it extremely comfortable for me and my horses. This particular model has wide swells, sort of like a western saddle (but not horn) and close contact dressage length flaps with really nice knee rolls. This combination makes this saddle super secure in the bolts, scoots, spins, and airs that my horse has tested it on. For extra fun, since each saddle is made to order, you get to choose your options, like what color and texure leather you want to use (not limited to black, havannah or oak). You get to choose which metal (stainless steel or brass) There are tons of other options to choose from too. Demos are free, you can get a dedicated demo mailed to you (you just pay for shipping) complete with everything you’ll need to ride in it, pad, stirrups, girths etc.
PRS that is the BEST signature line I have ever read!
I have a treeless Bandos trail saddle, and I dearly love it. I just got a Barefoot Cheyenne, used, and it’s pretty great too.
irish_horse, does your Solstice have the new tree introduced in 2010, or a previous tree? Whatever one it is, what horse shape is it best for?
My Solstice is an older model (though it has been reflocked, new billets, and wears like iron. I like that it is all leather, the newer ones have some sort of fabric bottom) I have the wide tree, 18 inch seat (rides like a 17.5). My horse is a lean 15.2 mostly Egyptian Arab, with pretty good withers. Definitely not one of the short-back, table top arabs!
Here is a photo from a couple summers ago, not the best but most of my photos are between-the-ears shots!
http://trails-and-trials-with-major.blogspot.com/2010/07/one-year-ago-today.html
I really, really like my Black Forest Aspen. I only recently got it but it has very quickly become my favorite of my saddles.
This was taken at the MD Horse Expo this past weekend and shows the saddle pretty well.
Irish-horse, would the Solstice be suitable for low-level dressage? I’ve sat in the BC Celeste and that would definitely work. But I’ve heard from a number of people the Solstice is about the most comfortable saddle they’ve ever sat in. So I’m leaning in that direction if I can school in it too.
Love your blog BTW, I’m adding it to my list!
I don’t do any dressage (seriously need to actually do some arena work instead of hitting the trail) but I think the Solstice would be fine for that. I know another blogger who does first level and endurance and uses a Solstice. It is a great saddle, if it fits (always the caveat).
Glad you like the blog, it is just some ramblings, but the scenery is nice!
Thanks for the info. Your Arab’s top line looks a lot like mine, so I’m hoping the Solstice is at least within the realm of the possible.
OP, sorry to hijack…
Don’t do endurance, but have logged many a 20+ and all dayers in my Bob Marshall Sports Saddle endurance model and have had no sore bums or backs.
Love my Frank Baines Enduro! Logged over 1600 miles using it so far, both training and competition. It’s been a good investment.
Check out the other thread on that saddle.
The Solstice would be wonderful for dressage. I do that also in my Solstice.
I also endurance, and trail ride in it. Penned some cows too.
Mine is a wide, 18", all black, english girth, not dressage girth.
Very secure saddle. I got mine in 2002.
Thanks rmh_rider 
