Several of us had saddles stolen while camping in TN. Mine was a Imus 4 Beat hand made by an Amish fellow. Now the saddles are mass produced and I have heard the quality isn’t what is was. I am now looking for a new saddle. I have read about ortho-flex saddles and wondered if anyone has used one. I primarily trail ride with an interest in light endurance. Any suggestions?
Thanks
You’re right about the new Imus saddles – not the quality they once were. Maybe you could try the used saddles sites (usedsaddles.com, ebay, tacktrader.com, etc.) for an older model 4-Beat.
Try before you buy – regardless of what saddle you consider. I thought the Ortho-flex saddles were for me – until I tried one. I don’t like how high off the horse I felt in it. I ride my two TWHs in Bob Marshall treeless saddles now, but hubby uses his older Imus saddle.
Good luck.
I have a Bob Marshall. I wonder about the stress on his back on long rides.
You might want to talk to April Battles at http://treelesssaddle.com/
She’s an endurance rider and a source for BM saddles. VERY informative and has logged a ton of miles in treeless saddles.
Personally (and I know the treeless idea has been done to death on COTH), I ride 3-4 hours in varied terrain on a regular basis and haven’t had any issues with my boy’s back. I’ve had him checked by a well known Vet/Chiro in our area and got the “all clear”.
Barefoot make a fantastic treeless saddle. PM me with any treeless questions you may have. I trail ride in the BF Arizona, when I’m not in my Dakota.
G. Grape, do you prefer the Dakota or the Barefoot? Pros and cons of each, in your experience? What makes you choose one over the other for a ride? Does it depend on where you are going, or your mood, or what? Maybe this is off topic for the post.
To the OP, I have no great saddle experience to recommend anything, but I like www.horsetackreview.com. And if you tried a Bob Marshall and didn’t like it, they sell on Ebay for what you pay for them. In fact, I rarely see an endurance one on there, people must keep them.
I rode for some time in an OF Feather which was a much older model, English style w/kneerolls. Very well made and held up beautifully to hard use. I liked it and it felt closer to the horse than did the OF Patriot or the OF Endurance. The horse went fine in it and I preferred it to any of the treed saddles, both custom and off the rack that I had tried before.
All of the OF’s that I rode however were made by the original maker and were not the ones made now so I don’t know how well made the new ones are. I’ve heard from several that they prefer the older models. I happen to think they are horrendously expensive now if purchased new.
That being said, my bad back and knees much prefer the treeless Freeform I ride in now. Lovely fit, excellent comfort for us both and I doubt I will go back. But if you are set on an OF, I’d get an older model off of ebay or one of the tack sale sites. They do hold their value well.
I’m another treeless advocate but we’ve had a lot of threads about them. I just sent a payment off to purchase another used Bob Marshall Sport Saddle. While shopping for a used one I came across several used ones for sale. If anyone is interested I save the contact info for a person that has a very slightly used BMSS for sale. I have her permission to pass her email address along to anyone who would like to contact her. Just send me a private email and I’ll pass along her email address.
Bonnie S.
Cloudy 18. I don’t have any “cons” about either. I mostly use my Barefoot Treeless on everyday trail rides… I like my Dakota for shows and if I’m going out with a bunch of friends on long trail rides… why? Because I like the look of my Dakota more than my Barefoot. That’s it… that’s the only reason… I can’t help it… when I’m with 5 other “cowgirls” and their leather tack, I don’t want to be the odd man out… silly, I know.
They are both extremely comfortable and fit my - very hard to fit - horse like a dream. As far as saddle fit goes, both of these saddles (Especially the Barefoot) fit more of my customer’s horses than other big names like Circle Y, Tucker etc. The Dakota Walker has alot of “flare” at the shoulders, and I feel EVERY saddle maker should have “flare” in the bars at the shoulders… but they dont. I can’t stress that enough. I also like the little bit of rock in the bars. I find far too many saddles bridge because of the absolutely straight bars. Most horses backs are not perfectly straight, there is a tiny bit of sway, or curve.
Anyone used a Circle Y flex lite trail endurance, Dixieland or Synergist saddle?
I love Circle Y Flex saddles but I’ve found them very very hard to fit horses…
I Just received my Sensation western saddle yesterday. I am just thrilled with how it fits and feels on my broadbacked MFT. It is just awesome. She likes it too–is really striding out. It is as light as a feather. I also have a Torsion endurance light that I like on my short backed Rockies. I will never go back to a treed saddle–they are too heavy for me.
[QUOTE=rmh;3502335]
I have read about ortho-flex saddles and wondered if anyone has used one.
I have an older Orthoflex Endurance Cutback with the system 2 panels. I haven’t used it in years – it’s just not all that comfortable for me or the horse. I feel “perched” on the horse’s back when I ride in it, the horse doesn’t move at all that well, and it’s heavy.
I’m a fan of the treeless saddles – I usually use a Bob Marshall or a Sensation when trailriding. The horses move well, it’s comfortable for me, and lightweight.
My Rocky moves out wonderfully under the flex panel saddles. I personally like the Watsons better than the OFs. I have put her under treed saddles, but not for long. She can tend to get mincy with them, and since I’ve had her since she was 18 months old, I know it’s nothing that someone else did to her to make her that way.
The OF I have was made by the original company, it’s an Express Lite. I’m really wanting to take a close look at the Specialized Saddles but haven’t gotten the chance to yet. I see that as being my next saddle as they are light weight and the bars are closed-cell foam of varying thicknesses that you adjust to fit the horse you are riding, so the flexibility to fit just about any horse is endless.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
