So I pulled my horse out of his rather extended winter vacation today, and not unexpectedly, my saddle no longer fits him. I rode him around at a walk for 20 min (with a few baby spins and spooks just for funsies ) and by the end of it, my saddle was SIGNIFICANTLY farther back than when we started. Girth definitely tight. I prodded around his back afterwards and he was sensitive at the base of his wither. Iām wondering if saddle slid back to a weird position and pinched him somehow. I bought this saddle specifically for him a couple years ago, had a fitter come with a bunch of different saddles and brands and it was determined this fit the best. This was when he was fit of course. Only had a slight issue with saddle sliding back when we were jumping a ton and chalked it up to him just being super uphill (this one was a jump saddle, now exploring dressage options)
I posted in a local FB group about needing to find a cheap saddle to use in the interm that works okay enough while I save up for a new saddle that really fits him, as I canāt afford that right now, and this one is not usable. Someone suggested a treeless saddle, which I had not given any thought to prior.
Specifically, one like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/144064512052
Does anyone have any experience with treeless? Love/hate? What does it feel like to ride in compared to a traditional one? Do you feel secure? Are they comfortable enough for the horse? Any other ideas/options for the time being until I can buy a proper one?
Iād say look for an itinerant saddle fitter who travels with many saddles to try on him. Saddles come in many shapes for horsesā backs. There are ones that are for rather level-backed horses, ābananaā shaped ones for horses that have a slight dip, hoop trees for wide guys.
Then thereās the twist to fit the rider. It matters more if you ride in a dressage saddle because your pelvis is in constant contact with the saddle and if the twist isnāt right it will be a misery.
Saddle fitting is a very painful search which is why itās good to find a saddle fitter. Once, I went to a used saddle shop 100 miles away to find an extra wide saddle for my Friesian. I bought 6 likely saddles on a credit card and had to return them all the following day.
Iāve got only limited experience with treeless saddles. My experience is that they are best suited to average backed horses (ie not too flat not too curvy with moderate withers and M MW sized). AKA horses āeasierā to fit in a traditional saddle. YMMV
Other options: Cry. Temper tantrums. Sell plasma.
I really feel your pain. My horse outgrew his last saddle and we are proving to be tricky (read expensive) to fit. Iāve tried a few western saddles on him but they havenāt fit sufficiently either.
Thank you eightpondfarm. That is exactly my experience as well. If you donāt have a very correct, very balanced seat, a treeless is probably not for you.
Plus, (and I will cheerfully admit if I am wrong) I believe that physics dictates that the weight will not be as evenly distributed in a treeless. Thatās the reason for a saddle tree in the first place and why correct fit is essential.
Thank you for the info! I am neither super lightweight or in possession of a great seat. So Iām thinking treeless is probably not for me. I was never thinking that treeless would be what weād do long term, because I also worry about the weight distribution, but wondered if it would be a much cheaper short term solution while I save up for a properly fitting saddleā¦ I have to start getting him going, but it certainly canāt be in the saddle I have for him now! Canāt ride him because I donāt have a good saddle, need to ride him to get him going so we can get him a properly fitting saddle.
there are MANY synthetic saddles from which to choose. i have two of these, one wide, one medium. both of cost less than 200. Cheap enough to buy while your horse develops and cheap enough to hang onto even when you finally get a good fitting one. Plyus, itās always good to have a synthetic saddle around for when the weather is too wet for your good one. https://www.statelinetack.com/item/equiroyal-newport-dressage-saddle-pkg/E002577/
Iāve ridden in a trainerās treeless saddle. I found the twist to be excessively wide to me. I canāt remember the brand but it was popular.
I showed thru fourth with a synthetic Isabell that I since sold. I had it evaluated by a couple of saddle fitters who said āit fits you horse wellā.
I have had several treeless saddles over the years and really like them. They are especially helpful if your horse is changing shape.
I wouldnāt touch that saddle that you linked to. Itās a rip off of a Freeform saddle, which is a very high quality saddle, but with none of the quality.
I may have responded to you in the Facebook group, because I also went treeless after my horse got a bit āfluffyā while I was recovering from some injuries a few years ago and her saddle no longer fit. After I broke my ankle in September, my mare got out of shape and Iāve ridden her treeless all winter to get her back in shape.
The good news? You do not necessarily need to be a lightweight rider to go treeless, but you DO need a saddle thatās built to disperse a riderās weight efficiently and many treeless saddles also require a special pad that provides spinal clearance. Note that many endurance riders use treeless saddles and those horses do just fine for long distances. Not all endurance riders are lightweight, either.
The bad news? As with treed saddles, the better treeless saddles donāt cost $250. Good treeless saddle pads cost more than $250.
Saddles that Iāve owned/tried and recommend:
Sensation saddles have a close contact feel. The stirrup attachments are at the bottom of the flap and they disperse the riderās weight quite effectively so that you do not get pressure points under the stirrup attachments. Sensations are thin on the ground right now as the company just changed ownership. Used dressage models are selling for about $2K right now. You need a special pad for them. I owned an English Trail for awhile and itās very comfortable and light weight. I still own the Western Sport. Love that saddle! Very stable and comfortable. They are very well made and the leather is extremely nice.
Heather Moffett Vogue: I bought a used dressage saddle for about $1200. They are hardish to find in the US but are very popular in the UK. I like the saddle a lot. Itās very stable, reasonably close contact. It has panels so does not need the special pad. Itās a heavier saddle but very flexible. It is one of the treeless saddles that looks reasonably like a treed saddle. Iāve ridden in mine all winter.
Ghost saddles. They have a model that has a more traditional dressage appearance. These saddles are what Iād consider mid-range. The leather is decent but not like the higher end saddles. They have built in panels but still need a special pad. The main line of saddles can make you feel a bit perched as it takes time for them to settle. Thereās a Cavallin line which has a close contact feel. They are more like a Sensation but not quite as nice. These saddles are popular, so thereās a several month wait for new ones ($1200-ish) and used ones go fast.
My reviews:
Freeform: these are nice saddles, made in Italy, high quality leather. The newer ones are available with external panels. Depending on your weight, you might not need both the panels and a special pad. These come with interchangeable seats so you can fit them to more than one rider. The seats do run about an inch small. Thereās a really nice on at the Galloping Grape right now thatās barely used. Itās a good price as they are 3K or so new. https://www.gallopinggrape.com/product-page/18-freeform-laurel-27726
Iāve not been hugely impressed with the Barefoot saddles. I had one of the original ones and it put me in a chair seat.
Iāve never ridden in an Ansur, but if youāre interested, thereās one on FB right now that is barely used and is being offered for about $2K.
If you want a treed temporary solution, you might consider a Wintec. Four years ago, when my treed saddles didnāt quite fit and I wanted to foxhunt again, I bought a WintecLite dāLux GP saddle. I think it was about $550 used (and close to new) and it is surprisingly comfortable and well balanced. It has the newer gullet system which is much easier to change.
it is a matter of perspective of course. From a horsesā perspective, spines are a precious thing. From a humanās point of view, buttox comfort has a high priority.
I think that a great part of the problem with treeless saddles is that owners do not do their homework and therefore donāt understand what needs to be considered to protect their horseās spine if they choose to go treeless. Certainly, it is possible to have a healthy horse and a treeless saddle but itās most likely not going to happen with a $250 treeless saddle made in India.
Of course, proper saddle fitting is still underappreciated. I have seen plenty of horses with incredibly sore backs from their ill-fitting treed saddles, even among those people who paid mega-dollars for custom saddles that either never fit or no longer fit their horses.
I ride in both treed and treeless saddles. Many people do not have easy access to independent saddle fitters (or good saddle fitters) and for them, using a high quality treeless saddle may be far more comfortable for their horses than using a treed saddle that sits on their withers or pinches their shoulders. I live in an area where saddle fitters are everywhere and Iām still somewhat unusual in that I have my saddle fit checked 2x/year.
Just because a treeless saddle isnāt your solution doesnāt mean it canāt work for someone else.
I have ridden many miles in treeless saddles, up to and including 100s. I would not touch that saddle linked on eBay if someone gave it to me.
There are lots of stories about treeless, both good and bad. They are NOT something that works for every horse, every time (or every rider for that matter). But they can do really well in the right circumstance.
However, if you are looking at treeless thinking its going to be a cheap way to ride your horse until he fits back up, I think you will be disappointed. By the time you are done buying a decent quality treeless saddle and the corresponding special pad, you have invested some money. That may be worth it if the horse regularly gets time off and then needs to get back in shape.
I think @Bogie gave a great overview of some better brands of treeless. I currently own a Torsion (used with a Skito pad) that I added a twist bolster to to help my hips, but if I was in the market now I would be looking very hard at the Ghost.
While I think having those attributes helps a rider in any saddle, itās not any more necessary in a properly set up treeless than it is in a treed saddle.
This is me coming into the finish of the Vermont 100 mile ride a few years ago:
Due to an issue with some girth sensitivity that developed during the ride, I wound up taking the girth completely off the saddle. I rode the last 18 miles in the Vermont mountains that way. Not sure how well balanced you would call a rider tired from 85 miles and many hours in the saddleā¦ but it worked!
I only left Torsion off as it seems to have waned in popularity over the past decade. Very well made saddles! And Iām super impressed you rode those Vermont hills without a girth. Iāve spent a lot of time on the GMHA trails and I wouldnāt dream of that.
Amazing what determination (desperation?) and decreased mental capacity after so many hours will make you consider. Bareback is not allowed per the ride rulesā¦ so it was that or quit. The horse was fine otherwise, so figured what the heckā¦
Hey, maybe @Feldspar21 can just forego the treeless saddle and ride bareback until the horse is fit again!
Is your current saddle wool flocked or foam? Because if itās wool, how do you know it wonāt work for now unless you have a fitter out. I always have my saddle fit checked if we are coming back into work from an extended break and at least a twice yearly check and adjustment.
I have gotten away with a slightly too wide saddle and a mattes half pad that my fitter adding flocking into the shim pockets to get an exact fit.
The treeless saddle I rode in while helping with a friendās horse felt like it twisted front to back and since the horse was green and liked to lean at the canter, slipped side to side a lot.
) and by the end of it, my saddle was SIGNIFICANTLY farther back than when we started. Girth definitely tight. I prodded around his back afterwards and he was sensitive at the base of his wither. Iām wondering if saddle slid back to a weird position and pinched him somehow. I bought this saddle specifically for him a couple years ago, had a fitter come with a bunch of different saddles and brands and it was determined this fit the best. This was when he was fit of course. Only had a slight issue with saddle sliding back when we were jumping a ton and chalked it up to him just being super uphill (this one was a jump saddle, now exploring dressage options)
